Frog Hearts [Darkened Knight &Cosmic]

[Cosmic]

"He speaks Japanese, and fluently, so you should have no problems there. Of course there are probably going to be basic manners and things that he will forget but that's why I chose you to welcome him. He seems like he could use help from someone with a big heart like yours."

"What you really mean, is that you are too lazy to do it, so you are making me."

"Mima! Don't be so rude...it's not that I'm lazy but it's my last year and they had to make me the president of the student body and--"

"And you are busy. Really Kaede. I'm teasing. Go to class. I can pick him up. "

"I'll buy you lunch as a thank you." The older girl embraced her friend before turning left and walking down another hall. sighed. Ever since her best friend got elected as the student body president it had been meeting after meeting, and left the little social life she had to be more or less shattered by the constant work. Between helping transfer students, planning events, organizing after school help, and tutoring, Kaede was more or less exhausted by the end of the day. Welcoming one student was the least she could do for her friend.

Mima Oyamada smoothed out the wrinkles in her shirt and started walking to the office as briskly as she could. She knew she would be late for class, but Kaede would easily get her out of any trouble as far as that went. Mima wasn't the best student in school, by any means (that was more of Kaede's thing in all honesty), but she was lucky enough to enjoy good relationships with most of her teachers who--although wouldn't go easy on her--would at least take the time to set up help if she needed it. Plus her father was ALWAYS working with her as far as that went, so she had the luxury of obtaining and keeping a nice gpa without sacrificing as much as some of the other students.

Other than that, Mima was a quiet nobody, a happy middle no one seemed to notice all that much. She was pretty, but modest, and kept a reasonably low profile. It wasn't that she was shy, but rather she was just happy to be passed over and left alone. She liked to people-watch and doodle in notebooks. And in school of nearly twenty-thousand students, A girl like Mima was not all that unique enough to stand out.

She approached the office and set her bag down looking at the attendant. "Student president Mizota-san sent me to welcome the new transfer student. Is he here yet?"

 

[DarkenedKnight]

RE: Frog Hearts.

"Yeah...he's here..." the attendant looked unenthusiastic, to say the least. His dead straight hair was cropped close into a brush that he lazily massaged as he ushered his charge out the door.

Owen Philips sauntered out, his face half shielded by the low pulled hood on his head.
"Konichiwa." He snapped, not even making eye contact. His lean body was masked by the thick sweater he wore. "Before you ask, yes, I have a damn uniform, its under this." He pointed to the school arms on his zip up.
His voice was dull and uninterested, mouth was little more than a lonely slash on his face-- not that much of it could be seen.
"Names Philips, you are?" He asked, still making no eye contact.
Inspite of himself, owen eyed his guide up and down, his long stifled desired gently kindled by her exotic looks.

Why did they do this to him? Were things going too well at his old school, back in the states? Too many friends who actually gave a shit!?
Owen had never been popular, or hated, or anything really. He never had the chance, his family moved around far too much for that. The longest he ever spent anywhere was a year, the perk/curse with having a father who was the ceo of the biggest corporation nobody heard of was that the family could live anywhere. He had a private jet, so getting to work was no issue regardless of continent.

He stared determinedly down the hall and purposefully ignored just how cute his guide was. He wasn't going to be around long enough to see if there was any chemistry, so what was the point in noticing?
Still, she held a charming warmth, though he hadn't heard her speak yet, something told him that she would be one he would regret being ripped away from if he reached out.
His hands stayed firmly planted in his pants pockets, his head bowed down.

A small melancholy sigh wafted from his lips as he contemplated his new life in japan. At least the video games would be cool.

 

[Cosmic]

RE: Frog Hearts.

"Konnichiwa..." Her voice was slow as she looked him over. He had a hostile countenance, but his eyes were soft--at least what she could make of them. She nibbled her lower lips nervously as she accepted a couple packets of paper from the office attendant before turning to fully face him. She cocked her head to the side not sure how to approach the subject of his sweater. He certainly couldn't wear it at school, it violated the school dress code, but she was a bit too scared to say anything. However her good nature won out and as she passed him the student handbook and some maps, and she spoke to him directly.

"Umm. Your sweater...Anything other than the uniform shouldn't be worn, it's against the rules. If you are cold, you should have been issued a blazer with your uniform. I just don't want you to get trouble...some of the teachers here are very strict." She spoke in English, just trying to be friendly (along with trying to get some practice). The downside to speaking in English was that although her diction was well enough, except for maybe being a little exaggerated, she spoke slower and more quiet that she usually would. "I can get you one if you don't have one, it wouldn't take much. Oh!" she froze up. He asked her for her name and she completely forgot. "I'm so sorry, my name is Oyamada Mima. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said bowing.

 

[DarkenedKnight]

RE: Frog Hearts.

Owen gave a small snort as he pulled the draws on his hood tight. "Not how it worked at my last boarding school." He said in the agressive huff of men's japanese.
"As long as they sold it at the school shop and had the school arms on it, it was part of the uniform. Bought this at the school shop with my own yen and look--even got the schools coat of arms. If they want to get on my case for having school spirit, then fine."
It was bad enough that he had to put up with being torn away from the world he knew, he was not going to give up his individuality too.
He gave another derisive snort as she told him her name. She sounded so cute and cuddly, it sickened him that he couldn't interact with her the way he wanted to. Though, if he did, it would only mean heartache later, so it was no real choice. All he could do was keep away.
"The pleasure is all yours, Oyamada." He mumbled so that she would have to strain to hear his insult, he still refused to make eye contact or bow.

As transparent as his whole surly, angry, angst ridden act was, it wasn't the kind of thing that anyone could argue with or call him on. If they tried, he could always withdraw more, drop in a sidelong insult about how fake they were or how perfect their life was. People tended to leave after that.
Just like always.

Owen walked down the hall with a lazy swagger and peeked into the class rooms.
"Which one of these is my beehive?" He asked with cool dimissiveness.

 

[Cosmic]

RE: Frog Hearts.

Red hot blush sneaked across her face. She should have noticed that, why she had nearly the same exact sweater herself. Cue the sinking feeling in her stomach. "I...I am sorry." She bowed again feeling quite dumb at the fact she had missed that completely. In the back of her head she reminded herself that this guy was still being a bit of a jerk, but she tried not to think to much on it. After all, it wasn't what he was saying that was rude, but rather how he said it. Not only that be he had just moved across the country. That was enough to make anyone a bit grumpy.

"I am not the most observant. I make mistakes like that easily. Kaede, she was supposed to lead you around today--she is one of my best friends. Anyway she always thinks I'm a dope for not noticing things like that." she tried to give a big smile to hide her embarrassment, and meet his eye but she ended up adverting her eyes out of sheer embarrassment. Not only was she rambling, but she was doing so with a boy she didn't even know.

A potentially cute boy if he actually smiled.

She changed her bag from her right arm to her left, before she started walking. "In any case welcome Hibiya High School. You can ask about just anything, and I can probably give you an answer. It's big but it's friendly here so you don't have to worry. There should be at least a couple maps of the grounds there but I'm supposed to walk you to your class. Oh wait..." She gave a sweet giggle looking over his shoulder at his schedule. "You are with me! How lucky is that?!"

 

[DarkenedKnight]

RE: Frog Hearts.

"I might have guessed...." he replied with a snarl. "No need to apologize, its just how you were born."
That place was suffocating, all of those people just milling about, no familiar faces or voices. It wasn't enough that he had to change schools. It wasn't enough that there was no one who really gave a shit about him. Nobody even spoke the same goddamn language!
Owen's father knew what his friend meant to him, he just didn't care.
---
Owen's last house was a typical mansion, oak, mohagany and all. Its long spiral stairs had cherub embelishments and marble details. All of it dripped with tacky oppulence.
In spite of that, he actually grew to love that house, he hated the people who lived in it, especially his stepmother, maybe it was just the good memories and connections he made at school.
He had forgotten about the way he had been up rooted before. For the three years he lived in the McMansion, he thought he was a normal rich-kid with stuck up friends and a driver.

The only thing that ever wore him down was the loss of his mother to the gold digger named Ginger. Who he was certain his father found in some seedy Dallas strip club.
Not that it mattered where she worked before she forced his mother out, he would hate her just the same for keeping them apart.

Then suddenly, just like always, he was torn out of the life he was trying to build.

"Come down stairs! I got a surprise for you!" He called, Owen already knew the story. His step-mother had been talking about it for a goddamned week.
It was his house though, and Owen had to obey his father, so he trudged down the stairs wearing his usual plastic grin.
"Don't tell me...we are going to Japan!" He snapped as he stared at an obnoxious samurai aromor standing in the middle of the marble floored foyer.
"Awww...did Ginger spoil the surprise?"
A morbidly hateful smile swept across Owen's face as he contemplated telling a horrid lie...
'Inbetween mouthfuls of my cock....' the words reverberated in his mind, his mouth however filtered all anger out of his words and instead spouted a much more generous phrase.
"She is so exciteable...can you blame her?" He said dismissively as he drifted up the stairs.
---
His stomach turned at the thought of having to be subjected to a whole class with her. He could grow to like her, get attached.
"Just super awesome hyper lucky." He grunted, his enthusiasm was a potent as a dead cat.
"Fucking ball of fluff...." he mumbled inaudibly.
"Lead the way Oyamada-sama....." more sarcasm dripped off his words as he followed her quietly.

 

[Cosmic]

Mima bit her lip. He was certainly making this...difficult. She didn't know his history, or why he seemed so sarcastic and mean. She wasn't exactly used to things like that. Of course Kaede could be quite snarky and cynical, but rarely if ever was that directly towards Mima. And never was it something that came without at least her smiling eyes. She however refused to quit. Her mother always told her how people are upset due to a lack of kindness, and even if they seemed annoyed by it, all people secretly appreciate kindness. She giggled a little uncertainly at his "joke" letting his sarcasm have the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she was going about this all wrong. He was already at the school, there was no need to try to sell him on it.

"What do you do for fun Philips-san?" She asked conversationally. "I'm in the theatre club. A-and Kaede is into archery and kendo. We actually have a lot of clubs here. I could help you try out some things, you can come with me on Wednesday if you wanted and look around at our theatre. We have a lot of different areas you can shadow. We are like a big family there in a way!" She giggled trying to find something, anything, to cheer him up with.

The pair rounded a corner and she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear nervously. "We have art clubs, athletic clubs, hobby clubs....I think we even have a costume club here!" She chuckled warmly, "So finding people with similar interests should be easy for you. I'll help you with any paperwork if need be. Some of the...more prestigious clubs require applications and such. Well, all of them you need an application, but most of 'em really are nothing more than your name, a little bio, and why you are interested in the club." She shrugged, before meeting his eye. "Just let me know if you need help, okay?"

 

[DarkenedKnight]

"Me?" he asked with dripping sarcasm. "I just like to travel, eventually I got sick of my friends and America as a whole and said, 'Fuck it all...I going to Japan!' You know what I mean?"
His demeanor was not really getting any better, despite what he knew were Mima's well meaning efforts. He just wanted to be left alone, just like always, he was used to that. At least he thought he was.

If he was honest with himself, he could admit that he wanted to indulge himself, experience this new place and culture. It was a clean slate, he could be who he wanted, leave the past where it lay. Yet something inside him refused to let go of the instinct to separate himself, he clung to the familiar refuge of bitter lonliness.

 

[Cosmic]

Mima bristled at his language and tone before finally crumbling a little bit and backing down. Sure she wasn't going to let him win but his attitude was becoming foul enough to where she started to catch on that her attempts to make it better were just making it worse.

"O-oh" She said, her eyes fumbling down to her feet. Being passed over was something Mima was used to but directly handling rudeness and borderline hostile people was just too new for her. She gave a bow to him as they approached the door to the classroom. "Class 4-C. I can introduce you if you would like or the teacher could..." she was half mumbling, her eyes looking through the glass window of the door and catching the eye of her teacher. She didn't wait for a response before she opened the door and walked in with Owen.

"Excuse me sir, I did not mean to interrupt. I have brought the new transfer student with me. I was just giving him a quick tour and showing him his class." She bowed quietly and shot a look at Owen, her eyes slightly mischievous, feeling proud that she was able to put him on the spot like that in front of the thirty people in the room. She deliberately looked away from her teacher, not caring if he was to punish her for her tardiness or her mild interruption in his lecture.