down the drain ! {damen} //done!

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 0:04:06 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 17, 2010 0:04:06 GMT -5

Hulking, cavernous, and brimming with both machines and people, the factory had never seemed so empty to Katie Morven. The people around her were blurs - holograms, perhaps? - strange shapes and sounds that her brain seemed to have edited out of the part of her thoughts which processed surroundings. She heard the whir of the many machines in the vast main-room and smiled slightly to herself, comforted by the rhythm. Something in the back of her mind tugged at her logic, that it was wrong that the machines were whirring when they should have been banging, thudding, and goodness-knows-what-else-ing, but Katie couldn't bring herself to mind too much. With a wrench clutched in one hand and a note in the other, the only thing she needed to focus on was the clapping of her thin shoes against the grey floor. After all, her footsteps were usually drowned out in the enormous, loud shower factory, and she liked the sound they made against the worn-smooth concrete.
For the umpteenth time, she mentally reviewed the contents of The Note: Go out the main-room, down the center hallway, into the third door on the right. Bring a wrench; further instructions will be provided once you arrive. You and another specially selected worker will be working on the button-panels for Capitol showers. Good luck.
With an uncomfortable shock, the girl realized the quite-obvious reason that the factory noises were muted: she'd already, by will of her limbs and not her mind apparently, entered the center hallway. Third door on the right... A few forward steps took her to this door, an unmarked one with a simple black knob for a handle. Tentatively, as though it could shock or burn her - and honestly, working in an electronics factory, most things could shock or burn you - she stretched her fingers toward the handle. Gently, Katie turned it, laying her left palm against the door to push it open. So far, the room was empty of people, though many pieces of manufacturing equipment - some familiar, some not - were in organized positions on the far side of the room. The center, gray as everything else, had been cleared for use as a workspace. Walls to Katie's left and right, each about thirty feet away, were lined with tables for the more delicate creations.
Feeling the expected discomfort at being the first person in the room, Katie walked with tense steps to the center of the floor and turned to face the door through which she had entered. She shoved the note, soft and pliable from being crumpled and flattened several times - into her pocket, clutched the wrench which rested in the other pocket, and settled her weight on one leg so that she could slouch slightly. The girl expelled a long breath through her nose and allowed her eyes to glaze; the relaxed posture, though belying her undercurrent of curiosity and agitation, at least allowed her the illusion of calm and collected.

Last Edit: Jan 27, 2011 16:32:50 GMT -5 by phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 0:16:19 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 17, 2010 0:16:19 GMT -5

It wasn't like me to be late. I was supposed to always be on time. After all, today was the start of a new project. I wanted to impress my boss, not worry him. I picked up my coat, and I swung it around my shoulders. The coats were made of a thick material. They were supposed to protect you from any harm. I found the room I was supposed to be in, and I push the door open slowly. I see her before she sees me. I finish opening the door, and then I step into the room.
"Hello. My name is Gage. Gage Cooper." I say, fixing my glasses. My voice betrayed my looks. I was slim and weak, yet my voice was deeper. Deep like something that would come out of a real man. I shook the thoughts away, and then I look up towards the girl. My gaze flutters over to the tables quickly. The array of tools attracts my attention. I walk over to it quietly, and I pick up a small wrench. I twist it around my fingers, and then set it back down.
"So. You are Ms. Morven, correct?" I mutter as I turn to face her. I get my first real look at her. She isn't the most beautiful thing I've seen, but she's high up there. Although, I never really have met any people that are real beauties. I don't meet many people at all. She looks up and meets eyes with me, so I look away. I turn around to fiddle with the tools again.

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 0:45:11 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 17, 2010 0:45:11 GMT -5

Snapped out of her stupor, you could say. After all, Katie didn't even hear - much less see - the door open, despite the fact that it was right in front of her; so she was a bit startled when a deep voice reached her. She blinked once, eyes widening slightly at the sight of a boy - man? - who couldn't have been younger than Katie herself, but who certainly was not as old as his voice. He was the typical District Three type, lanky and slim with glasses; yet he seemed slightly off, or different - the girl couldn't put her finger on it, perhaps something about his brooding face or the way his eyes flitted from one object to the next. The boy - Gage Cooper? It wasn't familiar at all, though Katie couldn't claim she had a good memory for names - seemed on edge, twitchy almost. His voice, she realized, was similar; though deep, it was sharp and formal, definitely not at ease. The girl mentally shrugged: who was she to pass judgement when she herself felt so anxious here in this large room?
His speaking resumed, verifying her name. How did he know it? She glanced down uneasily at the small nametag fastened to her stiff labcoat and couldn't suppress a blush; it was pinned several inches below her collarbone, on the left side. She immediately dismissed this momentary discomfort. A raspy, cruel voice whispered from the back of her head: Well girl, are you just going to stand there like an idiot? Or have you any ability to interact with human beings in a normal manner? Half because she wanted to drown out the voice as it whispered the word freak, and half because it was correct, she spoke in reply. Her mouth formed its usual smile as her voice made itself useful. "Morven, yes - yeah. Ka- I mean, but you can call me Katie. If you want." Though her eyes had been in their usual averted state, she brought them up out of curiosity and made contact with the boy's. They were brown, like hers, but deeper and darker in a way. He immediately looked away, an action that made Katie uncomfortable. She was just making things more awkward.
Say something, girl! the voice-in-her-head screeched, laughing harshly at the teenager's discomfort.
"So, um...Someone - is someone coming here to tell us what to do? We're making buttons for the Capitol showers, right?" A thought came to her mind, and this time she didn't hesitate to voice it: any talk was better than nothing. "I guess it's good that these are being handmade. They can only use the best quality for Capitol equipment, and you just can't get that from a machine sometimes..." She forced out a small laugh, a smooth cadenced sound which was a bit higher than her speaking voice.
To be friendly, she also casually walked over to where he was standing at the wall; she was about six feet away from the boy, and she mimicked his gesture of examining the various tools which had been hung up there.

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 6:36:04 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 17, 2010 6:36:04 GMT -5

What was she doing? I didn't want to waste precious working time chatting things up with her. She was just my co-worker, not my friend.
"Yes Ms. Mor- Katie sorry. Humans are always able to process things with opinions. Robots or machines can only process, and not analyze. Now, can we get a start on this? I can get a start on the motherboard, if you can start working on the user interface." I explain, and I pick up a few small tools from the rack. I walk over towards an empty desk, and I pull out all the materials I need. I can hear Ms. Mor-Katie shuffling around behind me. I let my mind drift off as I fiddle around with the parts.

OOC: Sorry for the shorter post :/ Had to get this off my mind

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 10:12:39 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 17, 2010 10:12:39 GMT -5

Katie's eyes narrowed slightly in puzzlement and fell back to the floor. She took a moment to examine her hands, speckled with small burns that flashed when caught by the harsh light of the fluorescent lamps on the low ceiling. They reminded her that it was time to work, just as the boy's words were doing the same. His first sentence was a perfunctory line that she'd heard from many a manager, explaining the reason that much factory work was done by hand rather than by machine. Katie knew all of that; clearly, Gage was more than a little impatient, and as a result was viewing her more as a silly girl than an experienced worker. She found herself a little upset and her mind immediately tried to comfort her, telling the girl that it wasn't her fault, she was just being friendly and making small talk. She shook her head slightly. User interface. Yes, that was good. She nodded, though his back was already turned, and dragged over to where the supplies waited for her. She took one of the many empty button panels - a rectangle of pure silver with many circular holes arranged in a grid pattern - as well as a bag of buttons, each pre-labeled with its function in the shower, and a few rolls of wire. Katie set these things on an empty table and began to work, twisting wires and attaching buttons. It calmed her, the confusing rhythm of the work, and within a few minutes she had relaxed. This brought her some optimism, and without thinking about it, she was making conversation again. "So, have you worked here a long time?" It struck her as a bit of a random question, so she clarified. "I just got moved here a couple weeks ago. I was at a light-switch factory before." She thought of adding something about how the showers were more exciting to her (though she'd never tell the important part, about how making showers made her feel alive and happy), but decided against it. After all, she shouldn't overwhelm the boy with small-talk. She smiled and turned back to the interface panel, her pliers assertively twisting the wires into exactly what she wanted them to be. Why couldn't people be more like wires? Katie smiled again, more to herself this time, and glanced at the scars on her hands.
Because wires burn sometimes, a small voice in her head replied.

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 10:32:56 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 17, 2010 10:32:56 GMT -5

Small talk. The one thing I seem to hate.
"I'm new here. I worked in the factory near the Justice Building. The phone factory." I mutter. I glance towards Katie, and then I look back at the mix of wires on the table in front of me. I've already finished it. I knew it would be easy. I do this for fun. My fingers wrap around the rectangular shaped motherboard, and I carry it over to Katie.
"I'm all done." I exclaim, and I place the motherboard near the button plate.
"Listen. I've been rude. I just like to get the job done before I decide to relax. I'm Gage Cooper." I smile, and I can see her eyes flutter away from my gaze. Was it my smile? The small reaction ignites a spark in me. I want to learn more about this girl. I want to be more social. I want to drop the books and gadgets to just talk.

Who am I?!

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 11:52:13 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 17, 2010 11:52:13 GMT -5

ooc; Lolz. Also, just wanted to say thanks for not powerplaying ^^ You're a good writer; length will come with time. I used to really struggle to hit 2-300 words. This'll hopefully be a shorter post 'cause I gotta go now.

Smiling a bit more now, Katie turned and rested her elbows on the table behind her, leaning on them casually. She thought about the phone factory. She hadn't heard much about it, but phones were few and far between in most Districts, so it was probably the only factory of its kind. It must have taught him well, because he was finished with the motherboard in next to no time. Surprised, the girl stumbled slightly as she took weight off her elbows and delicately took the motherboard from Gage, setting it on the table behind her.
Suddenly her eyebrows creased as he spoke again. An apology?
Oh.
Feeling strangely guilty about faulting him for his earlier introversion, she allowed her eyes to flicker away before forcing them back to his. Be social, Katie. Be a normal person.
He smiled and repeated his name. At first she felt a bit of apprehension: hadn't he told her his name earlier? Did he have a memory-loss problem or something of the sort? She dismissed the thought; it was hardly applicable to this situation. Following Gage's lead, she stuck out her hand and grinned tentatively. "I'm Katie Morven."
His earlier abrasiveness was forgiven and forgotten in typical Katie fashion. She wiped prior impressions of him from her mind. A fresh start.
Katie half-turned to the motherboard and the interface and hurriedly screwed the last few buttons onto the latter, embarrassed that he had finished before her. "Do you think you could help me attach these two? Your speedy wiring skills have ousted my own, but I need to get these buttons hooked to the motherboard." Katie blushed slightly through a faded smile, her poor attempts at humor hanging awkwardly in the air. There was low probability that he would actually find her funny, after all. A topic idea came to mind, and she spoke, happy to change the subject a little.
"Do you go to school here? Or do you work full-time?"

Last Edit: Aug 17, 2010 11:58:14 GMT -5 by phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 17, 2010 12:19:09 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 17, 2010 12:19:09 GMT -5

Gage Cooper

"Of course I'll help." I smile, and catch her looking at me weird.
Did I do anything wrong? I ask myself. I know I didn't, so I dismiss the thought. I pickup the motherboard, and I flip the button panel over. Multicolored wires are hanging out the back. I grab hold of a soldering iron, and I easily match the colored wires together. With a few clicks of the soldering iron trigger, the wiring covers melt together, forming the connection to get it to work.
"Do you go to school here? Or do you work full-time?" Katie asks, and I smile.
"I have already finished school." I laugh. Her eyes open in shock.
"I skipped a few grades." I laugh again, and then focus on my task again. Once I finish the final connection, I hear a loud rapping at the door.
"It's unlocked!" I yell, and the door opens. A few men push in a dolly holding the actual shower. They drop it near the other end of the room, and then leave the room with a wave.
"Alright, here comes the hard part." I laugh. I pickup the button panel with the motherboard, and I carry it over to the shell of the shower. I fit it into the assigned slot.
"Now. We need to connect all the different functions to each button. We can easily connect the main water source to it's designated button. If we make a mistake, we can't go back." I smile and laugh again. I take hold of the wire coming out of the shower head, and I connect it to it's designated button.
"Like so." I laugh again. This isn't like me, to be laughing and smiling. Katie laughs as well, and she takes a step towards the shower. I pick up a piece of paper that's taped to the bottom of the shower.
"Follow this guide, we should have it done in no time." I smile again, and that makes Katie look away again. I pick up a box that has all of the parts, and I split them between Katie and I.
"Ready to do some damage." I laugh louder this time, and then I throw my attention at the project.

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 19, 2010 19:45:26 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 19, 2010 19:45:26 GMT -5

Of course he'll help? Katie ran the thought through her mind several times and it still didn't make sense. She stared mistrustfully at his eyes, trying to tell if something was going on. Finding nothing there that she could interpret, her eyes moved over his face. For an instant, she saw an emotion - confusion, as far as Katie could tell - and immediately the shoots of fear in her chest began to recede. The girl had never been able to understand people whose personalities changed on a dime, and as such the boy's sudden overture of friendliness made her wary. However, if he himself was confused at his own actions, that was a different story. She nodded very slightly to herself; the teen could certainly identify with random moments of abnormal actions, as she had had many of them. Her eyes drifted to the motherboard and the interface, which were now fused together. Blinking, she listened to his next words. Finished school? Her eyes widened as if in amazement, but the true reason was (as usual) more confusion-driven. Even if he had skipped a few grades, it was rare enough for boys in District Three to finish school, much less finish it faster than necessary...
A few men walked in with a shower, dropped it off, then left. Katie watched with glazed eyes. Something in her felt wrong, though she couldn't pinpoint it. Perhaps it was that she wasn't doing work at the moment and that bothered her. Katie zoned out for a minute, staring in a bewildered sort of way at Gage. Just go with it. With effort, she erased her facial expression, leaving a blank look (though the distance was still in her clouded eyes). He laughed, and she joined in automatically, though it was a hollow sound which was flung from her mouth. Katie's body was growing agitated from the lack of movement, so to placate herself she stepped cautiously toward the shower. The boy said something else about finishing the shower, and Katie looked away uncomfortably. Why was he like this all of a sudden? So friendly and chipper? It didn't click in the girl's mind, and that made her muscles tight and her face hard. When he handed her some tools, followed by another line and yet another laugh, some instinct in her mind took hold. Run away run away run far far away run away-
Despite managing this flight-response for several seconds, Katie wasn't strong enough to refuse her brain for long.
"You don't - you don't really need two people to do this." Her voice sounded cracked and rough. The girl cleared her throat, and though her next words were smoother, they were hardly above a whisper.
"I'm going to go start working on the next one."

ooc; Oh god sorry. Katie's taking control and she is freakin out. D:

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 20, 2010 0:46:20 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 20, 2010 0:46:20 GMT -5

"I'm going to go start working on the next one."
I was trying to be friendly. Something she was originally trying to do. And now she was just trying to get away from me.
"Fine."
I mutter, and I connect a red wire to it's matching one. I tried to be friendly. I tried to participate in the friendly charade she was starting and I'm just rewarded with no talking at all. Sometimes I wish that I was just made to focus on social things. Yeah, I was glad that I was intelligent, but maybe it would prevent me from having so much confusing and awkward moments. It would prevent me from thinking that maybe I could be nice, and maybe I could get a friend in the process. I was obviously wrong. I sneak a quick glance over my shoulder. She's working. Working to ignore me probably. I couldn't understand why I broke out of my shell either. Why I tried to talk to her. I couldn't understand why I smiled when she smiled at me. Was that what it felt like to want a friend?

I could tell this was going to be a long week.

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 22, 2010 0:59:52 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 22, 2010 0:59:52 GMT -5

Fine. Strangely enough, the curt word made Katie feel immensely...happy? No, not happy exactly. More like relieved. Gage was back to his former distant, introverted self. His sudden 180-degree personality change had certainly put the girl's mind on red-alert, but now the tension left her body as she fiddled with the next button-panel. How many of these was she supposed to make today? Katie didn't know, but that was fine. The day was young and all was as it was supposed to be. She smiled softly to herself, reveling in the silence as a bird revels in the open sky. Silence to Katie was open, free. Speech constrained her, tied her to her own inabilities to communicate properly. But in a quiet room like this, with the clink of metal on metal and a screwdriver in hand, it was easy for the teenager to calm her mind.
Yet a chord of dissonance sounded in her thoughts. Here she was, dwelling in silent bliss, while just behind her was a person who she'd distanced from herself. Was Katie really that type of person, putting her own comfort ahead of another person's cheer? She didn't want to think that she was. It was wrong, this state of clashing moods. The girl thought back to all the times people had hurt her, made her feel awkward. What would she have wanted in that situation?
An apology. Or an attempt at remedying the situation, at least. Some sort of offer of friendliness.
With only a slight hesitation, she carefully set down the interface and turned around, screwdriver still clutched awkwardly in her left hand. She took an awkward half-step forward, opened her mouth, and closed it. Come on. You're only delaying any good you could do for this boy.
"Gage?..."
An awkward pause filled the air, not like the plush silence she'd sunk into before.
"Um, look- I'm sorry I sort of br- sort of was rude to you earlier, I didn't mea- I mean, I just, I don't really know what came over me..." What was she even saying? Katie had no idea. The words were just tumbling forth, with little meaning. Say something, she thought. Say something of consequence.
"...Anyway, I know I kind of messed that up, sorry - but if we're going to be working together for a little while we should be friends, right? I mean, not like good friends or whatever, if you don't wa- I just, it'll be easier if we're at least acquaintances."
The next sentence had no rhyme or reason; totally unplanned, and regretted the moment it spilled out.
"Let's- Do you want to go for coffee or something during lunch break? I think that's in a few minutes..."
Possessed by the desire to slap her forehead with her open palm, Katie managed to resist the urge but still stood, tense. Her eyes were wide and her pinned-back hair had already begun to fall towards her eyes in the last half-hour or so. Still, she couldn't change her words. And she didn't even know if she wanted to.

ooc; Ah, finally! Little Katie has decided to stop being antisocial. xD ~~Or has she?~~

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 23, 2010 0:11:05 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 23, 2010 0:11:05 GMT -5

"Let's- Do you want to go for coffee or something during lunch break? I think that's in a few minutes..."

The words echo in my mind. It just doesn't sound right. A girl, who is very attractive, is asking me, the loser who can never make friends, to go out with her for lunch. The words girl, asked me and go out just don't fit together. At least I had an excuse to be standing there like a complete moron. I get my first true look at her now, when my eyes float up to her eyes. She is very attractive, definately something new for me. I look down towards the ground, to avoid her gaze.

"Uh. Sure- I mean, I guess- I'd l-love to." I stutter, and then clear my throat. My feet carry me to the door. My hand moves towards the doorknob. Everything seems to be going slower. I open the door, and hold it out. Katie shuffles out the door, and then pauses in the hallway. I step out, and close the wooden door. I remove the key from my pocket, and I lock the door. I feel a shiver run down my spine. My body turns towards Katie, and I smile. We walk forward, down the hall towards the exit. There's a short gap between us. A gap that cannot be passed. To be honest, I can't help but feel fear. I'm afraid of the consequences that will be delivered if I get any closer. We head out the door, and I point towards the coffee shop across the street. I step off the stairs, and walk across the street. When the door opens, a small bell clings. I smell coffee immediately. This brings me back into complete focus. I look down towards Katie. I'm actually spending my lunch with a girl, alone. My heart starts racing. It's courage. I take a small step closer to Katie. My heart speeds up more.

I like the feeling.

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 23, 2010 1:48:23 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Aug 23, 2010 1:48:23 GMT -5

Jealousy. Just a flash of it, one that wasn't truly related to the boy whose eyes she was staring at insistently. After all, the envy she felt wasn't directed; it was just a broad envious feeling toward all people who could hide their emotions on their face. Katie knew full well the way her face betrayed her every thought; why couldn't she just master the mask, like Gage and so many others? It was mildly frustrating to the girl; however, it was also interesting. It was like a puzzle, a game almost. Trying to determine what Gage was feeling at a given time. Despite her efforts, Katie couldn't see it in his eyes. She liked that. He was lucky. Even when the boy's eyes actually met hers for a second, she still couldn't tell what it meant. Were they widened? She wasn't sure. It was if Gage were astonished. Katie berated herself; it was clear why she could never trust herself to determine other people's feelings. Yet it was a code that she wished to crack. They were so dark, so impossibly difficult for her to read, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that it was merely a dark mask, concealing truth underneath. Katie's own eyes, though she had little knowledge of it, were also dark: but in her case, the dark came from inside herself.
Suddenly, his voice gave away what his eyes didn't. He was...bashful? Katie's eyebrows contracted automatically, bespeaking her confusion. She ran through ideas in her mind, hurriedly struggling to come up with an explanation that would fit the boy's embarrassed stutter. She thought about the phrase 'I'd love to' and something clicked. Gage had thought that Katie was asking him on a date of some sort.
Of course, this was just a theory, and the girl had no way to know if it was correct. Yet still she worried. Was she sending mixed signals? Her original intention had been to make sure he didn't loathe her for the rude way she'd treated him. Yet she had ended up going overboard with friendly overtures, and here was what happened...
But, thought Katie, would that be so bad? If he thought we were going out for lunch as more of a date? It might be...but it might not. Her thoughts were garbled and they helped her very little. So, resisting the urge to shrug, Katie abandoned her pessimistic worries, smiled, and allowed Gage to hold the door for her. Her footsteps dragged quietly against the floor as the girl entered the hallway, then turned to wait for Gage as he locked the door. In return, she was rewarded with a smile. Katie smiled back. It was an instinctive gesture, one she'd completed many times without truly meaning it. This time, however, it felt real. She felt happy.

The air was muggy and thick with muted noise. Gage and Katie stepped outside and down the stairs. Luckily, there was little traffic so they were able to cross the street without incident. A cheerful tinkling bell accompanied the opening of the door and the two teenagers stepped inside.
Katie immediately smiled - grinned, really; the spot of happiness in her mind was infectious, spreading quickly and enveloping her like the bustling noises and exotic aromas of the coffee shop. The girl took in a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Gage was stepping a little closer to her. Katie's eyes widened and hopeful - why were they hopeful? More like ridiculous - thoughts rushed into her mind. Oh. He's stepping toward me. Maybe he likes me. Maybe he's actually enjoying himself. Is he trying to get closer or just taking a random step? and just like that, the thoughts broke off with the realization that he was most likely just shifting his weight or something. Katie's eyebrows contracted, a small crease in-between. She bit her lip for a moment as her internal monologue began to berate her silly mind for jumping to outlandish conclusions. You're just a desperate attention whore, something whispered far within her mind.
Yet for once, Katie fought that whisper.
She was too happy, to hopeful. Sure, her mind occasionally assumed strange things about people's actions. But that didn't mean she had to let go of her good mood and the fact that she was actually making friends with a co-worker.
They were next in line, and on the spur of the moment she decided to try a little experiment of sorts. While stepping toward the cash-register, Katie allowed her arm to brush against Gage's very lightly. Normally she avoided that kind of contact because of the awkward tension that filled her mind afterward, but something about the comfort of the coffee shop instilled in her a rare emotion: courageous impulsiveness.
Katie smiled as she ordered a decaf coffee and stood contentedly to the side as Gage made his order. This way, she was free to observe the results - or lack thereof - of her odd experiment and make of them what she could.

ooc; Done. ^^

Last Edit: Aug 23, 2010 22:39:34 GMT -5 by phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Aug 26, 2010 21:05:55 GMT -5

Post by ∂αмєη on Aug 26, 2010 21:05:55 GMT -5

Her arm brushes against me, and I freeze on the spot. A strong electricity runs down my spine, and roots me to the ground. I clench my jaw, and slide forward, using all my strength to move forward. I put my elbows on the counter, and place my chin comfortably in my hands. The strong smell of coffee fills my nose, and I can't help but smile. Might as well take advantage of my sudden good mood. I take off my glasses, and place them in the pocket on the lab coat chest. I rub my eyes, and things come in focus. I never really needed glasses that badly. They were mainly for reading, but it became so common for me to read that I just wear them all the time. I run my hand through my hair, and mess it up slightly. I try to look as comfortable as possible, to cover up the immense confusion filling up inside of me. First Katie is friendly, then she ignores me. Then she asks to go for coffee, and stays quiet. Finally, she goes out of her way to brush up against my arm. She had to have wanted to do that. Nobody was around. There was no point to her coming closer. I clear my throat, and look up at the man waiting for our orders.
"I'll have a hot chocolate please."
"And for you?" The man at the desk asks Katie.

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts

phunke

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down the drain ! {damen} //done! Sept 5, 2010 0:49:20 GMT -5

Post by phunke on Sept 5, 2010 0:49:20 GMT -5

Katie was surprised, which was surprising. Not that she was never surprised - because she was, at times (none of which came to her mind at that moment). But this surprised feeling was particularly surprising because her own actions had brought it on. After all, it had been her choice to randomly brush by her new co-worker. It had been a planned action, plotted even. Something devised to sate her fickle imagination. Experiments were controlled, made to be observed in an objective fashion. So why was her arm cold as ice? Not her entire right arm, really, but just the surface, on the outside of the upper-arm - the part that had made contact with Gage. It was disconcerting, really. Disappointing, in a way, as well. Couldn't she just be apathetic for once? She didn't just want to be a light, she wanted to be a light switch, the kind that turns off every now and then. But no. Her skin was betraying her now, mocking her pathetic attempts at what should have been a vaguely amusing experiment.
Confused now more than before - Wasn't the brushing of the arm supposed to reveal a reaction in him, not in myself? Wasn't it supposed to make things clearer? What am I even doing? - she watched through hazy eyes as the boy sauntered forward and relaxed onto the counter. Her gaze had just resumed its familiar route up to his eyes when she realized he was taking his glasses off.
Katie's second reaction was deja vu. The first had been surprise.
She blinked several times and unknowingly began the battle against her common sense.
Oh wow, without his glasses he's really kind of-
Stop it, stop it now, you idiotic, shallow, demented little-
Wow-
No - do not feel this right now, do not do not do not, you stupid creature, have you never learned? Why is this so difficult for your tiny little mind, moronic gir-
Oh, he just messed up his hair, okay, wow-
NO.

And that was that. Feeling hurt and empty, Katie cringed at vague recollections of a few moments ago, when she had wished for apathy. Well, now she had it. It was awful for her, she who thrived on feeling. Bewilderment took possession of her features and she felt as though the world was a silent vacuum.
When addressed by the man at the ordering counter, she turned her head wearily. She may have recognized him; Katie had visited this coffee shop once or twice. It was of little importance, though. Automatically her lips moved to form words of no significance, though they still stumbled awkwardly when sound began to come out.
"I'll um, I'll uh-" It was too rough, her voice. Lower than usual and not flat like she wanted; far too...confused-sounding. It was of great importance that she not look like a silly child, especially not in front of Gage. No. It didn't matter.
She cleared her throat and smiled, lips eagerly assuming the much-used position.
"I'll just have a coffee. Shot of caramel, please."

Now that both of them had ordered, they only had to walk a few feet over to a different part of the counter, where both drinks awaited. Katie wondered what Gage's drink was; she had heard his voice forming the words of the order, but hadn't processed the specific meanings of the syllables. She instinctively reached into her pockets but found them empty, hands brushing uncomfortably against the stiff white fabric of her lab-coat. They felt warm, too warm. It struck Katie as fascinating (for whatever reason) that Gage also had his lab-coat, and it now held his glasses. No. She mentally formed a barrier against nearing that train of thought again.
"Dam- um, darn, I just realized I don't have any money - god, I can't believe - sorry, Gage."
She frowned uncomfortably, a blush evident on her cheeks. Hesitantly, Katie allowed her eyes to retrace their path up to his, and suddenly she smiled. It was rather funny to the girl in that moment that here they were in this stupid coffee shop that she'd wanted to go to, wearing their lab coats ~~and no glasses~~ and she'd forgotten to even bring money.
Deciding to adopt the lighthearted angle of this, she raised her eyes with her eyebrows and smiled shyly as she addressed him once more.
"Kind of funny that we're still wearing our lab-coats, isn't it? I mean, I didn't even realize."
She smiled and a chuckle vibrated in her throat. Her eyes fell to the floor and she shifted weight onto her right leg, both hands in pockets now. The girl's lips twisted up in irony she wasn't sure he would recognize or take humor from. The words came out anyway.
"We're so cool."
Yet again, her eyes dared to dart upwards and at last her smile widened into something full of genuine pleasure. It was strange, how happy she was able to feel. Hadn't she just engaged in a battle with herself? Well, it's not like that's unusual. Plus, she genuinely enjoyed being in Gage's presence - something about his reclusive nature made her feel he was a kindred spirit - and she had to use her full charm if she was to win this friendship. A friendship would be nice. Yet still, this ease of being around him was unfamiliar to her. Surprising, even.

ooc; I powerplayed him a bit when they got their drinks. Sorry :/
And sorry it was so overdue! I hope the length kind of makes up for that. :]

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