[Claudio Bernardo]

[nospaces]
[googlefont=Oswald|Roboto:400,700]

[attr="class","sixShwhole"]

[attr="class","sixShimg"]

[attr="class","sixShoutline"]

[attr="class","sixShextra"]

[attr="class","sixShtiny"]TAGGED:

Olivia Favager

[attr="class","sixShnotes"]NOTES:

Touch-Down in Tokyo!

[attr="class","sixShlyric"]

have a laugh!

[attr="class","sixShcred"]SELKIE

[attr="class","sixShright"]

[attr="class","sixShly"]
Dragon's fire, prayer and thunder will not change my mind

[attr="class","sixShpost"]heheOh, the great freedom of quirks! Experiences that humans could once only emulate through their ingenuity and technological prowess were now bestowed upon them innately; the dawn of quirks gave rise to an inherent right to these sights — a biological agreement to be shown the views of the rest of the world's creatures! Etched into the very strands of their DNA stood this privilege of autonomy, with the only variations being the individual quirks — ha! — of the person.

[break][break]

heheWhat a beautiful metaphor, Claudio laughed. For "quirks," as their powers were called, to then dictate their outlook was a humorous notion; was that the real intention behind the term? One might expect their "quirk" to be the cart, but perhaps it was the horse; that the "quirk" would be what defined the person before everything else — quite literally, the lens through which one sees it all!

[break][break]

heheHe wondered, then, how much of him was it.

[break][break]

heheNot that the answer really mattered either way, though. No, at best, the concept only humored him; it wouldn't suddenly change his outlook on life, nor did it need to! "What percentage of 'him' was his quirk, and how much was he?" Regardless of the answer, life would continue as it had prior; would the sudden awareness of the distinction change that? Would he suddenly awake the next day any different than he had prior? Sure, he might become conscious of the difference, but would it change his approach?

[break][break]

heheNo. If anything, it just meant it his choices were much clearer.

[break][break]

heheIt was such that the Brazilian became a student to UA, a school renowned as the star of the world's heroics. Though his first day didn't technically begin till the end of this holiday break, it would be his first time stepping onto campus grounds under his new title; of course, he was excited. There was no doubt in his mind that UA was the exact place he wished to be. If he was to witness the types of people he'd only once dreamed of, then there was no better choice in the world than this institute and this institute alone. For whatever reasons his peers congregated under the umbrella of the world's best, Claudio wanted to be amongst them, to peer into their stories and see how they observed the world.

[break][break]

heheHaving finally touched down in Tokyo, Claudio thought back to the few times he'd been in Japan before. He'd never lived in it — no, he'd only ever vacationed with his mother's family — but now, it was going to be his home for the foreseeable future. He supposed the UA housing experience would be wholly separate from Japan's — given the apparent number of foreigners — but it would still be the country he'd live under; he'd have to adjust.

[break][break]

heheRegardless, Claudio stepped off the plane with a grin. He found little use in obsessing over the differences until he'd actually experienced them — who knows, he may very well be surprised! Perhaps he had more in common with the residents than he would otherwise think. Besides shared ancestry, anyway.

[break][break]

heheAfter collecting his luggage, the Brazilian looked to his phone; as he'd been instructed prior to his trip, he was supposed to be retrieved by a pair of associates, who were then tasked with bringing him and his belongings to UA's campus. He assumed it would be challenging for a number of foreigners to make it all the way to UA on their own — he couldn't imagine everyone to be so fortunate as to have been raised by a native speaker of Japanese — straight from their flights. Just as was instructed, the two men were set just near the exits, holding up a sign to indicate their affiliation.

[break][break]

heheThe two were fairly well built — almost intimidatingly so. He supposed UA was so renowned for a reason. Though, as he made his presence known to the both of them, the one on the left — a blond man, with a square chin and a hard brow — raised a hand.

[break][break]

hehe"Huh?"

[break][break]

hehe"Please be patient," went the man, "we were told there would be two of you today."

[break][break]

heheA chance to meet a peer before ever standing on the school's grounds? How amusing!

[break][break]

hehe"A lucky day already? Thought I'd have to wait at least a few days before I had one of those around here!"


[break][break]

[attr="class","sixShly"]
holy water, stakes and hunters — you're losing your time

[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShlyric]top:133px;[/newclass]


[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #B5634E;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #fc267b;[/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShwhole] width:475px; height:400px;padding:5px;background-color:#fff8eb;border:1px solid #dadada; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShimg] float:left; width:200px; height:400px; background-image:url(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/90/5e/32/905e3228fb81727dd3c8b36cf5402d91.jpg); overflow:hidden; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShoutline] position:absolute; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; height:378px; overflow:hidden; width:178px; border:1px solid #fc267b;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShextra] position:relative; top:378px; transition:1s all;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative;text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:14px; height:13px; padding:2px 5px; overflow:hidden; border-bottom:1px solid #fc267b;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny a]font-size:9px!important;font-family:roboto!important;font-weight:normal!important;line-height:14px!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:13px; height:26px; overflow:auto; padding:3px 4px; text-align:justify;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShlyric] width:248px;height:35px;background-color:#222;color:#fff8eb;font-size:20px;line-height:35px;letter-spacing:-.5px;font-family:oswald;text-transform:uppercase;position:relative;top:-35px;left:-25px;transition:1s all;transform:rotate(0deg); [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShextra] top:328px; transition:1s all; transition-delay:.5s; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShaccent] color:#fc267b; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShright] float:right; width:275px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost] background-color:#fff8eb;height:352px; overflow:auto; text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:11px; line-height:17px; padding:5px;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShly] background-color:#fc267b; letter-spacing:.5px;font:700 7px roboto;text-transform:uppercase; height:13px; line-height:13px; padding:3px; color:#fff8eb; [/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-track] background-color: #fff8eb; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px; background-color: #fff8eb;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border:0px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar] width:5px;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border-top:1px solid #fff8eb; border-bottom:1px solid #fff8eb;border-left:0px;border-right:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color: #2b151f; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred] color:#fc267b; font:700 7px roboto; position:relative; top:355px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred a] color:#fc267b!important;font:700 7px roboto!important;[/newclass]

[Olivia Favager]

Traveling by plane was a sensory nightmare– with nothing but recycled air pumping through the cabin, each stream of consciousness blended into a deafening torrent, drowning-out any actual conversation to be had around her. Oh, the joys of being alone with your thoughts and the thoughts of three-hundred of your closest friends. She would have preferred the family jet, but… well… first-class on a commercial airplane was all that her parents were willing to spring for.

It could have been worse– Olivia could have been cast onto the streets with nothing. But the shame of disowning their daughter– their mutant daughter, no less– would have been a poor business move. So they concocted a convenient lie– that she was away at some prestigious American university, studying medicine. As long as Olivia upheld that lie, and stayed out of their lives, her parents would continue to support her.

Just the thought made Olivia’s throat tight, and she scrunched her eyes shut, flexing her jaw as the plane made its final descent. Soon she’d be free of this pressure-cooker of humanity, and into more open-air. The tires made contact with the tarmac– once– twice– and then finally the plane careened to a much slower pace. Olivia sighed a breath she hadn’t been aware that she was holding, watching through her window as the plane made its slow approach to the gate.

UA University was no Harvard or Stanford University. It was a school designed to train quirkers like Olivia to be super-powered tools of the government. The perfect place to hide a family embarrassment. The blonde tugged at a strand of her hair, twirling it around her finger as other passengers arose and got their luggage from the overhead bins. Olivia followed suit, gathering her carry-on and her purse. Surrendering her own checked bag, and carrying her own carry-on’s. People really live like this? She felt like a pack-mule.

She and the other first-class passengers trudged out of their private entrance, following the loading bridge towards the airport proper. Some of the din of thoughts quieted as the air became more open. Olivia drew in another breath, and sighed again. Better. Much better. The blonde followed the flow of recent arrivals towards the baggage claim, finding her hard-sided pastel-pink suitcase after only a momentary wait. As she fitted her matching carry-on onto the top of the full-sized one, Olivia made a quiet promise to herself–

She wasn't going to let the misfortunes of the month prior ruin this new adventure for her. After all, flying from France to Japan was traversing a great, great distance. Perhaps she was destined to be a mythic hero, after all!

Olivia put-on a brave face, and strode with determination into the reception area. She was a vision of pastels, wearing a mint-green cardigan, lavender-and-mint green plaid skirt, and crop top with three candy-hearts emblazoned on the chest. Rainbow-striped socks peeked up above the calf-high boots, and her signature pink blossoms sat in clumps atop her long blonde hair, which had been wrangled into a sloppy bun.

Olivia’s wide green eyes drank-in the bustling of taxis, of happy reunions between Japanese natives and their families, of buses, and the like. Often, a chauffeur had met her family near their jet and then driven them off of the tarmac, so this was her first time seeing the energy of the Arrivals area.

Some people held signs, and Olivia inclined her head to read some of them– but many seemed to be written in unfamiliar symbols, which she assumed to be Japanese. When her parents had advised her of their decision, she’d started to study-up– but there were three whole writing systems at least, and Olivia was only just starting to feel confident in hiragana. Never mind the rest of them!

Her attention waned slightly, and her hand found a stray strand of hair again, twisting it ponderously. The email had mentioned that someone would meet her there, but… who… could that possibly be?

Olivia finally saw a sign with UA’s emblem on the corner, with her last name written in slanting, practical permanent marker. Oh, thank goodness. She jogged towards the trio of individuals, a relieved smile breaking across her face.

“H-how do you do!” she said, breathless with excitement. She offered a polite bow, “I am Olivia Favager. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

A lifetime of meeting with the business elite, Japanese individuals included, had granted Olivia with at least a conversational grasp of the language, and some knowledge of manners and customs. The last thing her parents would want is for one of their children to embarrass them by violating some social mores.

When she righted herself from her bow, she mustered a smile but the nerves made it a tense one. Her cheeks were flushed, too, though Olivia hadn’t exerted herself at all.

[Claudio Bernardo]

[nospaces]
[googlefont=Oswald|Roboto:400,700]

[attr="class","sixShwhole"]

[attr="class","sixShimg"]

[attr="class","sixShoutline"]

[attr="class","sixShextra"]

[attr="class","sixShtiny"]TAGGED:

Olivia Favager

[attr="class","sixShnotes"]NOTES:

Way out of their depth!

[attr="class","sixShlyric"]

have a laugh!

[attr="class","sixShcred"]SELKIE

[attr="class","sixShright"]

[attr="class","sixShly"]
Dragon's fire, prayer and thunder will not change my mind

[attr="class","sixShpost"]heheClaudio couldn't ever imagine himself as one to attain a place in a prestigious university, let alone one specializing in the efforts of cultivating academic intelligence. He didn't think of himself as "stupid," necessarily, but he was painfully aware of his lacking ability when it came to such focuses. He couldn't refer to himself as well-spoken, bookish — though he adored written fiction — or academically minded, lest he chose to say something he didn't believe in.

[break][break]

heheUA was different in that regard. Though it was arguably as prestigious as the top schools across the globe, it placed an emphasis on the practical applications of one's innate abilities — their Quirks. One could almost see it as a place perfectly designed to nurture one's inherent gifts that separate them from the rest of the population, ones that, unlike the chemistry of the brain, were readily apparent for everyone to see. And, even more so than mental faculties, they could directly affect the immediate as an extension of their physical presence.

[break][break]

heheAnd, at the very least, Claudio could make the cut for UA; he couldn't even hope to get wait-listed at a place like Oxford or Cambridge, even if he so desired to.

[break][break]

heheFollowing his arrival came the second-place finisher — he made his fun, thinking of it as a game — who seemed to appear just as the explanation finished. Could they simply be punctual? Perhaps so, but Claudio didn't find that answer to be sufficiently amusing; he'd much rather believe they simply had an uncanny sense of timing — what's more, perhaps that was her quirk! Surely, the ability to arrive at just the right moment would be a wonderful ability!

[break][break]

heheHe entertained himself with such notions as he shifted his gaze to them, his vision shaded by a pair of rimless sunglasses with a reddish pink tint to their lenses; his attire, on that note, was that of someone clearly more casual than his peer. He wore a pair of black Bermuda shorts and a pink jacket with the zipper left halfway up his torso, revealing the upper half of his chest (with a large scar just peeking out). Furthermore, the young man carried a duffel bag in either hand, with each adorned by several pins and stickers, and a backpack with a few charms and chains.

[break][break]

heheThe only other thing of note was the straw hat situated atop his backpack, which remained in place by the string wrapped around Claudio's neck. It didn't look the most comfortable.

[break][break]

heheAs Claudio's head turned to examine his classmate, so too did the hair atop his head, following his movements moments thereafter. It seemed to flow up from his scalp — was it even solid? — towards the sky, yet it remained anchored to his scalp. It never appeared to sit still, instead acting as a continuous oddity of the Brazilian's physiology.

[break][break]

hehe"O'!" Went Claudio, "you can already speak Japaneze?" He'd imagined prior the struggles of those who were yet equipped with the Japanese language, a gap in knowledge he couldn't blame anyone for. Even to him, it seemed a ludicrously complex and needlessly redundant struggle of a language — especially its written forms — and to manage it as a foreigner must have made it all the more difficult.

[break][break]

hehe"Please excuse me," cut in the blond man, "but we please ask you to load your baggage."

[break][break]

hehe"Eh? We trying to leave in a huhy or something?"

[break][break]

hehe"It would be more convenient, yes."

[break][break]

hehe"Hm... Hey," he'd glance at Olivia, "have you eve' been in Tokyo before? O' even jusht anywhere in Japan before?" Claudio wasn't keen to get to UA just yet. Truth be told, he was more curious of his classmate than the school grounds, and he wanted an opportunity to get to know them before they went off in their own directions. He figured it was best to make a friend as soon as possible — what's more, with someone in the same boat as himself, he didn't prefer to leave them in the same position as he was in.

[attr="class","sixShly"]
holy water, stakes and hunters — you're losing your time

[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShlyric]top:133px;[/newclass]


[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #B5634E;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #fc267b;[/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShwhole] width:475px; height:400px;padding:5px;background-color:#fff8eb;border:1px solid #dadada; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShimg] float:left; width:200px; height:400px; background-image:url(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/90/5e/32/905e3228fb81727dd3c8b36cf5402d91.jpg); overflow:hidden; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShoutline] position:absolute; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; height:378px; overflow:hidden; width:178px; border:1px solid #fc267b;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShextra] position:relative; top:378px; transition:1s all;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative;text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:14px; height:13px; padding:2px 5px; overflow:hidden; border-bottom:1px solid #fc267b;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny a]font-size:9px!important;font-family:roboto!important;font-weight:normal!important;line-height:14px!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:13px; height:26px; overflow:auto; padding:3px 4px; text-align:justify;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShlyric] width:248px;height:35px;background-color:#222;color:#fff8eb;font-size:20px;line-height:35px;letter-spacing:-.5px;font-family:oswald;text-transform:uppercase;position:relative;top:-35px;left:-25px;transition:1s all;transform:rotate(0deg); [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShextra] top:328px; transition:1s all; transition-delay:.5s; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShaccent] color:#fc267b; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShright] float:right; width:275px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost] background-color:#fff8eb;height:352px; overflow:auto; text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:11px; line-height:17px; padding:5px;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShly] background-color:#fc267b; letter-spacing:.5px;font:700 7px roboto;text-transform:uppercase; height:13px; line-height:13px; padding:3px; color:#fff8eb; [/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-track] background-color: #fff8eb; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px; background-color: #fff8eb;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border:0px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar] width:5px;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border-top:1px solid #fff8eb; border-bottom:1px solid #fff8eb;border-left:0px;border-right:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color: #2b151f; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred] color:#fc267b; font:700 7px roboto; position:relative; top:355px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred a] color:#fc267b!important;font:700 7px roboto!important;[/newclass]

[Olivia Favager]

Olivia appraised the trio with her eyes, Two suited gentlemen, who seemed to be representatives of the school, and a boy about her age who seemed dressed for the beach (by Olivia’s standards)-- though what distracted her the most was, naturally, his hair. It floated and furled like fog, but had some substance to it. Well, that would make two of them that wore their quirks as plain as a hat upon their head!

The blonde smiled at her own cleverness, if it could even be called that. Her greeting was met by a surprised exclamation from her peer, who seemed shocked that Olivia could already speak the language.

“Yes, a little,” Olivia replied with a nod and a sheepish smile, “I have visited here a bit, ever since I was a child. So I can speak a little.”

She imagined that the writing-system would pose a challenge, but… that’s what pocket-translators were for. Olivia was about to explain her struggles with writing, when one of the chaperones interjected, asking that the pair load their bags. The startled expression flitted across her face before she could catch it– load her own bags?! But… that’s… what they were here for, wasn’t it?!

Si ce n'est pas leur travail de chaperon, c'est leur devoir d'homme.¹

She reluctantly maneuvered her suitcases to in front of her, the omni-directional wheels of the larger one coasting with ease over the sidewalk. Olivia carefully corrected her facial expression as they moved towards the car, which appeared to be a modest, black sedan with tinted windows. The body of the car had been elongated into a short limousine in order to accommodate more passengers. When the boy spoke, she returned the glance, smiling politely. He seemed tentatively curious about her, if his inner voice was anything to go by. Olivia was similarly intrigued, if she was being entirely honest.

“I have been to Tokyo,” Olivia confirmed, “Just Tokyo. When my parents came here on business trips, my brothers and I would often go with them. But alas, I have little to tell about it. We really only saw the hotel suites and some restaurants.”

Never much time for tourism when there was business to be done, unfortunately. Olivia was simultaneously well-traveled yet painfully sheltered. They reached the trunk of the car, and Olivia freed the carry-on from the luggage handle, tucking it neatly into the corner. She then collapsed the handle of her larger bag. She sized the bag up as it waited to be loaded.

Ainsi, c'est ainsi que vit l'autre côté.²

Olivia was wearing a short skirt, so hunkering-down to lift properly was absolutely out of the question. Instead, she tried to lift the bag with just her arms, using the top- and side-handles to tip it into the trunk. This was a great idea in theory, but in practice she only managed to lift one pair of wheels off of the black-top before setting the bag back down in defeat. She couldn’t help that she had weak arms, okay!

The blonde puffed her cheeks out in embarrassment, eyeing the boy with the flyaway hair.

“May I… trouble you for some help with my bag, good sir?” she requested, her tone apologetic, “I may have… overpacked a touch. It’s difficult for me to lift.”

If he weren’t amicable to help, she had no problem with asking the chaperones, too. It was their job, after all. At least… in Olivia’s eyes.

Regardless of who helped the young woman with her bag, she would address her newly-decided partner-in-crime in hushed, conspiratory tones.

“Have you?” Olivia asked, “Been to Japan, I mean? Before now?”

Having been rushed into departing, and asked to load her own bags, Olivia was wondering what kind of secret agenda they were adhering to… or if, perhaps, there was any room for any frivolity. She would linger only a moment at her door before realizing that it would not be getting opened for her– the audacity-- before letting herself into the car, and taking a seat upon the plush, tan leather upholstery. Well, at least the interior of the car was nice, even if the demeanor of their attendants were less than dazzling. Olivia set her purse on one of the sideways-facing seats, before taking a seat in the very back. She sat primly, her legs crossed at the ankles.

Olivia's Thoughts: ¹"If it is not their job as a chaperone, it is their duty as a man!", and ²"So that's how the other side lives."

I do not speak French, so if there are grammatical errors, blame Google!

[Claudio Bernardo]

[nospaces]
[googlefont=Oswald|Roboto:400,700]

[attr="class","sixShwhole"]

[attr="class","sixShimg"]

[attr="class","sixShoutline"]

[attr="class","sixShextra"]

[attr="class","sixShtiny"]TAGGED:

Olivia Favager

[attr="class","sixShnotes"]NOTES:

You got a house in that suitcase of yours?!

[attr="class","sixShlyric"]

have a laugh!

[attr="class","sixShcred"]SELKIE

[attr="class","sixShright"]

[attr="class","sixShly"]
Dragon's fire, prayer and thunder will not change my mind

[attr="class","sixShpost"]heheBy the standards of the affluent, Claudio didn't find himself quite as perplexed as his classmate did. Though his family was of minor stature — his mother wasn't the best in the world by any regard, but she was still prolific enough to be important in her limited sphere — the Brazilian had become accustomed to doing things by himself, for himself. By comparison to Olivia, he'd readily enjoyed his seat in economy class amongst the people, cracking wise and rubbing shoulders with his neighbors.

[break][break]

heheThen again, Claudio wasn't one to worry himself with regard to wealth or the appearance thereof. With a background in modest living, he didn't find it necessary to ask for much more than he was provided; quite frankly, there wasn't much in the way of materialism or extravagance that appealed to him, nor was there any incentive to shift his life towards those aspects. He found himself quite content with the prospect of doing things by his own admission.

[break][break]

heheThough, as he was loading his own baggage into the trunk of the vehicle, he found his classmate struggling to lift her own. He first tried to ignore their struggle — she'd get it, he was sure — but as he finished loading his own luggage, it became clearer and clearer that she wasn't going to get it up on her own. Would it be wrong if he laughed? He felt it would be wrong if he did... But he couldn't help a quiet chuckle, regardless of how he restrained himself.

[break][break]

heheThough, in his mind, he'd come up with something even more humorous, something that would surely put the struggle out of her mind.

[break][break]

heheClaudio, purposefully rolling up his sleeves in an exaggerated fashion, approached the suitcase with an intent focus on the object. As he squatted down onto his knees, placing his hands on the underside of the suitcase, the Brazilian strained himself trying to lift it up, grunting as he shakily raised it. "So heavy!" He'd choke out, continuing to play up the struggle. "Did you pack a whole houze in thish thing?!" As he further played up the act — with even the inclusion of strained huffs — he resisted the urge to laugh at his own gag. He wasn't quite sure what UA entailed, let alone if his classmates would be of the same demeanor as he was, but he didn't want to skip out on a laugh; even if his peers lacked in the ease with which he held himself, he'd hope to introduce that air of brevity.

[break][break]

heheEventually, Claudio managed to place the suitcase in the back, wiping his brow as though he'd been sweating. "No wonde' you had trouble lifting it; I'm surprised I could even get it off the ground!"

[break][break]

heheAs he shut the trunk door, hushing a giggle from himself, and rounded the car to his seat — with him choosing a spot beside his new companion — he'd cup his hand to better aid their oh-so-very-secret conversation. He hadn't cared to take anything more with him beyond the items commonly held in his pockets; namely, his phone and wallet. Though, now that his backpack had been put away, his hat remained dangling from his neck between his shoulder blades.

[break][break]

hehe"Mhm!" He'd hum, "but jusht a few timesh; my Ma's side's from here, so I'd come every now-and-again for thingsh like holidaysh." Though, in his experience, he hadn't had much opportunity to simply explore as he saw fit. He loved his family — he wouldn't ever say otherwise — but they had predominantly directed such outings. He was still a stranger in this land, after all; it wasn't as though he knew the streets on his own, nor did he have the sense of direction to find his way back then.

[break][break]

heheBut now as, an adult? He hoped to enjoy the urban sprawl of Tokyo as he saw fit — he was more than capable of that!

[break][break]

heheAs the sedan took off from the airport, with both men sat in the front, Claudio continued to speak in quiet tones. "But I wanna get out there and see it! Y'know, explore it!" Frankly, he'd hoped to relish the struggle of finding his way in the first place straight from the airport; it would have been such a great story to tell later down the line. "It's my firsht time being free here — I don't wanna spend all my time at some stuffy school, y'know?"

[attr="class","sixShly"]
holy water, stakes and hunters — you're losing your time

[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShlyric]top:133px;[/newclass]


[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #B5634E;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #fc267b;[/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShwhole] width:475px; height:400px;padding:5px;background-color:#fff8eb;border:1px solid #dadada; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShimg] float:left; width:200px; height:400px; background-image:url(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/90/5e/32/905e3228fb81727dd3c8b36cf5402d91.jpg); overflow:hidden; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShoutline] position:absolute; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; height:378px; overflow:hidden; width:178px; border:1px solid #fc267b;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShextra] position:relative; top:378px; transition:1s all;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative;text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:14px; height:13px; padding:2px 5px; overflow:hidden; border-bottom:1px solid #fc267b;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny a]font-size:9px!important;font-family:roboto!important;font-weight:normal!important;line-height:14px!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:13px; height:26px; overflow:auto; padding:3px 4px; text-align:justify;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShlyric] width:248px;height:35px;background-color:#222;color:#fff8eb;font-size:20px;line-height:35px;letter-spacing:-.5px;font-family:oswald;text-transform:uppercase;position:relative;top:-35px;left:-25px;transition:1s all;transform:rotate(0deg); [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShextra] top:328px; transition:1s all; transition-delay:.5s; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShaccent] color:#fc267b; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShright] float:right; width:275px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost] background-color:#fff8eb;height:352px; overflow:auto; text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:11px; line-height:17px; padding:5px;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShly] background-color:#fc267b; letter-spacing:.5px;font:700 7px roboto;text-transform:uppercase; height:13px; line-height:13px; padding:3px; color:#fff8eb; [/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-track] background-color: #fff8eb; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px; background-color: #fff8eb;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border:0px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar] width:5px;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border-top:1px solid #fff8eb; border-bottom:1px solid #fff8eb;border-left:0px;border-right:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color: #2b151f; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred] color:#fc267b; font:700 7px roboto; position:relative; top:355px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred a] color:#fc267b!important;font:700 7px roboto!important;[/newclass]

[Olivia Favager]

A flush colored the blonde's cheeks as her soon-to-be classmate watched her struggle to lift her own bag– and the sheepish expression remained as she requested Claudio’s aid. She'd never needed to do it herself, okay? There was always the help, or her brothers or dad at least… so in that regard, she was quite helpless.

Thankfully, the boy seemed quite good-humored about lending a hand. He rolled up his sleeves and swaggered towards the suitcase, making a show of trying to hoist the baggage in. It was clownishly overdone, and he even grunted a few protests out as he did. Olivia smiled in spite of herself, covering her mouth with a hand.

“Non, only une fraction of a house, I promise,” she chuckled, still slightly flushed, “The rest was shipped to the dormitories.”

Whether this was an earnest answer, or offered in a similarly silly tone, was ambiguous– but regardless, she could withstand a laugh at her own expense every now and again!

The suitcase was finally loaded into the trunk, and Claudio gave his final verdict– that it had been a wonder that Olivia had been able to lift the suitcase in the first place, with how heavy it was.

“You have my thanks,” she said mildly, bowing her head. After boarding the vehicle and situating herself on the backseat, she took a moment to inspect her fellow passenger for intently. The wisps of his hair, now semi-contained by the vehicle’s interior, made the top of Olivia’s head cool in the places where it furled. It was like standing outside on a misty morning, she mused.

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to come here for the holidays– particularly New Years! Oh, or Girls’ Day! When I was little, I was always interested in Girls’ Day.”

As the car pulled away from the curb, she listened rapt as Claudio explained how he was determined to explore, her head bobbing affirmatively as he spoke.

“I know precisely what you mean!” Olivia proclaimed in a theater-whisper, “It would be nice to get out and explore and not be beholden to some schedule…”

Like now, Olivia thought crossly, her green eyes lingering on their chaperones. She breathed a sigh, shrugging her shoulders. It couldn’t be helped– or so she thought, anyways.

“...if you had to choose,” the girl said conversationally, “What would you do first, here? If money or distance were not an issue?”

At least they could while away their time with conversation, rather than being stuck in a miserable, solitary silence.

[Claudio Bernardo]

[nospaces]
[googlefont=Oswald|Roboto:400,700]

[attr="class","sixShwhole"]

[attr="class","sixShimg"]

[attr="class","sixShoutline"]

[attr="class","sixShextra"]

[attr="class","sixShtiny"]TAGGED:

Olivia Favager

[attr="class","sixShnotes"]NOTES:

Way, way up there in the sky — the best seat in Tokyo, bar none!

[attr="class","sixShlyric"]

have a laugh!

[attr="class","sixShcred"]SELKIE

[attr="class","sixShright"]

[attr="class","sixShly"]
Dragon's fire, prayer and thunder will not change my mind

[attr="class","sixShpost"]heheA first choice? Oh, where to even begin!

[break][break]

heheFrom a land known for sweltering summers and an eternally lively beach population, the cloud had more than seen what his hometown had to offer — to have been a part of what made Rio such a tourist destination, even beyond the statue looming over his city. Though, in what made it such a darling gem of the world, Claudio could never find the same in what Japan had to offer.

[break][break]

heheIn turn, however, Japan offered an entirely new world, one of booming metropolises, quaint towns, and an intricate culture that he yet only had a single example of — and even that example was of someone who stripped herself of those values in favor of the "Marvelous City." His only grasp of the difference was in the "chains" she described as part of this island, whereas she saw her new home as a "place of broken shackles."

[break][break]

heheHis vision differed, but he could only so much disagree as he could without seeing this other world.

[break][break]

heheClaudio leaned away for a moment, placing his hand over his mouth while his eyes drifted upwards, absorbed by the interior's vermillion coat.

[break][break]

hehe"Hmmmm... Maybe not a hesht'iction of money or dishtance, I guess, but I do have one!"

[break][break]

heheConsciously or unconsciously, his voice rose up a few notches, going just above a whisper but yet to meet a normal conversational tone as his hand moved away from his mouth onto his knee. The words he spoke shot out from between his lips, flying out with reckless abandon — though, to the attention of their chaperones, or lack thereof, they descended upon Olivia's ears.

[break][break]

hehe"I wanna sit at the top of the Tokyo Sky Tree! And I don't mean in the dezignated viewing a'ea, either. I mean at the actual top, that point hight up there in the sky. I know no one's suppozed to be up the'e, but c'mon — the view hash got to be the besht in all of Tokyo, y'know?"

[break][break]

heheTo have all of Tokyo just beneath him, yet resting just close enough to be a part of it — could there have been a greater way to look upon it? He could hardly imagine. The forbidden nature of that seat made it all the more tantalizing, as well.

[break][break]

hehe"Can you imagine what the windsh up the'e would be like? I wonde' if they'd be st'ong enough to blow me away if I washn't careful!"

[break][break]

heheClaudio's grin was wide. Even in the backseat of this car, stuffy and unresponsive, Claudio could feel the air against his beared skin. It rushed by him, silently hissing as it met him before moving on to wherever it was off to, only for the rest of the gales to follow suit, with their only easy travels being in the clouds clung to the top of his head — a pleasantly unpleasant treatment that he wouldn't have any other way.

[break][break]

hehe"How about you? You got anything like that you dream about?"

[attr="class","sixShly"]
holy water, stakes and hunters — you're losing your time

[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShlyric]top:133px;[/newclass]


[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #B5634E;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] background-color: #fc267b;[/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShwhole] width:475px; height:400px;padding:5px;background-color:#fff8eb;border:1px solid #dadada; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShimg] float:left; width:200px; height:400px; background-image:url(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/90/5e/32/905e3228fb81727dd3c8b36cf5402d91.jpg); overflow:hidden; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShoutline] position:absolute; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; height:378px; overflow:hidden; width:178px; border:1px solid #fc267b;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShextra] position:relative; top:378px; transition:1s all;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative;text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:14px; height:13px; padding:2px 5px; overflow:hidden; border-bottom:1px solid #fc267b;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShtiny a]font-size:9px!important;font-family:roboto!important;font-weight:normal!important;line-height:14px!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes] background-color:#fff8eb; position:relative; font-family:roboto; font-size:9px; line-height:13px; height:26px; overflow:auto; padding:3px 4px; text-align:justify;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShlyric] width:248px;height:35px;background-color:#222;color:#fff8eb;font-size:20px;line-height:35px;letter-spacing:-.5px;font-family:oswald;text-transform:uppercase;position:relative;top:-35px;left:-25px;transition:1s all;transform:rotate(0deg); [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShwhole:hover .sixShextra] top:328px; transition:1s all; transition-delay:.5s; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShaccent] color:#fc267b; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShright] float:right; width:275px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost] background-color:#fff8eb;height:352px; overflow:auto; text-align:justify; font-family:roboto; font-size:11px; line-height:17px; padding:5px;color:#212121; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShly] background-color:#fc267b; letter-spacing:.5px;font:700 7px roboto;text-transform:uppercase; height:13px; line-height:13px; padding:3px; color:#fff8eb; [/newclass]

[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-track] background-color: #fff8eb; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px; background-color: #fff8eb;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShnotes::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border:0px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar] width:5px;border:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border-top:1px solid #fff8eb; border-bottom:1px solid #fff8eb;border-left:0px;border-right:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShpost::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color: #2b151f; [/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred] color:#fc267b; font:700 7px roboto; position:relative; top:355px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sixShcred a] color:#fc267b!important;font:700 7px roboto!important;[/newclass]