It wasn’t late, yet somehow the main lounge was empty all the same. Dimly lit by a few table lamps, the only other source of light was the flickering of the main television. It was tuned into to a local news station and the presenter was elaborating on some recent accidents that had occurred in the area. The screen kept panning back and forth between the newscaster and what seemed to be the scene of a two car collision. “It looks pretty bad.” Armaan muttered, his hazel eyes empathetic. Laid out on the couch, his head resting on a spare cushion, the Afghan watched the scene unfold slowly. Although he had never been a news buff, the need to stay informed had always been personal desire of his. Being a mutant- and to a lesser extent, being an Afghan- he knew all to well that at least one of his genetic identities would certainly be the news that night.
Having watched for what seemed like an hour, Armaan had already cycled through three instances of Mutant related news items. The first two dealt with the on going debate about mutant genetics, while the third one was about some arson charges laid against an adolescent suspected of being ‘different’. It didn’t upset him as much as it did frustrate him. He felt powerless at times to what he saw was an obvious bias against mutants in the media. Sure there was that rare journalist who tried to portray mutants like everyone else, but the majority of the time there seemed to be some heightened propaganda against all mutant kind. The networks seemed to thrive off sensationalizing every instance of mutant wrongdoing and magnify to ridiculous extremes. It was both wrong and dishonourable.
Although he had initially come down to read a novel, the allure of the television had quickly overtaken his desire to read, and now the book lay folded open upon his chest. It wasn’t to say that the writing quality was substandard or uninteresting, but the simple ease in which one could just lay back and watch TV without straining the brain was an indulgence he fed upon. So, as the news item changed from the accident to the weather, Armaan stifled a yawn. Friday night and nothing to do, he thought as he reached for the remote. If you keep this up Armaan, you’ll be in the running for most interesting mutant…ever. Flicking the TV off, he stretched lazily on the sofa and shifted some more into the couch’s nook. He decided it was closing in on the time for the evening prayer, but something inside of him felt too lazy to actually get up and start the ablution ritual.
His nose wrinkled in indecision as he lay there, mind wandering from thought to thought. It had been an interesting few weeks in mansion, and Armaan still couldn’t believe how little he still knew about the place. Walking down corridors and into elongated hallways, it seemed as if he had never been to Xavier’s before at all. That idea, although untrue, still managed to speak volumes about how he was readjusting. He hadn’t made any new friends, although to be fair, he did somehow manage to share a few laughs here and there. Oh, and then there was that instance I was almost stabbed by a girl in an eye patch. What fun that first meeting was. Smiling grimly, he thought more about the people he had met so far. The strange little girl with the speech of someone four times her age, and Jordan, the first cowboy he had ever met. There was Kichi, the drunken karaoke singer who had coaxed him into singing…
And then there was Kylora…
Just the thought of her brought a blank smile to his lips. She was, Armaan had decided, the most perfect creature ever to walk the earth. Ever. This in itself made his predicament all the more difficult. Perfection in a girl pretty much meant he was light years away from even having a remote chance of being with her. For all he knew, she was probably already with a guy far more sophisticated…and cooler, and better looking, and bad ass…or something. But still, at least he could always just stare at her.
And truly Armaan, that would not be creepy at all.
"Eeeee! Armaan! Nice to see you!" Kichi exploded with hyperactive joy as she spotted him. Ok, even she had to admit that was a bit too much excitement in her tone but she was lonely! "Glad I'm not the only one who thought of wandering down here!" She exclaimed cheerily as she walked from where she had been speaking in the doorway to one of the seats and plopped herself down.
"Nice to see you again." She commented, smiling brightly. Today, she wore a pair of jeans with a hello kitty patch on the knee and the rear pocket, a t-shirt with a big hello kitty in the front, and a pair of sandals. In one hand she held a pocket station and the other a sandwich.
"So~ how are you? And did you go out with Kylora yet to the city?" She asked. She hadn't missed that look that he had had on his face. It was an expression she had seen on plenty of people's faces and had learn to know as a full blown crush. It was nice that some people could feel like that and be felt about in such a way. What she didn't know was that he hadn't approached Kylora yet due to his low esteem about the issue.
((posted this like 3 times for it to get eaten... sorry it is so short.))
Edited by: zirasharia at: 4/25/06 2:00 am
Re: Children of the East"Eeeee! Armaan! Nice to see you!"
As if woken from sleep, Armaan shot forward and searched the room frantically, his eyes blinking and mind reeling. Choking back both shock and initial fear, he was startled to hear himself letting out a small yelp of surprise. He hadn’t heard anyone come into the lounge, and there hadn’t been any other indication of movement within either. Spotting Kichi, who admittedly was pretty hard to miss, the Afghan took in a deep breath and let a small smile conquer the look of shock which had been plastered on his face. “Hey Kichi!” he said, trying to let his enthusiasm cover the quivering in his voice. “Long time no see!”
In all honesty, Armaan actually was glad to see her. Having made few friends and being treated oddly by a few others, Kichi was one of the few who actually seemed overjoyed to see him. "Glad I'm not the only one who thought of wandering down here!" she had said in the almost endearing way she spoke. “Yeah, I got pretty bored in my room trying to figure out a few math problems,” Armaan replied, his lisp clearly audible. He watched her plop down into a seat, a bright smile on her lips. The fact that she didn’t look drunk on Sake was a bonus, and Armaan could pretty sure it was him she was so excited about- and not some drunken karaoke game like before. So, letting the tension in his jaw relax, he leaned a shoulder against the couch and smiled.
"Nice to see you again.”
“It’s great seeing you too, Kichi. I was actually beginning to wonder if my singing had scared you away for good.” Grinning, he bowed to pick up the novel which had fallen from his lap onto the floor. Placing it on the wooden table next to the sofa, he turned to her again, almost anticipating the inevitable question. “So~ how are you? And did you go out with Kylora yet to the city?” Breaking his gaze from her, he tried not to blush at the mention of Kylora’s name. Good job Armaan, you’re really making an effort to hide this raging Crush. Shaking his head, he looked at her again, another uneasy smile on his lips. “I’m fine, Kichi, and no, I haven’t asked her out to the City yet. Actually, I haven’t seen her around at all,” He lied, almost too smoothly. Armaan had seen her exactly twice, and on both occasions he was pretty sure she hadn’t seen him.
He had even tried practising what to say to her if they ever did ‘run into’ on another in the hallways. It first he would reintroduce himself, and then would casually mention that they had spoken about seeing the city sometime. At this point, Armaan figured, she would either deny ever meeting him, or break his heart by refusing to ever go anywhere with him...ever. Thus, he had stayed away, making sure never to actually bump into her. Because, for all he knew, she might not even remember his name. Sighing inwardly, Armaan decided he should change the topic. Kichi was fun, and although he didn’t know her extremely well, he reasoned maybe she could actually help in clearing some of the boredom he had been feeling lately. "But thats another story. How have you been? And why are you inside on a Friday night?"
Re: Children of the East“Yeah, I got pretty bored in my room trying to figure out a few math problems... It’s great seeing you too, Kichi. I was actually beginning to wonder if my singing had scared you away for good.” At his grin, she gave a little laugh. "I’m fine, Kichi, and no, I haven’t asked her out to the City yet. Actually, I haven’t seen her around at all... But thats another story. How have you been? And why are you inside on a Friday night?" Armaan asked.
"Nyu~ your singing didn't scare me away!" She stated before giving another little laugh. "If you want to hear bad singing for real you should try visiting a kareoke bar. But I warn you, you might be traumitized for life." She told him with an amused sparkle in her eye and with a grin on her lips. A small frown touched her lips a moment before she spoke again. "You haven't seen her? Oh that's too bad." She said, sulking a little as she lowered her head and as her shoulder sank too. He had blushed at the mentioning of Kylora so she was sure that he had somethin for the girl but if they hadn't gone out to the city yet one of three things had to be the reason... Either it was a one sided love, which was too sad for Kichi to even linger on the thought of for long... Or neither of them had enough time in their scheduals to meet again, which may be possible since there were a lot of classes and such... Then there was the chance that both of them were crushing on each other but neither of them were able to get over thier shyness.
"Oh I've bee great!" She exclaimed quickly, springing up form her sulking position and to a hyper happy mode almost jumpping up in the process but managing to stay seated. "As for Friday nights, they are like every other night for me~." She stated in a sing song tone. "I go out randomly and today just happened to be a day I stayed here~." She told him, smling brightly.
Hey happy hyper exterior wasn't one hundred percent true. Inside she had other reasons why she hadn't wandered off the premisis of the manshion. A big blonde furry man with claws and threats and her own mixed feelings about the job he wanted her to do. She couldn't tell Armaan about any of that though. "DDR!" She suddenly blurted out excitedly. "We can do soem DDR~ You already sang so I know you're not too much of a stiffy to play~" She continued peppily.
Re: Children of the East“Actually, I AM too much of a stiff to play DDR” Armaan said, eyes shinning with humour. “However, if you allow me to play with the controller, I don’t mind you jumping around on the pads.” Grinning, he rose from the sofa and let his bare feet sink into the thick carpet. Having never danced in his life, Armaan didn’t plan on doing so ever. Walking over the massive unit which housed all the games and the TV, Armaan began to rummage through the consoles, his eyes searching for the Play Station. While he shifted through the devices, Armaan wondered as to Kichi’s actual purpose in the mansion. Not a student, she was something of a guest he had assumed. Perhaps she’s part of some team, much like mother had been. Or maybe she’s just staying here as a means of getting away from the wider world out there.
Finding the Play Station, he pulled it out with a triumphant yank and grinned. “Behold! The single most powerful entertainment console in the known universe.” He said the words as if announcing a much hyped event. “And in this corner, weighing some odd pounds, we have Kichi, Karaoke Singer extraordinaire. And in the other corner, standing a full six feet and weighing somewhat more, we have Armaan Khan, PlayStation controller champion of the world!” Letting out a false guffaw, he plugged a single wire into the console and snapped it on. “Would you mind switching the TV on?” he asked as he began to plug in the controllers. “The remote is somewhere in the couch.”
Glancing up from the console he had been toying with, Armaan gave her a questioning look. “Since you’re using the pad, do you know where that is?”
OOC: sorry for th shortness. Ive been having a bad case of writer's block.
Re: Children of the East"Actually, I AM too much of a stiff to play DDR... However, if you allow me to play with the controller, I don't mind you jumping around on the pads." He told her. The controller!? He was right he was a stiff. The controller was no fun. Anyway, it didn't allow you to use two arrows simutaniusly... "Behold! The single most powerful entertainment console in the known universe." That got a giggle out of her. It was fun to see him acting like this and at the same time, a relief. She had been hoping that not everyone here at the manshion was too wrapped up in their problems to loosen up like this.
"And in this corner, weighing some odd pounds, we have Kichi, Karaoke Singer extraordinaire. And in the other corner, standing a full six feet and weighing somewhat more, we have Armaan Khan, PlayStation controller champion of the world!" He stated like an announcer of some big competition. Kichi didn't help any, cupping her hands around her mouth and making a sound to mimic a roaring crowd in the distance. She then grinned. "Would you mind switching the TV on? The remote is somewhere in the couch.... Since you're using the pad, do you know where that is?" He asked.
"Oh, I have pads up in my room~ I'll be right back!... You can practice if you want if you can get the couch to release it's hostage." She told him peppily before turning on the television and running off. It was only a few minutes later that she re-appeared with what looked like two small luggage bags. "I brought the other one just in case you chaged your mind. The controller might be a disadvantage to you on the higher levels." She told him before pulling out one of the collapsable pads and unfolding it onto the floor.
Re: Children of the East
The remote, as had been anticipated, was a pain to find. Wedged between the wood base and cushions which made the sofa, Armaan struggled to get a fine grip on the device. After finally managing to slide the plastic casing to the top, he grabbed it with his free hand and turned to snap on the TV. Apparently the news wasn't quite over, and the same anchor seemed to be deliberating with an expert about new Mutant Legislation proposed for the Senate. Sighing, he switched the TV to one of the Video settings and smiled as the music for DDR began to play. This was far more fun than fuming at the T.V set. Humanity, with all its problems always seemed to find a way to amuse itself.
Kichi soon returned with the pads, and he couldn't help but notice how she had brought two and not one. Apparently her original offer still helped. Crawling back towards the console, he unhooked the controlled he was initially about to use and turned to wink at her. Moving to where she had placed the free pad, the young Afghan snapped it open and plugged it in. "You know what?"ť he said with a mysterious smile, "I might just take you up on that offer!"ť Letting out a small, nervous laugh, Armaan let her take player while he familiarized himself with the patterns underneath his bare feet.
"The first rule of DDR,"ť he said as the first screen came up, "is that no one gets to make fun of how bad Armaan is."ť
Re: Children of the East
As Armaan said his last comment, a few giggles reached his ears from the doorway, signalling that he and Kichi were no longer alone. "Is that a fact, Armaan?," said the oddly familiar voice. If he cared to turn and look, he would find a pair of lovely ladies standing in the doorway. Kylora was the one who had spoken while the other one was none other than Aldrea, one of the newer additions to the school. "What's DDR and would you mind if we watched?", said the lovely elf as she beckoned a shy Aldrea to come a bit further into the room as she came further into the room herself, just a few feet from the couch.
"This is Aldrea, by the way," Kylora said, indicating Aldrea, "She's new here from Alabama." At this point Aldrea said a tentative "Hi" with a small grin. "Aldrea, this is Kichi and Armaan, my midnight kareoke partners in crime,"said the warm-natured plant mutant. "Kylora's been nice enough to help me figure out where all the classrooms are around here," said the Southern Native American, her voice gaining a bit of confidence as she talked with just a hint of a southern twang, "Connor showed me around on my first day, but I'm afraid that I had forgotten a bit since then."
Connor. Aldrea really liked him, having a bit of a crush on him ever since she'd seen him, but was a bit shy to persue him. She had seen him in the halls a few times and perhaps had a few two minute conversations with him checking up on her and such (one of which she was proud to have started), but other than that, she wasn't sure if he liked her in that way. All things took time though and Aldrea wasn't the type to rush anything. Still, she couldn't get over the fact that the school seemed to have an unusual amount of handsome guys! One thing was for sure, if Connor and her just ended up being friends, she was sure she'd be able to find someone else to date.
Kylora was glad to have made another female friend. Not that boys made bad friends, however, a girl could develop a major crush on many of her guy friends around here. She'd actually had a crush on Connor when she first saw him on her first training mission. However, circumstances had taken him away before she could even think of approaching him. She'd heard that these days he had a small case of amnesia regarding his life so far. It must be tough for him to have so many people recognise him when he didn't know who the heck they were. Though, it sounded that he was doing just fine if he could have shown Aldrea around on her first day. A small tinge of jealousy hit her when she'd first heard that, but then she realized that her crush was short-lived as the image of Dave popped into her head. There had been a moment at that point in her and Aldrea's meeting when she'd spaced out as she remembered their ice cream foray with a grin. Aldrea had quickly gotten all the details out and ever since, reminding Kylora of one of her best friends back in Riley. Instead of getting sad though, she'd gotten glad to actually realize that this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
It was back to reality for the two girls though. Both were eyeing the game setup a bit curiously. While Aldrea knew a bit of what the game was, having played the game a bit back home, Kylora, though, didn't know squat about the game. She had somehow missed it on her travels around Europe those few years she had been on the run and was quite curious to know what the heck it was and how to play it. Perhaps it would help if they had a demonstration?
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
Re: Children of the East
((Whee for unblockedness!))
As Armaan unhooked the controller, Kichi gave him a curious look wondering what was going on. Surely he wasn't changing his mind about playing DDR? "You know what?" He asked. What what!? Kichi wanted to lurt out but she managed to keep herself contained long enough to wait for him to continue. "I might just take you up on that offer!" He told her. Kichi's eyes widened in excitement and a little happy squeal came from her. "The first rule of DDR... is that no one gets to make fun of how bad Armaan is." Armaan stated.
A small laugh came from her followed by a nod to tell him that she wouldn't pick at him... Although she would tease a little.... She wasn't strong enough with the willpower to keep from doing at least that. "Is that a fact, Armaan?" Kichi looked over to the doorway as Kylora's voice drifted over. "What's DDR and would you mind if we watched?" She asked. Kichi almost fell over. There were still people who didn't know what DDR was!?! She didn't take the time to blurt that out as she realized that there was another person standing there near Kylora. A face she hadn't seen before.
"This is Aldrea, by the way.. She's new here from Alabama." Kylora introduced her friend to them. "Hi." Aldrea greeted. Kichi waved peppily to return the greeting. "Kylora's been nice enough to help me figure out where all the classrooms are around here... Connor showed me around on my first day, but I'm afraid that I had forgotten a bit since then." The new girl stated. "Nice to meet you! My name is Kichi and this is Armaan~" Kichi pretty much sang out.
As she saw the two eyeing the came, she hoppe up and down a couple of times, unable to keep her hyperness contained. "After we show you how to play~ Did you want to join in?" She asked. "We can take turns on the stages!" She added.
Armaan froze, his heart leaping into his throat. Somewhere between recognizing the voice and pinning it to the face, Armaan couldn’t feel his fingers or toes anymore. He closed his eyes slowly and tried to bring the sudden feeling of shock under control. No, please don’t be her. Please, please, please. He prayed in his mind as he turned slowly. Lifting his gaze towards the threshold of the door, Armaan’s heart sank to see it was indeed her, and she wasn’t alone. He wanted to badly to sink into a hole somewhere where he wouldn’t be noticed. For days he had avoided Kylora, side stepping through hallways and slipping into classrooms. He didn’t have the heart to face her, much less the courage to actually say hi. And now here she was, standing mere feet away, about to watch him dance. Swallowing the lump which had seemed to develop in his throat, Armaan gave Kylora and the new girl a small smile. “Hi,” he said lamely.
"What's DDR and would you mind if we watched?"
No, no, you cant watch! Armaan’s mind screamed. Please have something better to do on a Friday night. Please. Turning to Kichi, who found their lack of knowledge almost scandalous, Armaan made a pained face. “I really cant do this anymore.” he whispered quietly, nudging her. He then looked back at Kylora and the new girl she had brought with her. Both were extremely attractive, yet to Armaan, Kylora was his first crush and he seemed to have eyes only for her. Running a free hand through his wealth of curly hair, Armaan gave another shy smile, his heart threatening to burst through his chest at any given moment. "This is Aldrea, by the way," Kylora had said, introducing the newcomer, "She's new here from Alabama." Nodding, Armaan tried to grin. “Its great to meet you Aldrea.”
"Aldrea, this is Kichi and Armaan, my midnight karaoke partners in cri
“Yeah, we’re just a barrel of singing sensations here,”[/b] Armaan replied with mock sarcasm. He mind turned back to the first night he had met Kichi and Kylora. If possible, she looked even prettier than the time he had first seen her. How perfection could get even more perfect, Armaan didn’t know. But somehow, Kylora was far more ideal when standing before him. "Kylora's been nice enough to help me figure out where all the classrooms are around here," she had said. Nodding, Armaan agreed with her almost instantly. “Kylora really is nice,” he said without really realising what he had said. “She was nice enough not to flee the room when I began to sing.”
Ten points for lamest joke ever!
As expected, Kichi was far too excited about the prospects of more playmates. Her hyperness, as if getting the better of her, burst through as she invited the girls in. "After we show you how to play~ Did you want to join in? We can take turns on the stages!" Nooooooo, Armaan’s mind wailed, his eyes barely masking his renewed despair. His lips, on the other hand, sang a very different tune. “Yeah, it would be great if you guys joined in. Its really a lot of fun.” He said bashfully, eyes failing to meet either girl’s gaze.
Awesome Armaan! Full points for being a coward and a loser!
Re: Children of the East
As expected, Armaan and Kichi seemed to receive their requests of seeing how DDR was played with open arms. Armaan seemed a bit...anxious though. Kylora couldn't help but feel a bit responsible for this, causing her to get a bit unnerved. A shake of her head and she was okay though.
Aldrea was just glad to meet some more nice people. Armaan was cute and he seemed genuinely pleased to meet her, causing her to give him a warm smile, but he seemed to have only eyes for Kylora. This wasn't surprising to the Native American since Kylora seemed to have the type of beauty girls would kill for. She just looked so exotic, especially with her elvin ears. The young technological mutant wasn't sure if they were apart of her mutation or not. Oh well! She'd find out soon enough.
At the mention of the the three's kareoke night escapades by Armaan, Aldrea laughed while Kylora grinned. Kylora remembered that night well, having sung one song total. Seeing Kichi entoxicated with Sake had been a bit funny too, but she wasn't going to mention that. Armaan had turned out to be a good singer once he had gotten into the song. Poor guy didn't have chance with Kichi and her practically pushing him towards the kareoke machine!
Aldrea couldn't really see Armaan actually getting up on stage to do kareoke. From what she saw so far, he seemed a bit too reserved to do that. However, people do some crazy things with a little encouragement from friends. Okay, maybe with a LOT of encouragement from friends! Too many times had she played truth or dare with her friends and found herself doing things she never would have done alone. Just thinking of starting up a game of truth or dare made her blush!
It was then that Kichi beckoned them in to really join in on DDR. Armaan encouraged them, saying it would be fun. However, Kylora just grinned then. "I'm sure we could stay a bit and maybe even join in," she said as Aldrea nodded in agreement a bit enthusiastically, "Though, I think I'm gonna go and get a glass of lemonade before I begin trying to figure this out. You guys can start without me and I'll just watch when I get back. Anyone want me to bring something back for them?"
The young Southern beauty grinned, realizing that it had been a while since she'd played DDR. Her friends had all chipped in together to get one the previous summer so that they could all share. It had rotated between houses even though Aldrea had offered to duplicate it. The others had insisted that they rotate it since it would give them an excuse to come over. So, she happily let them keep that excuse. At the mention of Kylora getting a glass of lemonade, Aldrea tilted her head, a bit surprised. "I'll have one, Kylora," she said, deciding to let it slide.
"Okay..Well, I'll just bring back some for you two as well and you can decide to drink it or not whenever," Kylora said with a nervous smile, leaving the room without waiting for their replies.
"I guess she's really thirsty," Aldrea said with a shrug as she watched the other girl head in the general direction of the kitchen, "Maybe ya'll should take your turn then. It would do me good to be reminded of how the game is played." She sat on the couch then to watch the two play, wondering what might have made Kylora so nervous. 'Maybe she felt Armaan anxiety towards her...Or maybe she was just a bit nervous, who knows?', she thought as she settled in to watch Armaan and Kichi get started.
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
Barefoot upon the pad, the Afghan wiggled his toes slightly as he looked down upon the arrows. This doesn’t seem so bad, he thought with a brave smile. Its not so much dancing as it is to know where to put my feet. As the screen came up to select their characters, Armaan chose the one who looked most like him, although instead of curly hair, this one wore a toque. Letting his foot pat upon the select option, a grin creeping across his face, the hazel-eyed mutant realized immediately why people raved about the game. It was fun and there was little reason to be ashamed at enjoying something so simplistic as a video game. Yet his self-esteem issues didn’t feel like cooperating. With a deep breath he waited for the actual routine to start, his knees oddly weak. There was always butterflies in his stomach and there was always a sense of awkwardness about him, and now with Kylora threatening to return at any moment, the young man could feel something gnawing at his stomach.
The problem, as far as Armaan could understand, lay in the fact that Kylora was exceeding nice to him. In fact, she seemed to be pleasant with almost everyone she met. There was a confidence to her that he admired, and yet it was her very amicability which seemed to frustrate him. If she was mean and spiteful, Armaan knew he could very well ignore her or even have his crush fade. If she had been mean to him perhaps or had ignored him then there was reason to give up what he felt inside. But that was almost impossible seeing how pleasant and kind she was, her ready smile seeming to light every room she walked into. It was almost like Kichi in her hyper state. There was very little a man could do to ignore either. Turning to the Japanese mutant, he gave her a shy grin. “Go easy on me, ok?” he asked in a bare whisper. What he didn’t seem to realize was how he himself had selected one of the harder songs to follow.
He chanced a glance back to see if Kylora had returned before his eyes feel on Aldrea. “well here goes nothing,” he said with a brave smile and deep breath. He knew the steps well enough on the controller, but actually dancing upon the pad was a whole different matter. He didn’t know if he could follow along long enough to actually get into the routine and feared the Dance Gauge would be empty before he even started. It wasn’t helping that he was nervous beyond belief. Legs almost threatening to tremble, he stood moderately defiant, unwilling to quit now when he had made it so far. It would be seen as cowardly, he reasoned.
And I honestly cannot show them that I am in fact a coward.
Re: Children of the East
Kichi was a little confused at the way Kylora went off like that. For some reason it didn't seem like the girl was leaving just to get drinks. "Sure~ A juce would be fine!" She called after the girl peppily as usual before looking to Aldrea. "Yea... She must have been~." She replied in her usual singsong tone to Aldrea when she made the thirsty comment. She looked over at Armaan with a ig grin, waiting for him to pick out the song that thwy would start on. Once she saw the selection, she tapped the down arrow a couple of times on her pad to increase the level. She tended to start off on medium mode untilthe song was going to get picked out anyway.
When Armaan requested that she go easy on him though, she tapped the up arrow until it was on the medium level again. She had the feeling that he wanted to show off a little or at least not crash and burn in front of Kylora and her friend. Kichi could understand that. "No problem.... but you might want to steer away formt he ones that have more than five feet on beginner mode." She replied in the same volume of a whisper that he had spoken in to her earlier.
As the guage on Armaan's side started getting dangerously low, Kichi started missing the arrows, stepping in between them rather than on them. Her guage started falling and she made a nervous sounding laugh. "It's been a while since I did this song." She stated before laughing again.
Re: Children of the East
Aldrea watched the two get started in their game of DDR. Armaan didn't seem to be doing too well, but then again, she had a feeling that this was his first time. It was then that Kichi started doing badly. This seemed to be unlikely to the native american girl, but if Kichi wanted to do a bit badly to help Armaan save face, then she was a good friend.
The lovely technomorph looked at her computer watch then, her thoughts interfacing with it as she remembered that she had promised a nice video letter to her friends back home. Within minutes she had her camera working (though no one could visibly see it). She set it to record a few minutes of Kichi and Armaan playing DDR (conveniently during a time when he was doing well). She figured she would ask him and Kichi if it was okay to use the clip to show her folks at home that she was making a few friends. Maybe the shy guy wouldn't be too upset with her for recording him without his knowing once he saw the clip.
Aldrea grinned as she watched the two duke it out on the "dancefloor". She wasn't sure if she should cheer for either of them, only having met them both. Kylora, she had only met a few hours ago and that girl had bailed, if only for a moment, leaving her in this awkward situation. It was then that she decided to cheer for both, occasionally saying, "Nice move, Kichi" or "Good one, Armaan!". She even would wince if they did something that would cost too many points, following it up with, "That's okay!". All in all, she was enjoying herself.
Meanwhile...Kylora walked about the kitchen, having already fixed enough glasses of lemonade for all them. At the moment she was searching for a tray to carry all of the glasses. It was then that she found one of those trays that could hold four glasses without spilling them. It was quite handy looking. She loaded the tray up then and grinned before she remembered why she had done this. Well, if Armaan was a bit embarrassed about her showing up, that was his problem. She just needed to get used to how he acted around her. Still, she did wonder what he acted like when she wasn't around. He was a nice enough guy, just got anxious around her. It was about that time that she got the idea to actually see how Kichi and Armaan were doing in their game. Her eyes glowed only for a brief moment before she found the plant that had a perfect side view of the television in the rec room from the window.
"Wow, he looks like he's actually enjoying himself," she murmered to herself as she watched, "Come on, Kichi; I know you can do better than that..You seem like the type that could blow anyone out of the water on the dance floor..."
After a few minutes of watching, she withdrew from the plant, thanking it for sharing it's vision, before she started back towards the rec room, careful of her tray...
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
Re: Children of the East
Armaan found himself loosening up a bit as the game began to pick up. He wasn’t as uncoordinated as he had previously thought, and he actually found that there was some rhythm in him after all. Stepping on the arrows as the screen flashed before him, the Afghan actually found himself enjoying the game. With a broad smile lighting up his dark features, the hazel-eyed mutant couldn’t believe that he was actually coming quite close to Kichi. The girl had to be a pro at the game, and although he knew she was taking it easy on him, Armaan couldn’t help but thank her for it. She was a good friend for not letting embarrass himself in front of the lovely Native American girl, and he made a point to thank her afterwards. Smiling again, he focused all of his attention onto his bare feet, surprised at how quickly the two could move. They seemed to possess their own minds as they flickered across the pad, his toes and soles tapping upon the arrows with strange familiarity.
It was almost as if he were loosening out the boredom and tension that had been knotting in him all day. As he had told Kichi earlier, he had spent the better part of the evening doing math problems, his notebooks almost filled with numbers and eraser marks. An average student at best, he had to work extra hard to keep his grades up, and Math seemed to be one of his weakest points. Added to that, he had chosen to take Advanced Mathematics, his foolishness only obvious when he got his first homework assignment. Thus he had locked himself into his new Generation X dorm room, the only light source there being the table lamp he had chosen to snap on. At first the problems seemed to be easier, but as the pages wore on, the formulas became more difficult while his working seemed to be lacking essential steps. After a while he just couldn’t will himself to complete anymore problems, his mind filled with the torture that was algebra. He had closed his books then as had decided he could actually use a little mindless entertainment.
It was strange how he had forgone the team’s own living space and television for the mansion’s main one. A painfully shy person, he had wandered aimlessly through the hallways, hoping for the living room to be empty. At first he had seen a girl sitting quietly and watching a teen drama, but she had quickly left and Armaan had been silently thankful for it. Meeting new people was awkward, and he had never been great with introductions. The worst had been with Kylora, his face a blank smile as he stared at the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. The meeting with Arisa had gone better though and Armaan found himself forming a strong friendship with the blue skinned mutant. She was friendly, kind and seemed to make him feel included- even when she knew the other members of Generation X so well. In a way, she had gone out of her way to make the Afghan feel welcomed, and had even waited for him to walk with her to their first team meeting.
The song ended far too early for his liking and his dance bar finally collapsed and kicked him out of the game. Kichi, as was expected, was the winner, but it was Armaan who was smiling broadly. He had done well, and he knew it. Turning slightly, a small sheen of sweat on his brow, the Afghan noted that Kylora had entered with the juice. Again, he couldn’t believe how radiant she was, a small blush forming instantly upon his cheeks. “That was great!” he said to Kichi in genuine honestly as he began to laugh a little. “I guess I’m not really a huge spaz after all.” His eyes shone with triumph as his chest rose and feel with deep breaths. The training missions, as hard as they were, seemed to be nothing compared to the frenzy that was DDR. Kylora had been wise to bring back something to drink as Armaan’s throat craved something cool to wash down the dryness. Reaching forward, he shyly took a glass from the tray and murmured a small ‘thank you’ to the girl.
“Now its your turn” he said to the two girls, a small smile on his lips. “I don’t think I can do that again”
Re: Children of the East
Kichi was grinning energeticly after their turn up on the DDR pad and game. Armaan had been great with the game for this having been his first time. It was actually impressive. She was near bubbly with joy and couldn't stop smiling. "Yes!" She exclaimed almost explosively after Armaan stated it was the girls' turn now. "Your turn up at the game~" She sang out, moving so it looked like she was one of those women on TV that displayed prizes for those game shows.
"No need to be shy here~ It's all just fun and games." She exclaimed as if throwing a sales pitch. She then looked over to Armaan. "You did excellent, Armaan~" Kichi sang out her praise. "I think I've found myself a DDR partner.... Oh! I know! We should all join some competitions or something! Eeeee~~~ It would be so much fun!" Kichi said, spinning around a bit before stopping and smiling brightly.
She wasn't sure if they held competitions near there, not having looked into them neccessarily due to having been busy with....work... And also not having had friends to even consider asking to join her. Guilt-stab! She didn't show it when it came but she certainly fealt it and it wasn't pleasant at all. <Go away.> She told the thoughts that threatened to try to bring her into them. <I am not going to think about it right now.> She told herself mentally
Re: Children of the East
Armaan and Kichi were just finishing when Kylora finally made it back. 'Just in time,' she thought with a grin as Armaan took a glass from the tray she'd been carrying. She then set it down on a nearby table in the general area of the t.v., a bit nervous about trying this new game.
“Now its your turn. I don’t think I can do that again”
Aldrea took one of the drinks from the tray that Kylora had graciously brought in and took a good long sip, relishing the taste. She nodded at Armaan's statement, a bit absently, before setting it down on a nearby table, right on the coaster. The other girl seemed to be in better spirits now. Perhaps she had just needed to get something to drink, truthfully. The Native American had stopped recording once Armaan and Kichi were done. She wanted to ask one of the others to record her and Kylora's round, but she was afraid that they might not get the right angle. Worse yet, they might actually do something to erase some files! No, she'd have to add a few more things to the programming to make sure that others could use the camera option without messing with anything else later on before she let anyone try anything.
Kylora grinned at Armaan and Kichi as she kicked off her shoes before making her way over to the dance pad, followed closley by Aldrea, barefoot as well. It was then that Kichi started talking in her own hyper way, causing both of the girls to chuckle at her first statement.
"No need to be shy here~ It's all just fun and games. You did excellent, Armaan~ I think I've found myself a DDR partner.... Oh! I know! We should all join some competitions or something! Eeeee~~~ It would be so much fun!"
Competitions? That did sound like a lot of fun to both of the girls. However, Aldrea felt a bit rusty, having only played the game a couple of months ago, and Kylora was a first-timer. Going against each other this round might be an interesting match. Aldrea would probably get back in her groove after a few minutes, but it may take Kylora a bit longer to get used to it. They'd all just have to see how this would go!
"Right," Kylora said as she chose to be player one, "I'll be sure to remind all three of you of that when I catch you rolling around on the floor in gales of laughter at my dismal performance." Aldrea laughed at this, actually able to imagine that scenero as the elfish girl began making her selection. "Don't worry, Ky," said the younger girl with a teasing laugh in her voice, glad to have finally thought of a suitable shortening of the other girl's name, "We won't be that heartless. I'm not even recording this round. ThoOoOough I still could just to show it to a certain blue-haired someone-Gah!" It was then that Kylora gently pushed the other girl off the dance pad with a nudge of her hip. Both of them giggled at this and Kylora finally made her selection. It was not too easy, but not too hard.
Finally, everything was set and the countdown was starting. 3...2...1...GO! It was on! Aldrea and Kylora lagged equally the first minute or so, but the Southerner was getting more into the game as the round progressed, gaining her confidence and getting the timing right within about five minutes! Kylora was a bit slower though. True, she had the type of grace that allowed her timing to only be off by a little, but it was taking her a bit longer to get it down. Ooooh, she missed that one bad. Meanwhile, Aldrea was working it! She was getting GREATs and EXCELLENTs now. Kylora had managed to work herself up to GOOD ever once in a while with mostly a NOT BAD. Once she got a GREAT. However, now the Elfish refugee was gaining more confidence. She was getting more GOODs than NOT BADs and a few GREATs. It would be a close call!
It was now getting a bit close. Aldrea was obviously good, having had a lot of practice with her friends for a bit. Though, Kylora was actually becoming a fast learner. Her timing was getting quite well. However, there could only be one winner and time was almost up! Aaaaand 3...2...1! It was over! Aldrea won!
"Whooo!", said Aldrea as she flopped down on the floor beside the dance mat, breathing a bit hard, "Ya learn fast, girlie! Buuuuut, I think experience wins this time." She reached up to grab the glass of refreshingly cool lemonade, glad to have plopped down beside the table with her drink! "No worries," the earthy mutant stated as she tried to calm her breathing, "I'll just have to borrow the game from someone and practice before I go against ya next time!" She would too. The exotic-looking girl was competitive enough to do so. Only rarely did her competitive streak come out. Though, when it did, Kylora would rarely resist taking the ideas that come with it and running with it! It was then that the older girl made her way over to the tray and grabbed a glass of lemonade for herself, taking a good long drink. "So, who's next?", asked Aldrea as she leaned back on her hands, wondering if there was time for another round or two before she and the older girl decided to start getting ready for a bit of clubbing. She did hope that they would be able to still do that...
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
Re: Children of the East
At the mention of competitions, Armaan blinked and fought back a deepening blush. Armaan had never been good with praise, and always felt a lot shyer when people gave him undue credit. In the Afghan's eyes, he was little more than mediocre in most aspects. Grinning as the reddish tint to his cheeks subsided, the hazel-eyed mutant thanked Kichi and took a seat on the couch. Crossing his legs on the plush chesterfield, the dark haired young man leaned back into the cushion and sighed. The game was draining and Armaan secretly welcomed the respite. He brought the glass to his lips and took a small sip of the lemonade, its flavour not too sour, nor too sweet. If anything, Kylora made the best tasting lemonade Armaan had ever gotten the chance to drink. "Right." Kylora spoke, her beautiful voice snapping Armaan's full attention towards her, "I'll be sure to remind all three of you of that when I catch you rolling around on the floor in gales of laughter at my dismal performance"
Armaan couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. In his eyes, Kylora could be flailing and she'd still be perfect. Smiling the same blank smile as had become his trademark, the Sand Mutant watched the girls step onto the pads, his eyes mostly on Kylora. It was then Aldrea spoke about a certain blue haired mutant, and Armaan knotted his eyebrows in confusion. It didn't take a genius to understand the jibe was obviously teasing in nature, and the reference to a boy wasn't lost on Armaan. He tried not to frown, but the sudden jolt to his heart was enough to dampen some of his spirits. Putting on a brave smile within a few seconds, Armaan watched silently as the round started, his thoughts seemingly stuck on who the blue haired mutant could be. Sighing, he watched impassively as the girls duked it out, his own insecurities bubbling to the surface.
In a way, Armaan knew his crush on her was an impossible fantasy. True, she was kind, caring and friendly, but beyond that, he knew they had very little in common. Whereas he was a shy, insecure Afghan, she was a confident, cheery beauty with a strong personality. They just didn't match, and he knew he'd probably only bore her. No, he decided sadly. She was just a crush he had. An impossible, unattainable crush boys had in their teenage years. Like some infatuation with a movie star or a supermodel. Shaking his head, the Afghan put on a small smile as the Kylora's bar began to die. It was clear that the Native American girl had done this before, whereas his Crush was most likely a first timer- much like himself. Well, at least you have that in common, he thought dryly. He broke into a small applause as the game ended, the clear winner being Aldrea. "That was great you guys! I think both of you could easily be a threat to Grand Master Sensei Kichi here"ť
As to who would go next, Armaan smiled sheepishly. He so desperately wanted to dance with Kylora, but his shy nature wouldn't give him the courage to actually ask.
Re: Children of the East
Thoughts had distracted Kichi to where even the music of the DDR game going on had been pushed ot the background. The Institute had a lot of nice people and her list of friends and potential friends was growing. People who didn't care about her differences due to being different themselves. She had never felt so accepted as when she had been here and that was eating away at her.
As her thoughts did many times already, they went to the topic of how they would feel if they knew about what she had originally been here for. And what she had gone back to doing nt even a full two days after having decided to try this place as a home and not as a job. So pulled into the thoughts was she that her pigmentation had fallen away to gray without her noticing it. "That was great you guys! I think both of you could easily be a threat to Grand Master Sensei Kichi here" The comment snapped her out of it and she quickly threw the coloring back onto herself before giving a small laugh.
"Master Sensei?" She asked with a giggle. "On no no no... I am far from being a master even with how long I've been playing DDR for." She replied, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh! The rounds last such a short time!... Aldrea, I'll take a turn with you... Since you have done this before, it should be great competition!" Kichi exclaimed excitedly. "Then Armaan and Kylora could go up next." She added.
It was a wonderful distraction from her previous thoughts although at the same time, the more she became involved with the people here, the more it ate away at her inside. It wa alright though... That night she was going to set things right. That night, Kichi was going to go looking for that Sabertooth man and face him with her decision.
Re: Children of the East
Kylora had to admit that this was turning out to be a fun beginning to what promised to be an even more fun night. Aldrea had beat her fair and square and they had even messed around with each other. It was nice to know that the new girl was getting more comfortable by the minute in her new surroundings. She had even teased Kylora by threatening to show Dave a tape of her dancing! If she wasn't comfortable by now, then the elfin mutant didn't know how she would be if she was truly comfy!
"That was great you guys! I think both of you could easily be a threat to Grand Master Sensei Kichi here"ť
A quick grin sent Armaan's way from both girls would be enough to make anyone blush. Actually, 'Drea was blushing right then from his compliment, but only slightly. She could sometimes be bashful, but she was working on that, slowly but surely. Most of the time, it just took a bit of time to get her out of her shell. That wasn't the case when the Southern transplant had met Kylora. The elvish girl had just been so charismatic that Aldrea had quickly let her barriers down within a matter of hours in comparison to the days and weeks that it usually took. They just seemed to click as friends and that was good! The new girl could definitely use as many friends as she could get! "Master Sensei? On no no no... I am far from being a master even with how long I've been playing DDR for. Oh! The rounds last such a short time!... Aldrea, I'll take a turn with you... Since you have done this before, it should be great competition!
Kichi was always so bubbly and it was so contagious! Kylora could already find herself smiling and Aldrea wasn't far behind with her slow smile. "Okay, you're on!," said the brown-eyed new girl as she stood up and stretched a bit. It was then that they both heard Kichi's last comment. "Then Armaan and Kylora could go up next."
"Fine by me," Kylora said with a laugh, "After that though, I'm afraid we shall have to head upstairs. We're gonna go and check out the local night scene. And since you both have helped us get warmed up, we'll probably be able to not embarrass ourselves on the dance floor!"
Aldrea shook her head at Kylora's last comment. It was obvious that the other girl could dance. The way she moved was just oozing with grace. Aldrea was graceful herself, but not as much as the elfin refugee. It was like the girl glided without any thought! It was a bit intimidating at first, but when she had asked the other girl about it, Kylora had actually laughed and admitted that she wasn't always as graceful as Aldrea gave her credit for. She had stubbed her toes just like everyone else and even tripped before on the stairs (only to be caught by a handsome gentleman who had moved on from the Institute shortly after).
Right now, though, Aldrea was standing on the dance pad, waiting on Kichi. "Anytime you're ready, Kichi," she said with a small smile, "Do you wanna pick or should I?"
Re: Children of the East"Okay, you're on!" Aldrea exclaimed, causing Kichi to break out into a bright grin. This would be a fun match and although she herself had the advantage of having played the game forever and a day, she just knew that this would be interesting. Still, she couldn't resist planning making it even more lively although it had the chance of distracting. She wouldn't be able to hold onto her current pigmentation anyway.... Besides that, she had always wanted to be able to show herself off in public even if it were only for three other people. Still, She was excited. It was the first time she could do this without the worry of anyone recognizing her or harming her.
At Kylora's reply about the set up for the next match being between her and Armaan, Kichi gave a small pout. "Awwww~" She saidi n a dissapointed manner. "We'll have to have another DDR-a-thon again!" She exclaimed with a bright smile. That would be nice... And it would give Armaan more time to get used to being his crush, Kichi thought, grinning. A blind monkey in the dark could tell that armaan had something for Kylora and this would be a nice way to give him a chance to spend time with her without seeming like he was chasing after her.
"Anytime you're ready, Kichi.. Do you wanna pick or should I?" Kichi gave a peppy grin. "You can choose the first song~ It'll give me time to take a small break..." She stated, letting go of all her coloring as she stepped onto the pad and embracing the grey that seemed to spread over her skin like dye in water. "I can't hold onto coloring for more than two hours." She explained with a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of her head.
((Uber short post of Doom... Sorry! I appologize for taking soooooooo long as well.))
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