|
|
Post by Hidden Shade Mai ~Morgan~ on Oct 18, 2009 21:39:44 GMT -5
From a distance there was nothing about Mai to suggest anything unique about her. Probably nothing from nearer either, except for the fact that she was beautiful. Which wasn't really an indicator of anything. A flowing dark ponytail shadowed her back, leaning over a book intently. The sun bore its warmth to her, heating her back and the low brick wall she sat on. It was quiet in the park since not too many people were there, and most of those that were were far from her, hidden in the center as she was. A sculptured fountain gave a low murmur of music to the setting of flowers and trees.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aras|Ofelia on Oct 19, 2009 19:29:07 GMT -5
Now that summer had finally come around, Ofelia found herself wandering outside more and more often. She wasn't one to waste the warmth, especially when Noatak weather insisted on being arse-freezing cold for most of the year. Spring temperatures were, for the most part, pleasant, but it was in the summer heat that she thrived. It made her more energized, and fortunately for the rest of Noatak, it put Ofelia in a generally mellow mood. True to her reptilian nature, she was content to simply bask in the heat. Her human side demanded that they do it somewhere where they wouldn't draw attention, so driveways and sidewalks and other people's lawns were out of the question. They easily decided on the gardens--mostly because it was the nearest large, grassy area near her apartment. The fountain at the center of the gardens was usually one of the more popular areas, but it oddly wasn't today. A lone girl sat on the edge, hunched over what could only be a book. Since she had made no indication that she'd noticed Ofelia's presence, she figured the girl was entirely absorbed in her reading. Or ignoring her. Not that Ofelia really cared. Ofelia was about to walk by without a word when her talisman nudged her, impelling her to take a second glance. She did, and she shook her head in wry disbelief. Another one? "There really is an invasion going on, isn't there?" she said, a small smirk on her lips. ((OOC: I forgot to add--welcome to the Azn invazn here. I think the addition of Mai made the current active characters over one-third Azn.  )) |
|
|
|
Post by Hidden Shade Mai ~Morgan~ on Oct 19, 2009 21:13:14 GMT -5
Mai vaguely heard the footsteps walking through the small area she considered hers when alone. She wouldn't have paid attention except for the almost whispered rhetorical question. That made her pause in her reading, eyes locked on the word "invasion" in her book.
Coincidence, surely, she thought to herself. She glanced up and saw a woman, slightly smirking in her direction.
"Invasion of what?" She let her black eyes take in the short asian in front of her. Nothing too remarkable, in Mai's mind. Mai straightened a bit, an unconcious play for a semblance of power. She quirked an eyebrow at the lady.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aras|Ofelia on Oct 19, 2009 22:25:41 GMT -5
"Invasion of what?" The woman looked up from her book, black eyes looking Ofelia up and down. By her raised eyebrow and the way she drew herself up, Ofelia knew the girl wasn't impressed by what she saw. No-one ever was.
"Of my privacy," she deadpanned, then snorted. "Of Asians. You must have noticed a disproportionate number of Asians in this middle-of-nowhere Canadian town. I keep running into them."
The girl looked Korean. About twenty, with painted nails, piercings, impeccably-kept hair. She didn't look like much, either--perhaps one of those girls who spent too long in front of a mirror every morning. Unless she was just one of those 'naturally beautiful' types that seemed so prevalent these days. In that case, Ofelia would just roll her eyes in exasperation.
"If you haven't noticed, you must be new here. Are you?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Hidden Shade Mai ~Morgan~ on Oct 19, 2009 22:37:16 GMT -5
"Of my privacy. Of Asians. You must have noticed a disproportionate number of Asians in this middle-of-nowhere Canadian town. I keep running into them."
And insert a snort after the first two words. Mai mentally rolled her eyes.
"No. I didn't notice the insane amount of asians. Not at all." She rolled her eyes here. She stood and offered her hand to the woman, deciding that bowing now was not the best approach. This woman, with her short hair and small figure, may not have looked like much, but a sense of hidden power exuded from her. A quiet sort of confidence. Mai wondered what it was from.
"My name is Mai. I, of course, also didn't notice that I moved here relatively recently. I'm not a ditz, thank you." She moved her hand a bit and tucked the book away in her bag, hanging at her hip, black against her olive shorts.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aras|Ofelia on Oct 20, 2009 10:02:38 GMT -5
This woman certainly had a very obvious brand of sarcasm. Ofelia had always appreciated some degree of subtlety in her sarcasm, and this woman was more than a little in-your-face about it. Some (like Ofelia) might say she was trying to hard.
So the woman--Mai--had moved here recently. Whether she'd actually noticed the unexpected influx of Asians in her short time here or was just being defensive Ofelia didn't know. She couldn't claim to know all the new faces in town, but it was always good to acquaint oneself with some of the newcomers, for various reasons. "How recently?"
Mai stood a few inches taller than she, but this was really nothing new. The day was so warm and pleasant that Ofelia didn't feel the usual twinge of annoyance that would have accompanied this observation. She really ought to move somewhere where the weather was always this warm. Just her luck that Talisman Central happened to be in Canada.
"I'm Ofelia," she added almost as an afterthought, shaking the woman's hand.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hidden Shade Mai ~Morgan~ on Oct 20, 2009 18:42:40 GMT -5
Mai thought a bit about shoving the woman in the fountain, but decided not to. They seemed to have gotten a bad start, but that could be fixed perhaps.
"Nice name. I've been here about a year." She tried to remember if she'd heard the name before. No. She hadn't. Either the woman had never gone to the library in the last year or so, or she'd been in the stacks when she came in. Either way.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aras|Ofelia on Oct 22, 2009 14:31:26 GMT -5
Ofelia made a noncommittal sound at Mai's compliment. It was just a nickname. Her parents had helped her choose when they'd moved here those many years ago, evidently unaware of the reference. Unless she started singing and handing out flowers, the name was probably one of the most ill-fitting ones they could have chosen.
"Hm. I've been here a couple of years." More than she cared to know. She would have left a long time ago if it hadn't been for the unusually high concentration of talismans here. Then again, she certainly wasn't the only one who felt that way, and since so many talismans were already here the town continued to attracted even more. It was one of those never-ending cycles.
"So what brought you out here, to the middle of nowhere?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Hidden Shade Mai ~Morgan~ on Oct 24, 2009 0:30:01 GMT -5
"College." Mai guarded her eyes, not letting the pain that Ofelia had unknowingly touched on show. She didn't really want to go into her history right now. The brutal cycle had just recently ended for her, a memory that was too close. There was, of course, also those legend she kept hearing that centered on this town. She saw nothing remarkable here, unles you counted the reports of strange happenings.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aras|Ofelia on Oct 25, 2009 15:05:14 GMT -5
Mai's succinct answer and the noteworthy lack of sarcasm made it clear that there was more to her story than her overly simple response. Besides, who came here for higher education? From what Ofelia knew, the only students who went to the local college were Noatak residents. Barely anyone outside of Noatak knew about its college; those that knew would find nothing remotely remarkable about it. There were far better options, in far better places.
Pointing out the holes in her story would been painfully unsubtle, so Ofelia let it slide. For the moment, at any rate. This girl evidently had a story; whether or not it had anything to do with their world was still uncertain. "What do you study?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Hidden Shade Mai ~Morgan~ on Oct 26, 2009 20:11:59 GMT -5
"I haven't quite decided what to study. I'm working through the core classes every student needs to takee while I think about it." And find out more about these 'Talismans' I keep hearing whispers of. She added silently. She glanced around. There was not a soul in sight besides themselves. Oh, well. She didn't feel like anyone witnessing her fumbling conversation with Ofelia.
[OOC: >.< >.< >.< Arg. I hate when I can't think of anything to say. >.<]
|
|
|
|
Post by DesperateDark on Oct 26, 2009 21:26:15 GMT -5
It was a nice day. Yes, a very nice day indeed. It wasn't too hot for a summer evening, so Reyes decided he might want to take a little stroll in the gardens. It was a weekday as well, so most of the residents were at work or school or doing something of importance to them. Reyes worked on nobody's schedule but his own--busking for his meals--and he didn't mind it one bit.
It was pretty empty when he came in, though the gardens was pretty big for a park fitted to a small town like Noatak. A glance around just to make sure that nobody was there, and then he let himself morph into that huge caribou that now hulked over much of the little garden displays and benches that could be splintered like matchwood under his hooves.
So he continued his stroll as a caribou, walking through the gardens and occasionally stooping to sniff at some interesting looking flowers. He ate none of the grass, however. Who knew if they put pesticides in that stuff? Reyes' solitude didn't last long, however, as he heard faint voices just around the corner. Then there was a familiar scent, one of apples and soap.
Reyes quickened his pace, his hooves making clip-clop sounds on the cobblestone they built as walkways as he drew nearer to the source of the smell and the noise. The shorter of the two women he recognized instantaneously, matching her... Er, height, with the smell from her hair. He last saw Ofelia at the docks with that Nick kid who got them a boat and disappeared. A low noise escaped his chest before he could stop it, and he stood behind some of the bushes and trees that provided little to no cover for an oversized caribou.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aras|Ofelia on Oct 28, 2009 13:53:20 GMT -5
Mai's answer told Ofelia nothing new about her, but by her occasional avoidance of eye contact it was evident that the girl found their conversation somewhat awkward. There was no-one to see or hear them, but Mai kept shooting sidelong glances at their surroundings. Perhaps, for whatever reason, she was a tad paranoid.
Just when Ofelia was quite certain that she and Mai were alone, the distinct sound of hooves on stone carried through the trees. A few seconds' listening confirmed that whatever was making the noise was headed in their direction. Had someone, on some bizarre whim, decided to ride their horse through the gardens? Ofelia could think of several places far better than the gardens for equestrian activities. But then again, this town was full of... eccentric people, to put it mildly.
When the culprit appeared, Ofelia recognized him in an instant. It had been several months since the attack at the lake, but one didn't tend to forget an oversized caribou easily--especially after said caribou had stood over her and taken several deep whuffs of her hair, then shortly afterward had proceeded to demolished a couple of wolf skulls. And as its finale, it had transformed into an unnaturally tall Japanese man.
But unless she had really gotten around in the past year, the chances that Mai knew this were very slim. If Reyes were anything like most talisman-bearers, he would not appreciate Ofelia revealing his secret. (Circumstances had been different last time.) The idea of dealing with an irate caribou didn't appeal to her in the slightest.
Dragging her eyes away from the poorly-hidden caribou--it was by far one of the most comical sights she'd seen in the gardens--Ofelia shook her head and shrugged. "I won't ask if you don't."
|
|
))
