Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Sept 30, 2012 15:58:05 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: An afternoon of freedom. }
It had been a remarkably full day of teaching, writing notes, and organising classes, and Alexis - though she adored her job - was more than relieved when her shifts were over. She had begun to worry that she might have gone mad had she had to stay within the school walls for much longer. It had been such a busy day!
Now, however, she was finished for the day, and she had an appointment at the ice rink. She had begun visiting this particular one not long after she had arrived in Japan, as an escape from the oppressive (to her) heat and the completely alien culture. It had been the perfect antidote to her crushing loneliness, also, as she had been befriended (and somewhat mothered) by the older couple who owned the rink. She had been visiting nearly every day since she had arrived, and they were on very friendly terms with one another. So friendly, in fact, that it was not unusual for them to open the rink at odd times for her, just so she could get some extra skating time in.
Today was one such day. Usually, the rink would not open until six o'clock, in time to catch the curious and hold lessons. Mai-san and Shigure-san, however, had opened the rink at four, so Alexis could skate in peace. She arrived a few minutes after four, to a warm reception and a large mug of tea.
"Thank you, Mai-sama," she said with genuine warmth to the grey-haired lady beaming at her. She was still painfully aware of how English she sounded, even with the correct pronunciation of the words, but Mai-san and her husband had never derided her, just offered advice when they saw fit. Mai laughed at the honorific chosen and waved one hand.
"No royalty am I, young Lexi," she said, ushering the woman to be seated. "But you always seem tired here, and your English tea will do you good."
"What would I do without you?" Alexis smiled, feeling a warm glow at having her nickname used. It seemed to happen so little nowadays. She listened to the gentle chatter of her friend, and let herself relax for the first time that day.
The tea lasted mere minutes, and soon Alexis was lacing up the beautiful custom skates her father had had made for her in soft blue leather with white embroidery. She always thought of him when she wore them, and made a mental note to write him another letter that evening. She tried to write at least three times a week, if not more. Skates laced, Alexis stepped out onto the ice and let herself glide slowly across the rink. It was beautifully-smooth, the couple having had it zambonied before letting her in, and it only took a few slow laps for her to warm up. She gave a laugh as music came on; Mai and Shigure had located all of the tracks she had used in her figure-skating lessons and competitions back in England, and had compiled a playlist full of them for her to skate to whenever she came on "closed" sessions.
The time flew, Alexis losing herself to the series of complicated spins and jumps she had learned in her figure-skating lessons. She didn't notice that the main doors had been opened, and a few eager skaters had already begun trickling in. Mai and Shigure, of course, would not let them near the ice until it was exactly six o'clock, leaving them to watch Alexis.
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Post by tenka on Sept 30, 2012 18:13:30 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni - The Search Continues...
It had been an oddly hellish day at work. The company Mavros worked for usually had only a couple problems a day with their various pieces of equipment. Today, however, the machines were staging a revolution. From before he had officially clocked in to long after his shift was supposed to end, Mavros had been bustling to and fro across many floors, trying to service the suddenly needy machines.
It was five-o-clock when Mavros finally escaped, a full two hours after his shift was supposed to finish. He knew his paycheck would thank him, but his long list of places to visit was not so forgiving. "Ice cream parlor, book store, ice rink..." He went over the mental list in his head. His late start had drastically shortened the list. He would have to check them for sure on his next day off.
Mavros' plan was simple: Check everywhere that he possibly could where his Princess Mercury would have enjoyed in their past life. She was naturally drawn to the cold, hence the ice cream parlor and the ice rink, and she was a scholarly sort, hence the book store. He wasn't about to skip those sorts of places for anything.
The ice cream parlor was closed, a fact that Mavros had to mentally scold himself for. Of course it was closed. It wasn't exactly in-season. The bookstore was barren, save for two employees who were jabbering on about some wrestling event. It was certainly not the sort of thing his princess would have been interested in.
As Mavros entered the ice rink, giving the physical rink itself a wide berth, he had to quietly contemplate his choices. He had been searching for his princess for well over a month with no luck. He knew she was close, he could FEEL her. But he had to wonder if he was going about it all wrong. He sat down at the end of one of the stands to wait and think.
In the past, Mercury was scholarly and a natural loner, save for a time when she sought the company of another princess. That didn't end well... She had also been naturally attracted to cold. He had been basing all of his criteria for searching based on these facts... But what if she wasn't this woman anymore? What if she was a spitfire who raced cars? What if she was a lusty tramp? What if she was a he? Mavros hadn't considered these things before. After all, he certainly hadn't had the acne problems in the past... But otherwise, he looked the same, didn't he?
As Mavros thought, he became an attraction for a nosy little boy. He pointed at Mavros' appearance and laughed, to which Mavros quickly became away. "You look funny!" the boy laughed. "Hey look Mina, it's a monster!" A little girl, the boys sister, presumably, wandered over. She looked at Mavros and began to cry. "Haha, told you it was a monster!"
"I can speak Japanese," Mavros said dully. The boy jumped in surprise. He was quickly joined by an older woman, who pulled the little girl up.
"Mama, it's a monster!" the little girl cried. Mavros sighed and turned away, pulling up his scarf to cover the lower half of his face. Just another day...
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Sept 30, 2012 18:38:02 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: Does anyone teach manners any more? }
At dead-on six o'clock, Alexis reluctantly made her way to the barrier at the side of the rink. She had finally begun to notice the gathering crowds and the fact that someone (likely Shigure, as Mai tended to deal with the face-to-face dealings of an evening) had switched the music to some ghastly noise with lots of pounding drums and wailing vocals. She inwardly cringed at the noise, and hurried towards the nearest gap in the barrier. The quicker she could get out of her skates and into her boots, the quicker she could vacate the premises and go for a pleasant walk to cool down before dinner.
She was not particularly taking much notice of her surroundings, but childish voices drew her attention.
"Hey look Mina, it's a monster!""
Now, as far as Alexis was concerned, regardless of what her subconscious might think in the dead of night, there was no such thing as monsters. There was only the monstrous things that people did to one another. She turned her head towards the voice, as a young girl began to wail, and a flash of sadness stabbed through her. She quickly dismissed it as having come from the girl; it felt older. It felt familiar, though how that could be Alexis had no clue.
"Mama, it's a monster!"
She moved closer, noticing the other person sat on one of the cold plastic benches. Surely the children were not referring to them? She frowned, pursing her lips, and slipped through a gap in the barrier, carefully picking her way across the foam flooring towards the group. Unless she was very much mistaken, the young boy that had been making the comments one of her occasional students. He generally meant well, but was very high-spirited and was still suffering from no-longer-the-only-child syndrome. She had seen him bothering his younger sister in the past.
"Is there a problem, madam?" She asked, mildly annoyed she had to "play teacher" when she had only just relaxed from the role.
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Post by tenka on Sept 30, 2012 19:41:55 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni - Unwanted Attention
Any hope the older woman had of getting away quietly was dashed as this other woman came up. She knew her as her son's teacher, at some point or another. She couldn't remember the woman's name, though. "No, nothing the matter here," the woman said quickly. "Ichi was just playing a joke on his sister." She grabbed the boy's pointing wrist and turned him away. "Let's go, Ichi."
"But Mama, look. He really is a monster!" Ichi argued as they were pulled away. "He's some American monster, I swear!" The boy's arguments died out in the crowd, leaving Mavros with his words. "He really is a monster!" He had heard them before. It didn't make the hurt any less.
"I am sorry for that," Mavros said, turning toward the woman slightly. He pulled his scarf up further, over his cheekbones and to under his eyes. "Children... What can you do?"
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Sept 30, 2012 19:53:19 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: Teach them manners, that's what. }
The hurt stabbed into Alexis again, and it took her a lot of self control not to put her hand to her chest. She wished she could understand this strange affliction. Understand, or more preferably control. Setting her lips into a thin line she cat a dark look at the retreating back of the older woman. She was most unimpressed by her behaviour; at the very least she should have apologised to the young man for Ichi's unacceptable behaviour.
She looked back to the young man as he spoke to her, and gave him a quick glance over, what she could see of him, anyway. It seemed he was uncomfortable about his appearance, and Alexis did not wish to make him feel any more strongly about it, so she instead meet his eyes whilst he spoke to her, trying to school her expression out of the anger she was feeling over the inexcusable behaviour she had just witnessed.
"I am sorry for that," ... "Children... What can you do?"
"Teach them manners, for a start." Alexis' accent seemed even more pronounced in her restrained anger. "It is not for you to apologise. If anyone should be, it is Ichi's mother. I am sorry you have had to experience such - such unpleasant behaviour." Alexis frowned slightly; she wished she could have found a translation for 'abominable', because that was the word she had been wishing to use.
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Post by tenka on Sept 30, 2012 20:29:20 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni - Wait, Is that-
Mavros shrugged. "I taught the boy a valuable lesson: That some foreigners do speak Japanese." Mavros picked up on the woman's accent, and decided to shift to something more comfortable: English. "It really is no bother," he said in his native tongue. "I have had similar reactions most of my life." Mavros pulled down some of his scarf. "Puberty was not kind, and remains unkind." He meant to pull the scarf back up, but as he glanced at the kind woman, he paused. Those eyes... Could it be? Mavros let go of his scarf in lost thought, and then realized that he had been staring for several moments. "Oh, I apologize," he said quickly. Perhaps it is just me, but have we met before?"
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Oct 1, 2012 10:06:10 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: Still cross with rude parents... }
Ah, so the young gentleman was of an English-speaking country. Alexis was sure she recognised the accent as American. Not her favourite, but it was at least a relief to not have to translate her anger into Japanese.
I taught the boy a valuable lesson: That some foreigners do speak Japanese.
"Nonetheless, it would have been considerably more appreciate for Ichi's mother to have properly taught her son manners." She grumbled. She then sighed; who was she to rail about the lack of discipline of today's youth?
As the young man pulled down the scarf to display his scarred face, Alexis' eyes glanced over it briefly, before she returned them to his. She knew it was rude to stare, and her father would have had kittens had she had the audacity to stare at someone for something they could not help.
Before she could find a way of phrasing that his scarring really was not as much of a detriment as he might feel, she noticed he was giving her a strange look, as though perhaps he had seen her before, and was trying to remember her. Alexis really hoped he hadn't seen her at one of the events she had attended with her father; ad comfortable ad she was with being the daughter of a lord, she preferred to be known as herself first.
"Oh, I apologize," ... "Perhaps it is just me, but have we met before?"
She tilted her head a little.
"I am not sure we have." She said thoughtfully. "My name is Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney." She held a hand out to him.
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Post by tenka on Oct 1, 2012 14:49:09 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni - Tread Cautiously
Mavros reached out and took her hand. He shook it gently, but purposefully held onto it longer than normal. It feltright, the way her hand fit into his. She looked right, she sounded right, she felt right.
Now if only she recognized him. "MAvros Kalloni," Mavros said, releasing her hand. He tightened the slack on his scarf, leaving it around his neck instead of hiding his face. "I'm sorry. You just look very familiar, like someone I knew who means a lot to me." He bowed his head in his apology.
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Oct 1, 2012 15:52:33 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: Am I the only one who felt that weird zap? }
Alexis had to forcibly restrain herself from yanking her hand back from the young man - Mavros - as she felt something akin to static electricity rush up her arm from the contact. It was something she had never felt before, and it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. She took a soft, steadying breath, and managed a tremulous smile, unaware her face was flushed with colour and her eyes brighter than usual.
Somewhere, deep in her subconscious, she knew him...
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr Kalloni," Alexis responded, relieved her voice sounded normal. "A pity it was under such unpleasant circumstances. Still." She managed a slightly better approximation of a smile. "It is an honour to be mistaken for someone clearly so important."
And still, she felt it was no mistake...
"I was just leaving," she found herself saying. "I usually take a walk and tea post-skating, if you would not be adverse to joining me?"
Where on EARTH had THAT come from?! Alexis could not remember the last time she had ever been so forward with someone she didn't know. Perhaps it was just homesickness for a voice that was not speaking in Japanese.
Yes...that must be it...
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Post by tenka on Oct 1, 2012 17:32:52 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni - Take it, take it, TAKE IT
"I would be honored!" The moment it left his lips, he knew he had been overly enthusiastic. "I mean, thank you." Mavros glanced aside. "Shall I... Wait somewhere? For you?" And hopefully, you won't stand me up again?
Mavros sat back, hoping he was hiding his suddenly disappointment. There had been a time, once in the past, when he had waited for his Princess so that they would conduct their usual walk. However, she didn't meet him. She had found other company.
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Oct 1, 2012 18:02:23 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: I am acting most out of character... But I think that is acceptable. For now. }
"I would be honored!
Why the words made her smile so, Alexis could not have told anyone. Instead she inclined her head. "If you would care to meet me near the door, I shall be a moment," she told him. "I must retrieve my usual footwear and belongings. I shall endeavour not to keep you." She inclined her head once more, then carefully picked her way back across the foam flooring towards the changing area.
She was relieved that she had not decided to wear her figure skating costume this evening; usually she liked to put one of them on and relive the times before when she had competed. She rarely won, but the point had been participation not victory, and to show her beloved father what she had been doing with her time. This evening, however, she had chosen to remain in the plain but functional chocolate-brown, calf-length dress with cream blouse. It was smart enough to go to work in, but also casual enough - she hoped - to visit a tea shop with a new acquaintance.
This is most strange, it usually takes considerably longer for me to become comfortable around strangers... Perhaps my anger at his unfortunate situation is a factor?...
Alexis wished she could answer her inward question, but she truly had no explanation as to why she was as comfortable around Mavros Kalloni as she was. For some inexplicable reason she felt safe with him. It made no sense.
Pushing those uncomfortable thoughts aside, Alexis changed out of her ice-skates and into her sensible (and comfortable) brown leather ankle boots, locked the skates away in the locker reserved for her, gathered her bag, bid farewell to Mai, and went to meet with Mavros.
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Post by tenka on Oct 1, 2012 18:28:27 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni - Restraint
Mavros had practically sprinted to the doors after Alexis had left his sight, but when he reached there, he had to remember to think practically. She clearly had no idea who he was, otherwise she surely would have had a warmer reception for him than that. Therefore, he couldn't treat her like the princess he knew. Clearly, she was different, and it was his duty to determine how different she was, so that he could better protect her.
He gave a quick tug to his scarf as he waited, making sure it was secure. It was his favorite, after all. Crocheted by his grandmother before he moved to Japan, in matching horizontal stripes of various blues and greens. As he fiddled with it, he could see Alexis walking up. The way she walked, he could almost see his princess walking down a gilded hall on her way to the library.
Almost.
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Oct 1, 2012 18:42:04 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: And so, to tea. }
"Thank you for waiting, Mr Kalloni." Alexis said with a small smile as she approached him. "Sometimes the laces of my skates can be most uncooperative." She added, shrugging herself into the small capelet she preferred to wear instead of a cumbersome coat. Besides, the weather was nowhere near cold enough to warrant a coat.
"Do you have a preference on drinks, Mr Kalloni?" She queried as they began to walk. "Perhaps unsurprisingly, mine is for tea, but I know of a number of tea rooms in the vicinity which serve more than just tea."
Alexis had never been one to believe in superstition, or ghost stories, or indeed anything of that ilk. She tended to prefer that which she could see with her own eyes, or hear, or touch, or in some other way prove to herself existed. Ghosts, spirits, and unexplainable feelings should not exist. However, she had unequivocal proof of the unexplainable feelings, and could no more deny the emotion than she could demand the tides recede on her whim.
What does this all mean? She thought, trying to ignore the sinking feeling that the feelings were somehow connected to the disturbing nightmares she had been having of late.
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Post by tenka on Oct 1, 2012 18:47:41 GMT -6
Mavros Kalloni
Mavros shook his head. "I have no preferences of the sort," he said. "Tea is perfectly acceptable, especially in cooler weather such as this." He moved toward the doors, popping one open and motioning for Alexis. "Ladies first, Ms. Caldwell-Blakeney."
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Minxie
Super Senshi
Your friendly forumhood stalker.
Posts: 278
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Post by Minxie on Oct 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -6
{ Alexis Caldwell-Blakeney :: Finally! Someone with manners! }
alexis found herself smiling once more as she preceded Mavros through the door and into the darkening streets. "My thanks." She said, adjusting her cape as she waited for him to join her. "I find tea can be most comforting."
From where, exactly, did that arise?!
"And indeed, when the weather begins to cool, it is most pleasant." She added, trying not to make it sound as though she had rushed to put something else in the sentence.
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