Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, guys! xD I'm glad to know that you guys will be back to read more.
Heatherky: ...Gibbs a coconut. Lol.
Muse: Can do. Lol.
luzzio-fiann: Omg, wow. I can't stop smiling when I read your review. I didn't think I was THAT great. Well, I'm my toughest critic, so I can't count on myself to give myself the best reviews... But, I mean, you want to look to my stories for inspiration? Wow. I'm touched, really. THANK YOU! Big hug. But seriously, do you not see anything I could improve on? Oh, and I read some of "White Christmas," and so far it's been... Interesting. LOL. I'll give it a review once I finish reading it.
"Doctor Kadowaki, please report to the Quad immediately."
Lasoria stirred in her bed, her once smooth hair now mussed up and tousled.
"I repeat..."
Her eyelids fluttered, but they did not open. However, she was beginning to rouse from her sleep, and she slowly turned herself onto her back and sighed, her eyes still closed.
"Doctor Kadowaki, to the Quad immediately."
Her eyes shot open as she heard the announcement from the intercom just above her bed. Her sight was met by the bright sunshine that filtered through the blinds in long, dusty rays that painted yellow lines upon the tiles of the floor. The clothes she had worn yesterday had been tossed to the top left corner of the room from the door, accompanied by a pair of black combat boots. Beside the head end of her bed was a tiny nightstand with a lamp, a telephone, and an alarm clock that displayed 9:46 in bright blue digits. At the foot of her bed was a small dresser with an average-sized black suitcase lain atop of it. A larger suitcase sat on the floor before the dresser alongside a smaller suitcase and a leather travelbag. If she were to live here, she wasn't to pack lightly.
Slender fingers rubbed at her eyes, and after staring at the alarm clock for a few seconds, she forced herself from the bed and slowly walked to her suitcase to find something to wear. She pulled the zipper tag down the side of the largest suitcase, but she had much difficulty when the zipper caught itself when she only had the suitcase open halfway.
"No, not again," she muttered, yanking at the zipper. A sudden tap to the shoulder gave her self-defense reflexes a kick, and she spun around in an instant, her fists drawn up before her chest. She quickly eased and let down her guard as she saw a somewhat short (compared to her height, anyway) girl with blonde, shoulder-length hair. She had a somewhat round face covered in freckles that seemed to attack her cheeks, and a sea of dark freckles ran up and down the lengths of her bare arms. She was wearing mint green pajama bottoms and a white shirt with short yellow sleeves.
"Hey, don't be so uptight. I'm Chasen," she said, giving a bright smile.
'I don't remember seeing her an--... What is she doing in here? Oh!'
"You're my roommate? I didn't hear you come in," Lasoria said, casually placing her hands on her hips. 'What the hell did she do, sneak in here at 3 am?'
"I came in a few hours ago. Mom thought I should be here early or something," she said, rolling her eyes, "and I decided I'd try to catch a nap, but I couldn't get to sleep. I wanted you to wake up so bad!"
Lasoria simply glanced at her for a moment, and then slowly, as if she were testing whether or not to speak, she asked, "Why?"
"Oh, you know... Wanted to meet my roommate and all, seeing that I'm, y'know, gonna be with you for awhile," she said, flashing another smile. "I'm gonna go get dressed, and then I'm gonna go catch some breakfast. Wanna come?"
Her hands left her hips, and she nodded, slowly at first, but then quicker when she was sure of her decision. "Sure, I guess. Was just getting dressed myself, actually... But the damn zipper got caught again." She turned and gave a small kick to the suitcase that lay half-open on the floor. Chasen shrugged.
"I'd be no help. I can't open anything worth a flying crap. Okay, gotta get dressed." She promptly left Lasoria's room, and Lasoria gave her suitcase a hard kick. It was always giving her trouble.
'So my roommate is friendly. And bubbly...'
Lasoria stared at her suitcase for a moment in half-conscious thought.
'...Too bubbly.'
She tugged at the zipper, and it finally escaped the snag. Lasoria opened the suitcase all the way and began to rummage through the contents.
'Maybe if I poke her, she'll pop.'
Lasoria smiled, laughing inwardly as she pulled a plain white sleeveless shirt from the suitcase. She inspected the front, making sure that it wasn't the shirt with the ugly yellow stain. It wasn't, so she tossed it to her bed.
After a short time, Lasoria had donned a pair of black-and-white camouflage cargos, a black belt, the white shirt, and her combat boots. Her pants had been stuffed into her boots, causing them to give a slight "poof" at the bottom. She had contemplated whether or not to wear her leather gloves, and after a few moments of pondering, she pulled them out of her smallest suitcase and slipped them over her hands. They were like thick leather gloves with the fingertips cut off. They were simple weapons, but along with her fists and other martial art skills, they could be lethal.
Lasoria knew that the cafeteria didn't allow weapons, but they were just gloves. She could deal just as much damage without them, so why did it matter whether or not she had them there? She figured she'd try testing the cafeteria ladies' authority by wearing them inside the cafeteria.
"Ready to go?" Lasoria heard. She emerged from her room to find Chasen leaning against the wall in her cadet uniform.
'The hell?'
"...It's the weekend, and you're in your uniform," Lasoria said. Her eyebrow twitched.
"I know," she said, pulling up her stockings, "but I want to get used to wearing it."
"Hnn..." Lasoria just nodded, her brow fully arched over her eye. She wasn't too sure if she was going to enjoy sharing a dormitory with Chasen, but she may have just caught wind of a bad impression.
"Okay," Lasoria said, patting her pocket that was full of gil. "Let's go."
"Ohh, let me do it. These panel things are sooo cool!" Chasen hurried over to the panel beside the door and pushed a few buttons. The door flew open, just like the classroom doors. Lasoria rolled her eyes behind Chasen's back.
'Big, red, shiny button... Yeah, that's her.'
She followed Chasen out the doorway, and, quite hastily, the door shut itself. A soft "beep" meant that it had been locked.
"Oh, no! I left my ID on my bed!" Chasen cried, covering her mouth with her hands. Lasoria sighed and quickly withdrew her Student ID card from her left pocket. She inserted it into the panel, entered her Student ID number, and the door beeped and opened.
"Oh, Hyne. Thanks," Chasen said, hurrying into their dorm. She was out after a few seconds, holding her new, shiny Student ID.
"Anything else?" Lasoria asked, her finger dawdling at the close and lock buttons. She was beginning to become annoyed with this girl. Chasen shook her head, so she pressed the buttons. The door shut itself and beeped, just like before.
"Sorry, I'm a blondie," Chasen said, pocketing her ID. Both of them began to walk down the long hall. They were silent for some time. Out of the corner of her eye, Lasoria caught Chasen giving her occasional glances, but she didn't return them. An awkward silence. Lasoria hated it.
"Where are you from?" Chasen asked. It was as if she had read Lasoria's mind. Perhaps Chasen didn't like long, awkward silences, either.
"FH."
"Oh. Never been there. Ever been to Deling City?" Chasen gave her a sidelong glance.
"Once, I think. You from there?"
"Yep."
Just then, Lasoria noticed that she had forgotten to brush her hair. Hastily, she ran her fingers through it, hoping to make it look at least half-decent. She didn't want to go around looking like a heathen. Chasen nudged her in the arm with a small brush and a hair tie.
"Um, thanks," Lasoria said, taking the brush. She stretched the hair band over her wrist and quickly ran the brush through her hair. She handed it back to Chasen and put her hair back in a tight ponytail. It was a bit messy, but it would do.
"I always have my brush and my ties with me," Chasen explained, stuffing them into her bulging pocket. They came upon the main hall and turned to the right. They walked past two fountains and then turned to the right and walked along the red path to the cafeteria.
"Do they have good food here?"
"I guess," Lasoria said, shrugging. "I've been here ever since I was five, so I'm used to it."
"But is there a lot to choose from?"
"Of course."
They came upon the counter. Lasoria delved out 35 gil and placed it on the counter.
"Just a carton of milk and a chocolate-chip muffin, please," she said. The cafeteria lady placed a small carton and a muffin wrapped in plastic on the counter.
"Thanks. Hey, Chasen..."
"Hmm, what?" She tore her eyes from the menu.
"I'm gonna go to the Training Center. See you later."
"I, well..." She glanced toward the tables. "Okay, 'bye."
Lasoria waved and stuffed the muffin in one pocket, the milk carton in the other, and set off for the Training Center.
-cough- Hope that didn't suck. Read and review, eh? XD
Heatherky: ...Gibbs a coconut. Lol.
Muse: Can do. Lol.
luzzio-fiann: Omg, wow. I can't stop smiling when I read your review. I didn't think I was THAT great. Well, I'm my toughest critic, so I can't count on myself to give myself the best reviews... But, I mean, you want to look to my stories for inspiration? Wow. I'm touched, really. THANK YOU! Big hug. But seriously, do you not see anything I could improve on? Oh, and I read some of "White Christmas," and so far it's been... Interesting. LOL. I'll give it a review once I finish reading it.
"Doctor Kadowaki, please report to the Quad immediately."
Lasoria stirred in her bed, her once smooth hair now mussed up and tousled.
"I repeat..."
Her eyelids fluttered, but they did not open. However, she was beginning to rouse from her sleep, and she slowly turned herself onto her back and sighed, her eyes still closed.
"Doctor Kadowaki, to the Quad immediately."
Her eyes shot open as she heard the announcement from the intercom just above her bed. Her sight was met by the bright sunshine that filtered through the blinds in long, dusty rays that painted yellow lines upon the tiles of the floor. The clothes she had worn yesterday had been tossed to the top left corner of the room from the door, accompanied by a pair of black combat boots. Beside the head end of her bed was a tiny nightstand with a lamp, a telephone, and an alarm clock that displayed 9:46 in bright blue digits. At the foot of her bed was a small dresser with an average-sized black suitcase lain atop of it. A larger suitcase sat on the floor before the dresser alongside a smaller suitcase and a leather travelbag. If she were to live here, she wasn't to pack lightly.
Slender fingers rubbed at her eyes, and after staring at the alarm clock for a few seconds, she forced herself from the bed and slowly walked to her suitcase to find something to wear. She pulled the zipper tag down the side of the largest suitcase, but she had much difficulty when the zipper caught itself when she only had the suitcase open halfway.
"No, not again," she muttered, yanking at the zipper. A sudden tap to the shoulder gave her self-defense reflexes a kick, and she spun around in an instant, her fists drawn up before her chest. She quickly eased and let down her guard as she saw a somewhat short (compared to her height, anyway) girl with blonde, shoulder-length hair. She had a somewhat round face covered in freckles that seemed to attack her cheeks, and a sea of dark freckles ran up and down the lengths of her bare arms. She was wearing mint green pajama bottoms and a white shirt with short yellow sleeves.
"Hey, don't be so uptight. I'm Chasen," she said, giving a bright smile.
'I don't remember seeing her an--... What is she doing in here? Oh!'
"You're my roommate? I didn't hear you come in," Lasoria said, casually placing her hands on her hips. 'What the hell did she do, sneak in here at 3 am?'
"I came in a few hours ago. Mom thought I should be here early or something," she said, rolling her eyes, "and I decided I'd try to catch a nap, but I couldn't get to sleep. I wanted you to wake up so bad!"
Lasoria simply glanced at her for a moment, and then slowly, as if she were testing whether or not to speak, she asked, "Why?"
"Oh, you know... Wanted to meet my roommate and all, seeing that I'm, y'know, gonna be with you for awhile," she said, flashing another smile. "I'm gonna go get dressed, and then I'm gonna go catch some breakfast. Wanna come?"
Her hands left her hips, and she nodded, slowly at first, but then quicker when she was sure of her decision. "Sure, I guess. Was just getting dressed myself, actually... But the damn zipper got caught again." She turned and gave a small kick to the suitcase that lay half-open on the floor. Chasen shrugged.
"I'd be no help. I can't open anything worth a flying crap. Okay, gotta get dressed." She promptly left Lasoria's room, and Lasoria gave her suitcase a hard kick. It was always giving her trouble.
'So my roommate is friendly. And bubbly...'
Lasoria stared at her suitcase for a moment in half-conscious thought.
'...Too bubbly.'
She tugged at the zipper, and it finally escaped the snag. Lasoria opened the suitcase all the way and began to rummage through the contents.
'Maybe if I poke her, she'll pop.'
Lasoria smiled, laughing inwardly as she pulled a plain white sleeveless shirt from the suitcase. She inspected the front, making sure that it wasn't the shirt with the ugly yellow stain. It wasn't, so she tossed it to her bed.
After a short time, Lasoria had donned a pair of black-and-white camouflage cargos, a black belt, the white shirt, and her combat boots. Her pants had been stuffed into her boots, causing them to give a slight "poof" at the bottom. She had contemplated whether or not to wear her leather gloves, and after a few moments of pondering, she pulled them out of her smallest suitcase and slipped them over her hands. They were like thick leather gloves with the fingertips cut off. They were simple weapons, but along with her fists and other martial art skills, they could be lethal.
Lasoria knew that the cafeteria didn't allow weapons, but they were just gloves. She could deal just as much damage without them, so why did it matter whether or not she had them there? She figured she'd try testing the cafeteria ladies' authority by wearing them inside the cafeteria.
"Ready to go?" Lasoria heard. She emerged from her room to find Chasen leaning against the wall in her cadet uniform.
'The hell?'
"...It's the weekend, and you're in your uniform," Lasoria said. Her eyebrow twitched.
"I know," she said, pulling up her stockings, "but I want to get used to wearing it."
"Hnn..." Lasoria just nodded, her brow fully arched over her eye. She wasn't too sure if she was going to enjoy sharing a dormitory with Chasen, but she may have just caught wind of a bad impression.
"Okay," Lasoria said, patting her pocket that was full of gil. "Let's go."
"Ohh, let me do it. These panel things are sooo cool!" Chasen hurried over to the panel beside the door and pushed a few buttons. The door flew open, just like the classroom doors. Lasoria rolled her eyes behind Chasen's back.
'Big, red, shiny button... Yeah, that's her.'
She followed Chasen out the doorway, and, quite hastily, the door shut itself. A soft "beep" meant that it had been locked.
"Oh, no! I left my ID on my bed!" Chasen cried, covering her mouth with her hands. Lasoria sighed and quickly withdrew her Student ID card from her left pocket. She inserted it into the panel, entered her Student ID number, and the door beeped and opened.
"Oh, Hyne. Thanks," Chasen said, hurrying into their dorm. She was out after a few seconds, holding her new, shiny Student ID.
"Anything else?" Lasoria asked, her finger dawdling at the close and lock buttons. She was beginning to become annoyed with this girl. Chasen shook her head, so she pressed the buttons. The door shut itself and beeped, just like before.
"Sorry, I'm a blondie," Chasen said, pocketing her ID. Both of them began to walk down the long hall. They were silent for some time. Out of the corner of her eye, Lasoria caught Chasen giving her occasional glances, but she didn't return them. An awkward silence. Lasoria hated it.
"Where are you from?" Chasen asked. It was as if she had read Lasoria's mind. Perhaps Chasen didn't like long, awkward silences, either.
"FH."
"Oh. Never been there. Ever been to Deling City?" Chasen gave her a sidelong glance.
"Once, I think. You from there?"
"Yep."
Just then, Lasoria noticed that she had forgotten to brush her hair. Hastily, she ran her fingers through it, hoping to make it look at least half-decent. She didn't want to go around looking like a heathen. Chasen nudged her in the arm with a small brush and a hair tie.
"Um, thanks," Lasoria said, taking the brush. She stretched the hair band over her wrist and quickly ran the brush through her hair. She handed it back to Chasen and put her hair back in a tight ponytail. It was a bit messy, but it would do.
"I always have my brush and my ties with me," Chasen explained, stuffing them into her bulging pocket. They came upon the main hall and turned to the right. They walked past two fountains and then turned to the right and walked along the red path to the cafeteria.
"Do they have good food here?"
"I guess," Lasoria said, shrugging. "I've been here ever since I was five, so I'm used to it."
"But is there a lot to choose from?"
"Of course."
They came upon the counter. Lasoria delved out 35 gil and placed it on the counter.
"Just a carton of milk and a chocolate-chip muffin, please," she said. The cafeteria lady placed a small carton and a muffin wrapped in plastic on the counter.
"Thanks. Hey, Chasen..."
"Hmm, what?" She tore her eyes from the menu.
"I'm gonna go to the Training Center. See you later."
"I, well..." She glanced toward the tables. "Okay, 'bye."
Lasoria waved and stuffed the muffin in one pocket, the milk carton in the other, and set off for the Training Center.
-cough- Hope that didn't suck. Read and review, eh? XD