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Post by liechtenstein on Mar 30, 2011 23:25:57 GMT
Lilli walked quickly down the street, a bouquet of flowers under one arm and a bag holding the order of one of the shop's customers in the other. It was a flower girl's tiny dress for a wedding. The silhouette had been tailored by Lilli's father while Lilli had embroidered and carefully trimmed it with lace.
It was a sunny day and as the contents of her delivery weren't very heavy, Lilli felt cheerful. She admired the estates in this part of the Lowlands. They weren't as grandiose as some of the houses in the Highlands (and she and her mother had cleaned enough of them to know!) but they were generous compared to the flat her family lived in above their tailor shop. There was enough room for gardens and many residents had carefully planted roses and lilacs near wildflowers which grew naturally.
As Lilli rounded a block, her feet slowed. There was a school here. It wasn't her school (not the one she graduated early from at 16) but the sight of the building, almost identical to any other Lowland school, made good and bad memories suddenly bubble up inside her.
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Post by Michael Wang on Mar 31, 2011 1:38:56 GMT
Although you could find Michael here almost every Sunday, it was rare you saw another wander so far as to the old schoolhouse. They still held an hour-long class every few days, but other than that, the school was abandoned and left to sink into the background, only adding to the village's olden atmosphere. Today, few came by compared to the life that had it had encompassed so many years before.
Michael walked through the school, his every step echoing through the wooden flooring and then up and against the concrete walls. After his last relative had passed away, the schoolteacher here had helped him register in the orphanage just down the rode by posing as his sick mother. He had only stayed here for a month or two, but it was with great kindness; a blessing Michael would never forget of.
He smiled at the fact that he was not the only one who could enjoy the nostalgia of this near aberration.
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Post by liechtenstein on Mar 31, 2011 4:18:49 GMT
[Join in, join in! Actually, I was hoping we'd RP together as Lowlanders and cause mischief around town. ^_~]
Lilli forced herself to look at the school with objective eyes. She'd never gone to school here, never had made friends here, or been bullied. She had cut her hair short after graduation to signal a new start, but she did not tell her parents about all the times students had tried to put gum or ink in her hair when it was long.
Slowly, Lilli calmed her heart. In the sunlight, the school was almost pretty. It was in poor repair like most Lowland schools, but the sunshine gave it a glow and rich ivy vines clung to its concrete walls like a very lovely green curtain. She was admiring the leaves when a figure caught her eye. A dark head, a young boy passing by the windows of the school.
Lilli pressed closer against the fence, trying to make out his face. The school was closed on Sundays. She looked around, trying to see how the boy had gotten in when she noticed a bend in the fence. Lilli walked over and crouched down. There! Behind a hydrangea bush was a hole through the metal mesh.
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Post by Michael Wang on Mar 31, 2011 19:35:44 GMT
[fun times! >:D]
Outside the gate, a rustle ran through the ivy that had grown into the place, giving it a sort of claim on the land surrounding the school. The wind that day was calmer than usual so Michael assumed it was only an animal until he saw a young woman trying to crawl under the wire fence.
The girl looked no more than twenty, her hair a mix of shades that seemed to glow in the late sun."School's closed today. Classes are out as well." Michael rested against the door frame of the porch before noting a snag on the wires she came through. He sighed and began toward her.
"Your dress's caught; stop moving."
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 1, 2011 0:28:32 GMT
Lilli looked up with the wide startled eyes of an animal. She moved a bit experimentally, but the boy was right; she could feel something tugging at the hem of her dress. Lilli looked back at where she had dropped her delivery and flowers and saw a wire snagged in her dress fabric. She took a deep breath, glad she had not cut her hair long ago.
"Looks like I'm not very good at being sneaky," Lilli smiled brightly and tapped her head in self-reprimand.
The boy did not react. He had such a solemn face, like someone who was used to hardship, although the clothes he wore were finely made. A highlander? Whoever he was, he was nice enough to prevent her from tearing her dress. Maybe he could help too.
"Could you perhaps, help me?"
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 2, 2011 1:30:31 GMT
"Of course." Michael was surprised at her willingness to accept his help. It was rare people chose willingly to be around him thanks to his still emotion. "Here, don't move. It hasn't ripped, the lace is just caught."
He reached behind her and carefully lifted the metal wire from the edging of her dress. Michael's grip was built on his precision thanks to his time serving as an instrumentalist; Lilli's lace was in good hands.
"Why are you here? You're too young for teaching." Michael noted her fraying clothes. Highlander's rarely wore such vintage so he assumed otherwise. "Your flowers...what are you doing here?" He was only curious but it sounded as if he was a sort of policeman, pressing her for answers.
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 2, 2011 4:39:30 GMT
Lilli dusted off her dress.
"Thank you," she offered the boy an apologetic smile. "My name is Lilli and my family owns a tailor shop. I was going to deliver a flower girl's dress and her flowers, but then I passed by the school..."
Lilli fidgeted. How could she say that she had seen him -- a strange mysterious figure at an abandoned school -- and decided to go sneaking around? He had such an even voice, the aura of an adult, even though he looked to be her own age.
"Can I ask why you are around here?" Lilli blurted. Her cheeks burned when she realized how abrupt she was being. "I don't mean to be rude, but are you a Highlander?"
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 2, 2011 16:02:45 GMT
"Thank you," The girl's smile only grew. It didn't bother Michael as he knew it was a kind smile; Aniki's smile..."My name is Lilli and my family owns a tailor shop. I was going to deliver a flower girl's dress and her flowers, but then I passed by the school..."
He nodded in response, still unsure of her wandering into the school-yard. Had she gotten lost?
"Can I ask why you are around here?...are you a Highlander?" Michael was surprised with her straightforwardness; she seemed the type of lady to fluff up every sentence with the kindest of words, hoping not to offend anyone.
"Highlander? Ah, yes...I am." He had taken a minute to answer...really, he did not know much of an answer. He always gave Highlander but he had to catch himself at times. A Lowlander...huh.
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 2, 2011 20:27:53 GMT
"I'm sorry!" Lilli said quickly, noticing the boy's face had grown a little confused. "I noticed you were walking around the school and came to investigate...and if you're a highlander, that's unusual. Not many of them come around here. They're usually in the shops or clubs."
Lilli gave the boy a friendly smile.
"Can I ask what your name is?"
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 3, 2011 0:42:58 GMT
For once, Michael let a small smile shine through his usually still expression, "No, don't apologize. I used to attend this school when I was younger. I used to live here in the Lowlands, I like it here. Michael, that is. My name is Michael." It sort of annoyed him; her stereotype of the Highlanders. Sure, the most of them were selfish bastards. But not all of them, not Aniki...
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 4, 2011 23:11:23 GMT
"It's nice to meet you Michael," Lilli smiled. She fidgeted a little nervously because Michael's smile was still a little dour at the edges. Did she do something to offend him?
"Do you come around this area often? I'm supposed to drop off the dress and flowers to an address that I think is nearby here. Wait one moment.
Lilli bent down and reached her arms under the fence, carefully sliding the bag and flowers under it. She rummaged around the bag until she found the piece of paper she had written the address on.
She looked up and handed it to Michael.
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 5, 2011 11:23:05 GMT
[[sorry about the super short posts lately - been sorta kinda busy I guess :'D]]
Michael took the sheet, surprised at her lack of explanation, "You'd like me to take you there?" He ran through a mental map of the place before nodding in agreement. "I can do that."
He bent down to bend the metal wires of the fence back in place before looking up to her. "There's a gate on the other side; we'll go through there." Without another word he offered her a hand, the gentleman in him shining through his hard outer-core.
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 6, 2011 0:46:56 GMT
[No problem! I actually like writing short posts. xD Also...I'm unsure as to what Michael is still waiting for as an explanation?]
"You're offering to bring me along?" Lilli asked, a bit incredulously and happily. Michael did seem a little rough on the outside, but he was actually sweet! She wasn't sure what to do when Michael extended his hand. She'd taken the arm of older boys before (who were acting politely) but didn't offering a hand mean other things? Sometimes, she wished she had an older brother to tell her these things. Better to be safe. Lilli sheepishly handed him the flowers and looked at the floor, feeling a very red blush on her face.
"Do you mind holding these then, and I can hold the bag?"
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 6, 2011 2:02:37 GMT
[[ohhhh uh just the paper being handed to him, I guess...I had just woken up after writing that so it was kinda derpy xD"]]
"Ah...that was...what I meant, sorry." His open hand shied away from her for a moment, "Unless you want me to hold your hand..."
Michael wasn't used to women. He had never known any others than the girls at the orphanage he had lived in when he was young. And even so, they would always make fun of him for his eyebrows, causing his shyness to increase ten-fold. "I-I'll take your bag, if it's heavy for you." Why were girls always so indirect? He wondered about Lilli, would she be like the other Highlander girls he knew? They would act sweet at first but later you would find that your wallet was missing...
He shook his head at that thought; Aniki would always remind him not to stereotype, even if you had known the person from what others told you about them. Lilli seems nice though, she probably isn't mean or anything like that. Just very...happy. Michael pondered this encounter, he really was tired of judging people.
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 9, 2011 3:02:22 GMT
Lilli waved her hands frantically, "Ah, no, no! I'm fine with the bag!" She didn't want Michael to think that she was weak or just using him to carry things for her.
"It's, er, good exercise!" Lilli said. "I've been helping deliver clothes since I was ten on my own and it's nice to get out and around. I love the shop, but sometimes, you need to be away from threads and needles! I don't know if you've ever felt the same way, needing to get out of the house, but maybe, since you're here."
Lilli bit her lip. She was being so chatty, but Michael seemed to be relaxing and that was nice.
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 9, 2011 11:58:56 GMT
"I have a house too." To Michael, that wasn't a common statement, though he wondered if she would understand what he meant, "But I don't spend much time there. The Highlands are annoying so I like to come down here, there is more open land - less people too."
He lead her to the gate and kicked it open. Plenty of shrub and vines had grown into it, so it did take a burst of strength to get it open. Michael hoped that someday a pathway could be worn into it, which was really just a far off dream considering how old the school was. "So what is the name of your shop?"
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 11, 2011 23:42:20 GMT
"We're not very imaginative," Lilli said and tried to cover her surprise. Michael was strong! "Our shop's name is 'Brunhart Tailors'. There's really only my father who's the tailor right now but I'm his apprentice!"
Lilli carefully followed Michael as they edged out of the gate. There was so many vines clinging over it and although it was now open, they still had to dodge a few things.
"If you're ever in the neighborhood, you should come visit!" Lilli dodged a vine tendril. "The shop's very small, but it's usually quiet. I usually only go to the Highlands to help with my mother with house-keeping work. I haven't really wandered around. Are there nice places there to visit, though?"
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 12, 2011 0:15:54 GMT
"Brunhart, huh." Michael checked his jacket's tag out of curiosity; nope. "I'll try, I'm bad with directions though. I come here often but I usually just wander around until I find something interesting."
He took a quick check before walking across the dirt road, "This address is a little while's way. You think you can make it? Or do you have to be home before dark?"
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Post by liechtenstein on Apr 19, 2011 22:45:44 GMT
"Brunhart's my last name," Lilli replied. "I don't have to deliver everything right away so we can take our time around the neighborhood. It's been a while since I've been here since I graduated from school."
Lilli followed Michael as they began to walk down the street.
"Are you still going to school?"
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Post by Michael Wang on Apr 19, 2011 22:54:04 GMT
Michael shook his head, "I never attended. Though working on a degree in...music, I guess. I haven't had much time to think of a long-time occupation. I just deliver mail for now."
He yawned and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Michael was going to dress a little more...usual but was caught but his brother and forced to wear somewhat formal-wear down to the Lowlands. He wondered how out of place he looked to a country-girl like Lilli. "You plan on staying with your family's business?"
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