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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Aug 26, 2011 13:57:27 GMT -5
 
Miki turned the rice in the rice cooker over and over again, whistling a tune. There was no silence in the three bedroom apartment, since the ktichen and the living room were divided by a counter. The flatscreen television set mounted on the wall filled the room with the sounds of Jenna Hamilton's inner monologue. MTV had continued it's crusade of not showing just music videos and created yet another teen comedy. It was more curious to Miki due to the plot of the first episode, which was about a young girl who was taught to have tried to commit suicide but in reality was just the victim of a horrible sequence of events. At the very least the censored bad words created humor in the still-mature part of the sixteen year old's psyche.
The sixteen year old grabbed the handle of a saucepan, shaking it as she covered the chicken teriyaki fillets with soy sauce. The rice only needed a few more minutes to be done while the salad, just a regular salad with lettuce and tomatoes, was ready and fresh in the fridge. The Yashida family was no where to be seen now that the parental units were busy dealing with the Friday-rush at the restaurant. Miki was glad that, for once, she couldn't go and help them since she had things to do on her own. A friend, or at least an acquaintance, would be coming over to work on a school project. Leave to the Student Council to leave everything to the Yearbook Club and the AV Club. The young girl turned the stove off and glanced at the clock near the old blue fridge in the kitchen.
4:04 pm. Riley would be here soon.
It was easier to meet outside the school rather than at lunch or after classes. They wouldn't be able to eat lunch comfortably and the project was a big one. A slideshow for the graduating class. It'd take more than one meeting and she wasn't a fan of staying at McKinley longer than she absolutely had to. Plus, she had no qualms about inviting the boy over to her home, an apartment smack-dab in the middle of Lima. With the lack of noise pollution you wouldn't even think you were surrounded by buildings anyway. Either way, Miki could defend herself well in any case. Her parents believed in learning how to protect oneself; they also believed in tasers.
The apartment wasn't all that big. Starting with the front door there was a hallway that lead straight to the leaving room; only one door led into a bathroom. The kitchen was settled to the left of the living room, separated via a counter. A hallway to the right of the living room led to another bathroom, the dining room, Miki's room and her parent's bedroom. There was also access to a balcony and, from there, to the roof. Her parents had once told her that owning a large house wasn't their taste and that the place reminded them of their homes back in Japan. It was a mix of eastern and western styles with sofas, cabinets, the odd trinket covered in kanji and some mismatched couch pillows here and there.
Miki's laptop was already set up at the dinner table.
She leaned against the column that connected to the kitchen counter and watched Jenna Hamilton stick it to Sadie Montogomery, having stolen her food journal.
"Because that's not sending the wrong message at all"
Knock.
Knock.
Miki tugged on her denim shorts and a t-shirt she had left hanging on a nearby rack. She tended to prowl her house in shorts and tank tops but she thougth of at least wearing a t-shirt over her white tank-top. It was a dull green with the symbol for the Tri-Force, a plot device often found in the Legend of Zelda video game series. She stopped near the shoerack, where everyone left their shoes, as she tied her hair into a sideways bun.
Peeking through the small 'eye' at the door, she smiled and then opened the door.
"Konbawa."
words--- 718words?!
tags--- RILEY / HALEY?!
notes--- IS THE END OK, I JUST DECIDED TO ADD IT LIKE THAT!?!
lyrics--- Lady Gaga's The Edge of Glory
credit--- Credit to Dollie [/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Aug 26, 2011 14:40:46 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] When the AV club nominated Riley to work with Miki Yashida, a photographer for the McKinley High Yearbook who he was somewhat acquainted with, on the end of the year slideshow for the graduating class, he wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation. Part of him felt weird about it, but another part of him felt...well, honored, in a way, that they were trusting him with something that so many people would see. Maybe they were just testing him. He remembered the last words the AV club president had told him after giving him the assignment: "Don't screw up." That certainly had been a huge burst of confidence, that they trusted him so much to do such a good job. All he knew for sure was that it was way too early to be thinking about the graduating class when it was only September, and that it was a little weird that only he seemed to think it was too early.
All of these things seemed to pass through Riley's brain at once as he gave himself a quick once over in the mirror by the door. He didn't look any different than he usually did - he was wearing a plaid button-down with the sleeves rolled up and his caramel-blond hair was a mess as usual - but for some reason, he felt like he was forgetting something....yet again, he always felt like that when he was nervous. Riley did a quick paranoia check to make sure he had everything he needed before driving over to Miki's house: he could see clearly, which meant he hadn't forgotten his glasses; probably a good sign. His car keys and USB stick with all of the directions that the AV club had given him (not many; all vague) were both in his back pocket. Riley reached up to try and flatten his hair a little - all in vain, since he was aware that it would never behave - before grabbing his jacket and heading out the door.
Riley's nerves kicked in about halfway through the drive to Miki's house, which was to be expected, but he sort of wished they could have at least waited until he was off the road. Riley was still pretty new to driving - he turned sixteen in late July the summer and had just gotten his license in August - and, unlike many teenage drivers, was the opposite of eager. In other words, he was convinced that he would crash into something. But surprisingly enough, he wasn't that bad of a driver and managed to back into a parking space outside the Yashidas' apartment without hitting anyone, so he figured that was probably a good omen as far as his driving was concerned.
Now, Riley was standing outside the apartment door, rocking back and forth on his heels as he waited patiently for someone to answer the door. Before long, Miki stood in front of him with a smile on her face and greeted him. "Um, hi," he said politely, smiling and trying to be friendly. He wasn't very good when it came to people. "Can I come in?
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Aug 27, 2011 9:52:41 GMT -5
"Um, hi,"
"Hello."
"Can I come in?"
"Of course."
Miki opened the door wider to let the boy in. She heard a small 'Harrumph!' from the hallway and leaned forward to see an older couple walking past in the hallway. Mr. and Mrs. Langolier weren't the friendliest of people; it was mostly because her parents had refused invitations for get-togethers and teas for a good three years. The two whispered among themselves as they scuttled past, shooting suspicious glances at the young girl and her company.
"It's nice to see you again Mr.Langolier! Mrs. Langolier, you should really stop by for some dinner at Sanpu-" The sound of a slamming door silenced her.
"You're welcome to sit down on the couch."
The girl shut the door behind her and headed towards the kitchen once more, grabbing a spatula and prodding the freshly made teriyaki chicken. She added a couple of sesame seeds and made sure to have them mix well with the sauce. She had always been more comfortable with the scent and presence of food in the room. It was clear to her that conversations often went faster and calmer with the sweet or tangy or salty being settled in strong stomachs. However, she liked cooking when she wanted and how she wanted which was why she was still a waitress at Sanpuku rather than a chef. Miki turned to look at Riley. She wasn't this nervous around David and she chalked it up to the fact that he was like a giant teddy bear wrapped in scary gift wrap.
"Would you like to eat first before discussing the fact we were saddled with a project that is incredibly premature, not to mention time consuming?" Her face, which had held a smile at the door, reverted to the calm expression she always carried with her at school.
It was part of her personality and her instinct. She didn't know much about Riley, but she knew enough to trust him as a good house guest. Her mind turned away from this thought as he stomach rumbled a bit. That chicken smelled good. Hopefully her good food would ignite some hunger in the junior before her.
words--- 718words?!
tags--- RILEY / HALEY?!
notes--- DOCTOR WHO MARATHON ALL DAY, INSANE!?!
lyrics--- Lady Gaga's The Edge of Glory
credit--- Credit to Dollie [/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Aug 27, 2011 10:40:41 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] Riley stepped inside the Yashidas' apartment, but barely made it past the doorframe when he heard an exasperated sigh come from an older-looking couple. He turned back over his shoulder and listened with curiosity as Miki tried to talk to them, but was interrupted by a slamming door. "Should I even ask?" he said, turning to Miki. Her neighbors seemed less than friendly and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know what their problem was. With a slight shrug, Riley stepped further inside the apartment and took a good look around. There wasn't much to see at first - just a long hallway - but the further inside you got, the more there was to notice. "Nice place you've got here," he said, rocking on his heels some more. The apartment didn't seem all that big, but in a way, it was kind of cozy...but he didn't think he would've survived being crammed in such a small house with his mom and dad. The elder Taylors weren't exactly the type for 'personal space.'
"You're welcome to sit down on the couch," Miki invited, so Riley sat down, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Thanks," he mumbled, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. His stomach growled hungrily when he smelled something good; he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, but he thought it was kind of oriental. Whatever it was, it was making him hungry. What time was it again? Riley's leg started shaking in anticipation. He was always a bit skittish, so it didn't really surprise him that he was starting to get nervous.
"Would you like to eat first?" was pretty much all Riley heard of Miki's next sentence, and he replied quickly (and perhaps a bit too eagerly), "Yeah; please." He started to get up, but then sat back down, unsure of what he should do. "Um, where are we-" he started to ask, then stopped mid-sentence and let his wandering eyes do the talking for him. "But yeah, it's a little early to be thinking about graduation," Riley commented, a little out-of-the-blue since the rest of Miki's sentence had just registered in his brain. It was sort of relieving to hear that she agreed with him, since none of the other members of AV club seemed to think that it was that unusual. Maybe it was just because of all the time they were expecting the project to take that they needed to get started that early. Which reminded him... "Oh, and I have the instructions on here," he said, pulling his flash drive out of his back pocket. "I don't know if the Yearbook Club gave you anything else to build off of...but this is a start, I guess." Riley looked down and awkwardly stared at his toes, waiting for a response.
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Aug 27, 2011 13:56:21 GMT -5
"Should I even ask?"
"File it under 'Neighbors with a grudge'."
"I don't know if the Yearbook Club gave you anything else to build off of...but this is a start, I guess."
The Yearbook Club had unceremoniously left her a note on her locker, a small sticky note with a time and place; as per usual, she showed up and was greeted by the site of the group chattering on about the latest gossip. The president addressed her shortly and told her, in between stories of slutty cheerleaders and summer surgeries, that she needed to work with Riley on the slide-show. She was told the girl she needed to have something for February and that was about it.
"Have a draft by February, content doesn't matter much; focus on the theme." Miki said.
She place lids on the rice cooker and the sauce-pan and then walked over to a nearby cabinet. Pulling several drawers until pulling out and inspecting the bottom one, she wondered where her hard-disk was. She suddenly moved across the room, towards the flat screen at the far end of the living room and reached behind the table it was settled on. Miki reconnected it to the blu-ray player and then turned both the player and the flat screen on. Sitting down across from Riley, on an old but polished la-z-boy, the girl suddenly frowned. Looking at the boy's shoes she 'tsked'.
"Shit, I forgot. Would you mind leaving your shoes at the rack by the door? There are slippers for guests there as well if you don't want to be barefoot."
It was traditional to walk around ones home without shoes and to be in other's homes with slippers. It was an odd thing to ask of a person but the habit had been ingrained in the sixteen year old's mind. Miki turned her attention back to the screen, where the television set was already showing pictures of summer activities (which included the Celibacy Club, the Gardening Club, the Hockey Team, Early Football team training, the AV Club's production of a small Doctor who themed video and Sylvester's Cheerleading Training Camp).
words--- 718words?!
tags--- RILEY / HALEY?!
notes--- LET THE ODDNESS BEGIN!?!
lyrics--- Lady Gaga's The Edge of Glory
credit--- Credit to Dollie [/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Aug 29, 2011 13:14:42 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] "File it under 'Neighbors with a grudge'," Miki explained, and Riley mouthed a silent "Ah." He would have tried to sympathize with her about this, but he couldn't; all of his neighbors were painfully friendly, since he lived on one of the closest-knit streets in Lima, meaning that his parents constantly dragged him along to endless get-togethers, holiday parties, potlucks, etc. when he would have rather been in his room with his music turned up and no one bothering him. Since he was an only child, he didn't have the excuse of asking them to bring along his sister or brother instead. So in a way, Riley supposed he would rather have neighbors like Miki's than overly-friendly neighbors like his own.
"All the directions I got are right here," Riley explained, toying with the flash drive in his hand. "Where's your laptop? Or, I guess I should just give you this." He stuck out the USB stick for Miki to grab and plug into her computer. "I don't think they'll help much, but like I said, it's a start." Riley thought back to the single, wordy paragraph the AV club had written him. It had mostly just been more rambling about how important of a job this was, so don't screw it up. They trust me so much, he thought sarcastically, letting out a small sigh. Riley looked up as a picture of him from Celibacy Club's summer meetings popped up in Miki's slideshow. "Oh, flattering," he mumbled, a bit sourly. Getting his picture taken wasn't exactly his favorite thing; getting any sort of spotlight whatsoever didn't sit well with him. He would rather let other people shine than have to have all eyes on him.
Riley eyed Miki strangely as Miki looked down at his shoes and cursed. "Would you mind leaving your shoes at the rack by the door? There are slippers for guests there if you don't want to be barefoot," she said. It was probably a good thing he had grabbed socks as a last minute decision this morning, Riley thought as he said, "Um, okay," and started hopping on one foot over to the shoe rack as he tried to yank his black Converse off the other. He left his shoes on the rack and check with Miki, "It's okay if I walk around in my socks, right?" He hoped it would be, but he didn't want to step over some kind of cultural/religious line if the strict rule was "NO SHOES, WEAR SLIPPERS." He knew he would probably be offended if someone stepped over one of his religious boundaries, so he didn't want to make Miki feel uncomfortable if this was some kind of tradition thing.
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Sept 3, 2011 17:59:31 GMT -5
"Oh, flattering,"
Riley's words, which left a bitter feeling in the air, caused Miki to turn towards the slideshow currently presented on the television screen. She took the junior's USB from his hand quickly, her nimble fingers suddenly pressing the pause button on the item. The screen froze on the image of the Celibacy Club's new members sitting in a circle underneath an old tree; it was a winding thing, settled on top of a small mound of earth in an empty field a couple of feet from the football field. When the wind blew through it in Autumn, at just the right time and in just the right way, the tree sang. It' seemed like a truly spiritual place. Miki had enjoyed taking pictures that day, even though her beliefs were wildly different from most of the CC members.
Miki stared intently, mostly for show, at the image of the CC gathered in a Circle with Riley sitting at the tree's base; a smile was crossing his face and his glasses were a little crooked. His large, yet thin, fingers splayed out as he recounted something that had the others laughing, if the wide smiles and gleeful expressions were any hint. Flattering, he had said; he was almost like David in that sense.
They didn't have a thing for pictures, it seemed.
"I don't know... I quite like that one."
The pictures of that particular day kept coming and if the girl remembered well it happened to be a sunny August afternoon. Most of the clubs liked to begin their activities for the pre-academic season much like the Cheerios and Football teams had their training; McKinley students had so much more to share but Lima, being the small and traditional kind of place it was, would cast a shadow over them. At least she'd have these pictures to remember that the cow-town had hope. The slideshow cycled into the pictures for the next day, and then the next week before skipping to the first days of the semester.
The seniors were seen running about with banners, hats and flags, proclaiming their graduating class as the best there ever was. In those moments it seemed the barriers were broken and while the soon-to-be-gone students sang the Titans' anthem, Miki had taken enough pictures to last a lifetime. It was a good thing that she kept moving them through different memory cards and kept only the best.
As Miki put the remote back on the coffee table and watched Riley shuffle back in his socks, she flipped his USB around her fingers and blanched slightly.
"Is this even on?" The deep voice called out from the speakers connected to the television set.
The image was clear but shaking. Someone clearly held the camera while the other bounced about trying to get it. The setting was the Astronomy Classroom. Miki wondered how she hadn't deleted that video yet, but remembered it fondly.
"That is not a video camera, David! Give it back!" Her voice rang out after the first, mixing her laughter with the booming chuckles.
The video was thirty seconds long and very suddenly, near the end, David Karofsky's face appeared onscreen alongside the sophomore.
"Ok, pose on three?"
They counted and the screen captured the last of the short video. The senior and the sophomore gave a lasting impression: His right eyebrow rose incredibly, a smirk crossing his features while her eyes grew as wide as her smile.
"Hm, here I thought I'd already put that in my hard-disk." Miki reached for the remote and the screen was black in seconds.
"Do you have anything in here besides instructions?
`notes :: OH MY GOD, RAMBLE RAMBLE. SO LATE. DECIDED TO PUT DAVE IN THIS. AGAIN, I BEG FORGIVENESS. UNIVERSITY SUCKS BA-
`tags:: RILEY/HALES
`words :: 639 WORDS
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Sept 5, 2011 14:54:35 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] "I don't know...I quite like that one." Riley blushed slightly, looking back up at the picture. He always felt weird looking at photographs of himself, because he always felt like there was some part of him missing. His personality, maybe; it's hard to capture these things on camera. But in this photo, he couldn't really use that as an excuse. Miki was an excellent photographer, and he actually looked kind of...good. He was leaned up against a knobby old tree, which he remembered hadn't actually been that comfortable, and his glasses were tilted sideways off the bridge of his nose. Subconsciously, he reached up to push his glasses back against his forehead, and glanced over at Miki. "I don't really know either. Good picture, but the camera always kind of hates me. Not that that makes any sense," he muttered. Riley's statement contradicted itself as usual, but that wasn't new. He was never really all that good at stringing together sentences.
Some pictures of the senior class crossed the screen, which Riley figured they could probably open the slideshow with...not that they needed to start thinking about that just yet, and besides, he was only supposed to be doing the FX and technological part of the project. The photographs and arrangement of things was all up to Miki. He did an awkward sort of shuffling walk back to the couch, feeling kind of weird without his shoes on. Bare, in a way, he supposed it could be said. He was used to forgetting to take his shoes off when he went up to his room after school, and getting yelled at for tracking mud/snow/dirt from the baseball diamond all over his mom's carpet was part of his typical day. Riley, distracted for a moment, glanced back up at the screen when a short video popped up of Miki and one of the seniors, David Karofsky. His shoulders tensed, and his stomach churned. He could feel the nervousness that he normally felt whenever he was expecting to get picked on, but he wasn't sure why. Just seeing him usually didn't do that to him; it was usually only when he felt like something unfortunate was coming. Maybe it was seeing him with Miki that did it. But why would that be? He awkwardly shifted sitting positions as he tried to drop the thought, but he couldn't help but remark, "Um, I didn't know you were friends with him." He'd said it more in a curious way than in a rude one, but he still felt butterflies rise up as he hoped he hadn't said something wrong.
"Do you have anything in here besides instructions?" Miki asked, toying with his flash drive still. It took Riley a second to register the meaning of her words. "Oh!" he exclaimed, a bit loudly as he realized what she meant. He was a little relieved that he hadn't been sitting there like a deer caught in headlights for too long. "Probably. But I kind of use that for all-purposes so I think it's just assignments and stuff. But I meant to scan some of the handouts I had lying around from AV club, though, 'cause I worked on some other slideshow last year...I forget what it was for. But it had a list of tips and focus points that could be helpful. I hope I actually remembered to scan that..." Riley trailed off, realizing he was just rambling. Last year's slideshow, he'd been e-mailed a bunch of pictures and left to his own devices, so it probably wasn't anything nearly as important as the graduation slideshow. He also 'fondly' recalled that they had expected him to screw up on that project, too, and sunk back into the couch, trying not to appear like he was sulking. Which, of course, he pretty much was.
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Sept 5, 2011 16:37:07 GMT -5
""I don't really know either. Good picture, but the camera always kind of hates me. Not that that makes any sense,"
"People often transfer their feelings of self-criticism towards inanimate objects that happen to capture moments that they dislike." Her words, thought to be in her mind but actually spilled from her mouth, were said in a calm tone. Never hushed, they were spread out into the open air of the apartment. It was only after they lingered for a few moments that Miki realized how odd they were.
"Gomen."She tapped the corners of her mouth with her index fingers. "I don't have much of a filter for the things I say."
She was curious, extremely so, when, as she apologized, Riley blanched at the image on the screen. Being David's friend had obviously made her think of her own social standing; being seen with one of the worst bullies in McKinley would harm her standing with many others. Those others being the unfortunate subjects of David (and Adams') terror. She hadn't expected to be welcomed warmly by the AV Club after being seen eating lunch with the boy in the Astronomy Room. However, no words were said when she spent time the very same September afternoon, watching anime with a couple of the members. No actions were had and no odd looks spared. That had most of her curiosity. Riley visibly reacted to the boy's appearance; the mere 30 seconds of footage caused him to flinch.
From previous experience she expected him to leave it be, to say nothing and keep it to himself until safely away from her and among his own friends.
"Um, I didn't know you were friends with him."
One thing she really loved about people was the fact that they could surprise you at ever turn of a conversation.
"David is..." She didn't hesitate, but did struggle for a few moments to define their relationship. Had she ever had a friend as close as the boy? She had told him things no one else knew and he had done the same. He sought her advice and support. He promised to do the same when she needed him.
"...He is a very close friend. We have similar interests."
The topic shifted quickly enough and after the boy divulged the contents of his USB, she held it out for him, her arm casting a shadow over the wooden coffee table.
"Then we won't be needing this for a while. We could brainstorm; a small think-tank, if you will. However you'll have to excuse me if I decide to eat some food while I do."
Standing up, the girl switched the television set back onto it's original channel. She visibly grimaced at the sight of Snookie and Ron dancing on tables for a commercial of the Jersey Shore. She flipped through the channels while serving herself some food. Soon enough two plates and a bowl were filled with white rice, chicken teriyaki and steamed vegetables. The waitress balanced two plates on her other hand as she let the channel remain on G4TV. Currently the videogame show XPlay was reviewing God of War III.
"It's nearly five, are you sure you wouldn't like some food? I promise, I'm not trying to fatten you up."
`notes :: I AM SO HUNGRY.
`tags:: RILEY/HALES
`words :: 645 WORDS
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Sept 10, 2011 17:00:10 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] "People often transfer their feelings of self-criticism towards inanimate objects that happen to capture moments they dislike." Riley clenched his jaw tightly, grinding his teeth against one another. He liked Celibacy Club, and he could remember the exact joke they were laughing at, and it was pretty funny, and he liked the people he was in charge of. Not only was being in Celibacy Club living up to his expectations, he couldn't think of anything to dislike about it. So why did Miki's comment seem to ring true to him? Riley loosened his jaw a bit and let out a small sigh, before admitting, "That was kind of way over my head, but I guess I get what you're saying." Basically, it was that he was taking out his own lack of self-confidence on a picture showing a moment that showed him at his best, and that he shouldn't be. He understood that, and agreed with it, but he still couldn't keep himself from thinking about how horrible he looked.
"You have similar interests?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow at Miki as he explained her friendship with Karofsky. Like what? Throwing smaller kids around for fun? He had no idea how a girl as sweet and interesting as Miki could find good company with a guy like that, but he thought it was probably safer not to ask and just to leave it at that. He didn't want to come across as a jerk, so he just bit his lip and held his tongue. Miki continued to say that they wouldn't be needing his flash drive just yet, and Riley looked over at her and nodded, not really sure what kind of response that required. He cracked a smile as he noticed her make a face at a Jersey Shore commercial, and almost laughed. "Not big on reality TV?" he asked teasingly. "Me either. It kind of sucks." That was a bit of an understatement, actually. The people on those shows must've been drunk when they signed their contracts, because why else would anyone agree to be humiliated on live TV? Riley wrinkled his nose in distaste before dropping that thought.
The caramel-haired boy's stomach growled at the mere mention of food; it was rather strange that he hadn't noticed how hungry he was before now. Maybe it was just that Miki was distracting him. "I'm not trying to fatten you up; I promise," Miki said, and he smiled again. "Um, it's not a problem, is it? I mean, it's not gonna be a pain it the butt for you to feed me, I'm hoping," he said, remembering his manners at the very last minute. He was hungry, but he didn't want to intrude on her and her family or anything. "But yeah, that would be cool...if it's not a problem," Riley concluded, eying the two full plates and focusing on trying not to lick his lips.
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Sept 15, 2011 10:07:21 GMT -5
"It's no problem."
In reality she had made so much food so he'd eat and she wouldn't be burdened with filling her half of their conversations. Most dinners, in her experience, were a silent but not uncomfortable affair. The girl had realized that she could become more open and somewhat playful with food added to any conversation.
The plates were left on the wooden coffee table, their shadows covering the intricate designs of the floor rug underneath through the clear glass surface. A year and a half of working as a waitress (officially, or at least, on paper) had trained her to work swiftly. The days hadn't passed by without accidents, though, as she recalled dumping two orders of mochi and miso soup on a waiting customer. Her mother wouldn't stop bringing it up for a month and it'd be another two months before that customer ever set foot in Sanpuku again. When she did she had a year's worth of coupons under her belt.
The beige cupboards of the kitchen held several different plates: clear glass, ceramic, some with flowery designs at the edges, some square-shaped and others oval. She pulled a black plate, about the size of the average notebook, with it's edges drawn up slightly to give it a curved square kind of look. She filled it with white rice, struggling a bit when she realized she accidentally made it sticky instead of the loose kind she liked. The cooked teriyaki was spread alongside the rice, the vegetables plucked and placed in-between the two. Presentation, at a restaurant or at home, was everything in the culinary world.
Miki left some napkins and a pair of chopsticks in front of Riley, on the coffee table. Next were the drinks and when she opened the fridge her eye twitched slightly; most of the things they drank at her house consisted of tea, water, milk and orange juice. She pulled drawers and looked behind the vat of curing chicken feet to find four cans of soda. They had probably been sneaked in by her father, as her mother disapproved of the drink. The girl filled two clear glasses (each with waves of blue and green stripes all around them) with ice and balanced them on one hand. She frowned when she realized that Riley probably couldn't use chopsticks.
Plus she needed to bring her own utensils. Maybe she could do it all in one go without looking weird?
"You may find this weird but I'd rather not make any more trips to the kitchen. "
The girl grabbed a pair of chopsticks (wooden disposable ones) for herself and a pair of utensils for Riley. She drew her left arm closer to her body and balanced the two cans of Coca-Cola there. She moved quickly over to the living room with the plate in her left hand, the glasses in her right, the utensils underneath the plate and the cans drawn close to her body.
Her face had a trained expression as she bent down in front of the coffee table and sat with her legs underneath her. The glasses were placed on the table first, then the plate and then the cans. She organized everything neatly before studying the table in it's entirety.
"Ah! Yes, I didn't spill a thing!" Her proud exclamation echoed off the walls of the apartment and the edges of her eyes crinkled slightly when she realized she seemed a bit too happy.
Blushing never happened to , even with her clear complexion, but exhaling and being overexcited at the prospect of not spilling a drop of food in front of a boy who might've seen it as weird was probably a good way to cause it.
"Ahem. Well... First, are you allergic to anything? Or would you like something else to drink? We have milk, juice and green tea."
`notes :: WHAT IS THIS?! WHY AM I RAMBLING SO MUCH, MIKI IS SUCH A SHOWOFF. OMG HALEY I LOVE YOU I'M SO SORRY THIS IS LATE AGAIN GAAAH-
`tags:: RILEY/HALES
`words :: 639 WORDS
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Sept 17, 2011 12:51:39 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] "As long as it's not a problem....and thank you," Riley said politely, nodding his head once in acknowledgement. He watched with interest as Miki worked quickly, filling two plates up with food that smelled kind of oriental. He couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, but he wasn't a vegetarian and he didn't have any allergies, so if it smelled good, he'd eat it. After all, he might have been slightly more sensitive and have had slightly better manners than most of his kind, but he did happen to be a sixteen-year-old boy, and he was a very hungry sixteen year old boy. There wasn't much more to it than that.
Riley shook his head when Miki said he might find something weird. "Nah. Takes a lot to impress me as far as weirdness goes. I'm in the AV club, remember?" he joked, teasing slightly and a grin playing at the edges of his lips. He kept watching her with curiosity, mesmerized as she arranged the plates and utensils until she was satisfied with the appearance of the coffee table in front of them. Riley couldn't help but smile, since Miki seemed so happy at her success...and at not spilling anything. "Spilling something wouldn't have been pretty, so I guess that's probably a good thing," he said, a playful expression still plastered on his face. He realized he hadn't talked this much since being here, and perhaps he was slowly warming up to Miki. Maybe it was just that he was so excited to finally be eating something. He hadn't had a thing since breakfast/lunch/brunch/whatever you want to call it.
"No, I'm not allergic to anything. I'd say sunlight since I'm a computer nerd and all that, but I'm also a baseball player, so I don't think that would work," Riley said, in a fashion that made him seem like he was just blurting out whatever he was thinking. He was starting to kind of embarrass himself with his, er, talkative manner. Sometimes when he got nervous, he started blabbing and just couldn't stop. Apparently, this was turning into one of those times. Wonderful. Clearing his throat, his cheeks heated up a bit as he replied, "And, um, milk would be cool. Please. And thanks again."
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Sept 23, 2011 17:31:20 GMT -5
"Milk it is."Miki took Riley's glass and the can of Coca-Cola before proceeding to the kitchen. Once the can was nestled between a gallon of water and a jar of mango marmalade jam, she poured a glass of fat-free milk and returned to her place across the junior.
"Nah. Takes a lot to impress me as far as weirdness goes. I'm in the AV club, remember?"
"Oh so you guys cling to that stereotype?" She asked with a smile as she grabbed her chopsticks. She twirled them in her left hand a bit before putting her hands together. "Itadakimasu."
Of course, she waited for Riley to eat first since it was customary (at least in her household) to makes sure the guests were satisfied. She then realized she had given him two sets of utensils (fork and knife along with a set of chopsticks) and wondered if Kami would ever forgive her for being a bit culturally unaware in her own home. It was almost as if she was cut from the American way of life in her own home (they didn't even speak English inside the apartment). Her own mother would've already set her aside for a mild tongue lashing but she was extremely traditional when it came to certain aspects of life. She would've considered Riley's presence in the home the presentation of a future suitor as well-
"Oh don't even go there. Thank you for hardworking, overtime loving parents." The girl silently thought. "So, in honor of you meeting with a culture you're not used to seeing, would you like me to teach you to hold chopsticks?"
She was being too forward again but the observation was true. He was clearly more aligned with the Christian, 2 parents and 2.2 children line of living. At least their differences were making for good conversation (or would be).
She held her right hand out, holding the mauve colored chopsticks between her fingers and making a pinching motion slightly. She suddenly remembered that a similar pair of utensils were involved in her meeting of David Karofsky; she had seen him before but the first words she ever probably said to him were 'I'm sorry for sticking chopsticks up your nose'. To be fair, sneaking up on her while she indulged in some Panic! at the Disco was not cool.
[/color][/b] `notes :: OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO SHORT. AWKWARDNESS. `tags:: RILEY/HALES `words :: 333 WORDS [/font][/color][/size] [/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote] |
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Post by RILEY GRAYSON TAYLOR on Sept 23, 2011 17:50:12 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] Riley watched intently as Miki set his glass down with a little thud and tried to maintain his manners as much as possible, no matter how hungry he was. He knew his parents would be disappointed if he didn't say grace before eating, even if he was a guest in another home, so he muttered under his breath in a rapid-fire pace: "Dear Lord, thank you for this food. Amen." He picked up his fork, then glanced quickly over at Miki and scrutinized her face for any sign of confusion. "Um, sorry...religious thing. I do it quick when I'm not at home, but there's usually a sort of long-ish prayer involved," he explained, shrugging one shoulder as if it was nothing. He had the grace memorized, but he still didn't use it when he was at his friends' houses because he didn't want to consume too much time with his weird 'Jesus-freak' practices. But he even muttered a quick thanks under his breath at school before he ate, even though the cafeteria lunches left much to be desired. It was just something he was used to doing.
"Some of us, like me, do. Others would get offended. But I just think it's funny, and poking fun at myself seems to be a good way to break ice." Riley stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork and took a cautious nibble off the end before cramming a huge bite into his mouth. After swallowing, he complimented, "By the way, you're a great cook. I'm jealous. I've burned water before, I swear; that's how bad it is." He started to prod at a lump of rice; he was always a little picky when he ate, so he hoped Miki didn't take it personally. Honestly, the food was really good, and he wasn't lying when he said he'd probably managed to burn water; his mother was constantly trying to teach him to cook so he'd, quote, 'make a good husband someday,' but he was a hopeless basket case, to tell the truth. One time he'd made a cake and managed to use salt instead of sugar somehow. It hadn't been pretty.
"Chopsticks..." Riley repeated thoughtfully, a bit mesmerized as Miki played around with her chopsticks. Riley had no idea how chopsticks worked, but if the two were going to be hanging out together for this project anyways, it might be a good skill to have. Not to mention, it just looked cool. And sounded cool - 'Hey, I can use chopsticks; bet you can't.' "Well, why not? I guess you learn something new every day, so this will be mine," he said, a lopsided grin spreading across his face.
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Post by MIKI ELAINE YASHIDA on Sept 23, 2011 18:56:16 GMT -5
"Well, if we ever find ourselves chatting over a meal again feel free to perform any and all religious rites.."
Could she sound any more formal? Was she suddenly keeping Merriam-Webster's Dictionary or the Great Encyclopedia of Overly-Methodical Phrases for Young Women in her mind? She wasn't becoming tongue tied, clearly, but her mouth was begining to spill out the half-analyzed thoughts her minds gave it, without letting the adequate second or two pass by for 'Oddness check'. Miki continued to listen to Riley as those thoughts ran around her mind and one thing became very clear: When had she become so self-centered?
Usually, she wondered how her honesty and unintentional curtness would affect others; at the moment her heart began to beat a bit faster as her mind assessed the current state of affairs: 1) She was analyzing self-criticism at a physical level, which she only did in the mornings. 2)Everything she said became a muddy, unimpressive bit of chatter to her once she said it. Girls often became completely self-critical when involved in situations of either affection or when trying to claw another girl's eyes out.
Oh Kami, where was David when you needed him?
At least she could thank Riley for pulling her out of her own thoughts, which were growing more alien to her by the second, at just the right moment.
"By the way, you're a great cook. I'm jealous. I've burned water before, I swear; that's how bad it is."
"Water can be burnt? Hmm... In light of that observation we should record your cooking endeavor and then call up some scientists." She pierced two pieces of chicken and a small piece of broccoli. After eating, she placed her chopsticks on the table. "You've stroked my ego quite a bit there, but I have to confess I can only make dinner and lunch. Don't ask me to make pork chops or oatmeal or anything like that. I can't even make nacho dip without burning the cheese."
She left out the part where she had tried once and had to waste a gallon of tea on a burning microwave. Never again.
"Good, you can use this a party trick later on. First, hold your hand out like your pointing a gun." She pointed her right hand at the boy, index finger pointing at his chest and thumb turned up. She continued to explain the steps, integrating her own chopsticks to the process.
One needed to take the first chopstick and balance it on the three fingers and the curve where the bases of the index finger and thumb met. Next you pinched the second chopstick with your thumb and index finger.
"That's the one you'll use to move the food. You pinch what you want-" She grabbed a clump of sticky rice and a piece of chopped, steamed carrot. "- and done."
[/b] `notes :: OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO SHORT. AWKWARDNESS. `tags:: RILEY/HALES `words :: --- WORDS [/font][/color][/size] [/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote] |
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