Mads vs Ritsu

M: The day waned, setting the sky into a fiery symphony. Swifts screamed overhead and a light wind shook jasmin petals from their lodgings on the verbage adorning 'Miel's V腎ements R師ro', a small retro clothing shop in a secluded alley. The owner, a delicate and tired looking zafara, turned key in lock, hid the key under a flowerpot, then pulled the hood of her jumper over her voluminous hair in the hopes of giving some protection against the chill night air. Shivering, she looked up and down the empty street. 'Quiet night,' she thought. And so it was.
R: Most of Shenkuu were at home with their families, or enjoying and relaxing during the peaceful night. A street-lamp flickered, urging the remaining Neopets to scurry off before the night fully set in. A breeze of wind was caught inbetween the leaves and limbs of a tall, nearby tree. It was extremely quiet, and it would've been an eerie night if it weren't for the few stores open. A small pond shivered as a pebble bounced above the water, then sunk down to the shallow bottom. The lilypads shifted their positions as the ripples of the water swayed them to opposite directions. Plip, Plip, Plip. A lonely, red aisha gripped another pebble, tossed it, and whispered something as the water rippled again. The cold was nothing to him, loneliness wasn't a problem. Due to his keen, aisha ears, he was able to pick up sounds of conversation from a mile away. Some were still awake, some were playing around, some were closing shops, and some were fast asleep. He was one of the few that were still out on the streets.
M:The zafara passed through the street noiselessly. Naught but a chilly apartment waited for her return and so she made her way slowly. Summer nights were a joy in Honey's mind and as she turned to cut across the gardens, she began a gentle humming. She stopped a moment on the wooden bridge carrying the road over to gaze at the pond. Crickets chirped their regards in the bushes and a stately bullfrog under the temple fore stone groaned occasionally to his lady who was busying herself by the lillies. Plip, plip, plip. Her ears pricked up. She was not alone this night.
R:Continuing to lightly toss the pebbles, Komone ignored the zafara's footsteps above him. She'll just ignore and continue walking; there's no need to pay attention, he thought to himself. The aisha smiled as a pebble skimmed past the midway point of the pond--much further than it usually went. Suddenly, the footsteps disapppeared. Rather abruptly, actually. She couldn't have left already since the footsteps would've continued and trail off. The zafara stopped? But why? Plip, Plip, Plip. The last pebble sunk down beneath the visible layer of water. He had stopped as well.
M:An ear twitched forward as a pebble skimmed across the pond in front of her, cast from the invisible hand of someone below. This was new. Who would sit under a bridge at dusk skimming stones? She lent over the flimsy hand rail the bridge offered, craning her neck to try and see who this mysterious person was. Her hair fell about her face like a soft veil and, although she wasn't exactly heavy, the rail groaned in discomfort. 'Hullo?' She called quietly, 'Is someone there?
R: All four of his aisha ears perked up. He wasn't exactly sure whether to answer the call or not. This person was a stranger, after all. Komone fumbled for words and decided to just crawl out from beneath the bridge. "H-Hey," he stuttered nervously. A weak wave followed as he dropped the remaining stones in his hand. Stranger or not, he was curious to see why someone had bothered to even stop and gaze at the pond. He squinted to get a better look at the zafara but had no chance due to his poor vision.
M: Honey smiled faintly as he peeked out. 'Hi,' she replied, shaking her head gently to get her hair out of her eyes. She paused and a gust rustled through the willow trees surrounding the pool, wind-chimes hanging from the stone temple playing a small melody to the strange encounter taking place. A crease adorned her brow as he squinted upwards. 'This could be a silly question but... Why are you under the bridge?' She asked delicately, as in the failing light it was quite hard to make out more than a shadowy figure and who knows what sort of strange Neopian this person could be?
R: Chuckling shyly, he rubbed the back of his head and replied, "Er, well, skipping rocks is all. It gets awfully boring at home, so I don't have much better to do than hang around this place." Komone crawled up the grassy hill and stood on the bridge next to the zafara. "And may I ask you: what are YOU doing so late out?" He eyed her with a crooked smile on his face; more like a smirk, really. Silently analyzing the area, the aisha could see most everyone had already gone home. Why was he out so late, anyway?
M: She watched the shape come out from under the bridge and make its way toward her and in doing so revealing himself as an aisha indeed- a rather aesthetically pleasing one at that... The bridge handrail sighed its relief as she stood upright and shook her head again to dislodge the hair across her eyes. What she perceived as a smirk caused her to hesitate in a reply but a feeling of curiosity nudged her into a sense of security. 'I just shut up shop,' she said, gesturing behind her dismissively, 'and I was making my way home. And I love summer nights so I thought I'd cut through here... Do you come here often?
R: The aisha was spellbound from the chirps of crickets and the gentle glow of fireflies. "Huh? Oh, sometimes, yeah. Especially on windy nights like these." He looked at where the zafara was gesturing to and tilted his head. "So... what kind of shop do you own?" he questioned curiously, staring past her at the small variety of shops that had been closed. He was too poor to even open a shop and was curious how the whole "system" worked. Opening, closing, opening, selling... oh, back to the zafara. "And what's your name?
M:She leant on the hand rail again, keeping her eyes trained to her companion on this chilliest of nights. 'My name's Honey,' she said smiling prettily, 'and I run that retro clothes shop.' she said turning and pointing at the jasmin-clad building. 'I'm trying to get the landlord to rent me the room above it so I don't have to walk back and forth every day but he's... Being a bit stubborn.' She turned back and shrugged daintily, reaching out to a firefly idly, its glow lighting her fingertips as if they were magical.
R:He mimicked Honey like a shadow, also leaning on the hand rail of the bridge. "Really? Stubborn people really get on my nerves... maybe I can persuade him for you," the aisha replied in a sly, sarcastic tone. He awed as the zafara lightly held the firefly in hand. He was never able to even touch, let alone get close, to the glowing, fragile bugs. "Oh, and you can just call me Komone-sama..." He laughed shyly as he introduced himself. Komone was uncomfortable with talking to strangers, even though they had already introduced each other. There was a nagging thought in the back of his head that told him he'd mess up this encounter somehow.
M: 'Komone-sama,' she echoed, letting the firefly go and looking at him, 'Pleased to make your aquaintance!' She laughed melodically and gently, completely at ease with his presence. She wasn't a naive person, and although his slightly sleazy ways made her a little confused, she felt no threat here. She shivered as a particularly strong gust made the windchimes cough and the fireflies fall back to the shelter of the bridge, and pulled her hood up a little bit more.
R:A faint smile lit upon the aisha's face as Honey laughed--like a song, gentle and soothed. "Er, nice to meet you too," he replied. His tail twitched as the wind pushed harder against the trees and structures around them.It was a bit strange for it to be so windy during summer since the nights were usually much warmer than this. Komone watched the other Shenkuu creatures of the night retreat to their homes. He sighed with relief as the wind settled down a bit.
M: She hugged herself and shuffled from foot to foot. 'I'm cold,' She said pointedly, 'Are you cold? Fancy a hot chocolate?' She had a questioning and uncomfortable look on her face, as she fidgeted. Her thoughts raced: 'Blimey, Honey, he's a complete stranger, calm down girl! You just invited him for hot chocolate, where are you going to go? Your place, stupid! And you don't even know him! No backing out now though, just pray he's not dangerous... Gosh, it's cold out...
R: "Huh?" Although he wasn't wearing a jacket--let alone a long sleeved shirt--he was still shivering. But what made him wonder was why he didn't feel cold. Maybe he was used to enduring it on cold nights like these? "Er... hot chocolate? O... kay..." the aisha replied hesitantly. A random zafara asks what I'm doing, chats with me, and asks me for hot chocolate? Sure. Ritsu won't mind, I guess. But why would she ask me, a stranger, so suddenly, even if we 'got along' a bit? he thought, unsure how to answer his own questions.
M: The slightly awkward moment passed when Honey left caution to the wind, laughed again and set off along the path through the gardens, jogging ahead a little and twirling in a circle amongst the fireflies, sending them scattering around her like a star burst. Her hood fell down and her hair spilled out down her back, lit up by the glowing bugs like a cascade of gold. They quickly dispersed though and the light of the moon was all that lead the way. She looked back at Komone, face glowing with a carefree vitality, "I love doing that," she said, and giggled.
R:Komone watched in awe. A mix of feelings sputtered through his mind while watching the dazzling performance. Amazed, he applauded at the rather short, yet mind-blowing show. "Bravo!" he joked, followed by a less shaky laugh. "Mmmm, so tell me about yourself," he said, tilting his head to see the stars and moon that glittered in the night sky. It was awkward asking someone to "tell them about themselves," but he wanted to get to know Honey more anyway.
M: She laughed loudly as he faux-applauded and blushed a little, although in the light it was impossible to see. Putting her hand over her mouth the laugh turned into a giggle and as he joined her on the walk northwards she dove her hands into her pockets and arched her neck. "We-ell, what would you like to know?" she asked teasingly, looking at him and beaming. She was a sunny person and it showed, even in the night, "I was born in Neopia Central - my ma and pa still live there - I went to school, got average grades, started modeling... Got an offer from Uni Faboo... Started freelancing... And well.. Here I am, running a few stores and having a great time! Very uninteresting and not nearly as dramatic as some people around here but... It does me fine.
R: His ears perked up. "Did... you say modeling?" he stuttered, amazed. He stared at her face, trying to recognize her, if he had seen here anywhere. "Ah! You were on the cover of the Altadorian Vogue, right?" It took a few seconds after he had said that for the aisha to realize how strange that sounded. "My... owner reads it. Not me." He laughed nervously and tried to continue asking questions. "So... what would a model like you be doing at a place like this?" he questioned, slightly frowning.
M: She was impressed he could tell in this bad light, so nodded and smiled, looking down humbly. "Yeaah, it was just a one off thing though. It's been pretty quiet recently..." to his second question she replied, "Oh, you know, just trying to escape really. We came here on a couple of shoots with NCM and I really like the culture, so I opened up shop and tried to make my way a bit. You know, maybe broaden my horizons with my clothing range by getting to know different worlds..." She glanced at him, feeling full of warmth inside, pleased with how this was going and with her prospective new friend. She stopped a moment to pick a flower from a tree then carried on walking languidly, twirling the stem in an absent minded fashion, "So tell me a little about -yourself-, Komone-sama," she chimed, "Aren't you a Vogue fan?"
R: "Eh, me?" the aisha replied, slightly shocked, "Oh, well, I'm not much of an interesting person, anyway. There isn't much about me to be known. But--um--er..." He paused, rearranging and attempting to find the right words to use. He found himself to be a dull person and didn't want to share about himself to his newly-aquainted friend. Although Komone tried to please her by answering her request, he stumbled upon his own troubles: his shyness. "Vogue? Um, well, I guess it's okay," he stuttered, avoiding the thoughts nagging him in the back of his mind.
M: She picked up on his unease and bit her lip, looking at him while he stammered and smiling slightly, "Oh gosh, if you don't want to say then it's fine. It was a bit forward of me... I just get so used to being asked about myself in interviews and things it's sort of normal for me." The path twisted idly through the trees, which were growing denser. Large, voluminous flowers shone in the moonlight on their boughs and young rhododendron bushes knotted around their trunks. They were heading for the rhododendron gardens, which loomed ahead of them, their green arched walks indeterminable depth and very intimidating...
R: "Ah, I'm really sorry, I just..." he trailed off, frustrated with his own idiocy. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Such a klutz, his mind lectured him. He remained silent for a small period of time, taking in every inch of the land that he could take. The aisha had never seen this area of Shenkuu and was awed by its beauty and appeal. For a moment, he had been staring at Honey, but quickly turned away before she would notice him. Feeling embarassed, Komone glanced in the opposite direction, examining the trees whose breath-taking flowers had flourished.
M: She hadn't noticed as she was once again reaching out to the fireflies whose merry dance led her further into the dark. "Oh don't worry, I don't mind at all if you like to be secretive," She said, turning for a moment, "It gives you a sort of... Mysterious stranger look." She laughed and turned round again, finding that the sky was now blotted out by the twisted rhododendron branches above and slowing in her tracks, "Oh, is this the right way... I'm sure it's down here... Over the bridge and... Hmm, I wonder if we missed a turn...
R: "Mysterious... stranger look?" I can't tell whether that's a compliment or... the aisha slightly blushed, then laughed off his clumsiness. He observed the bundles of leaves on the branches of the trees as they covered the moon and star-lit sky. Frowning as it had gotten darker, Komone strolled deeper into the "forest" alongside the zafara. "Er... where did you say we were going again?" he asked hesitantly. As he listened to Honey's murmurs and mumbles, he felt an uneasiness in his stomach.
M: She paused for a moment, finger pressed to her lips, then nodded decidedly. "Yes, no I'm sure it's this way," She said to him, "I just got a little confused because it's so dark." She continued the way she was going for a little while before the path began to slope downwards, at first quite gently and then getting gradually steeper. The sound of one of Shenkuu's many waterfalls reached their ears and Honey slowed once again.
To be continued...

6/9/08:

Hallo! A feather floats on by
Curling up into the sky
When I was but a little lost girl
I was given a shining pearl
Hanging on a chain of very fine gold
Whomever said human hearts were cold?
It was as light as a darling feather
And seemed to glow in the springtime weather
Oh, how beautiful this pearl of white was,
Such a shame that now it is lost.

23/6/08:

Fly by my dear and dont let them stop
What youve begun, its firey hot -
Cry havoc from the rooftops and fie from the tower
Dont let them stop in this most crucial of hours
We pray for the mighty to answer our cry
Will our questions be answered from way up on high...

14/4/08:

Compare fine lilies to silent stones
Where do they go when they have no homes
Relationships with strangers and mystery nights
Debates with young ones always ending in fights
Please just take me back to the cherry trees
When I loved you but you didnt know me
When all that I dreamt of was all that you are
How many wishes are wasted on stars
Finding happiness in the bloom of a flower
Life is never a question of power

13/3/08:

When is a door not a door
When its ajar and youre on the floor
Many a man would spit on your face
If only your house was a respectable place
Decent food, youve had none
Many would call you a filthy old bum
So get a place, shut its door
Unless youd prefer to lie on the floor.


07/01/08:

Music full of soporific tones
Sit down and rest your tired young bones!
Ah, dear grandma, tell me when
Chrissy got chased by that nasty old hen,
And tell me of that book you wrote
Of motherhood and how to cope
Oh granny I do hope I see you soon
And we can eat Brebis on pleasant afternoons
How is the goldfinch and its clutch?
I would love to see you, ever so much
So sit down in your lovely armchair
I will come soon and see you there.


17/11/07:

Can you remember the time
In the cherry trees?
When I loved you,
But you didnt love me,
Ill go to the army,
Were the words you said,
And terrible thoughts
Circled my head.


20/8/07:

Throw a stone toward the sea,
Watch the waves begin to leave;
Lie down on the sand, you and I;
Stare at clouds, oh, so high...
Make a wish! Our love is quiet,
Dont be like them, they try to fight it -
Think trees and peace and love and flowers -
We can stay up until witching hours
And watch the boggarts begin their dance,
Follow centaurs in a trance,
Dance and skip over waves of silver -
See that bird! black throated diver.
They nest in the hills where loneliness reigns
And pictures are taken and put in frames.
But first lets go back to the start
Where I found you and lost my heart

(drag and drop to see full-size!)


Fuu did this stunning portait of me!


Yeasayer, Gibson, WB, Tenzon, Plato, Buttermilk and I all having fun at the beach!


My first fashion shoot with Faboo Uni Clothing.


After that I got a request to model for the Altadorian Vogue and got put on the front cover!


A picture drawn for me by Aoi. Thank you, I look lovely!


This one is by Kate! I look gorgeous, thank you!


Oh gosh, WB got chickaroo and wouldnt come down from on top of the outhouse! Yeasayer had to throw some corn on the ground, it was so funny, but dont tell him I said that - hes a little embarassed.


He gave me such a fright!


A behind the scenes photo at one of our fashion-shoots in Shenkuu.

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