thejadedwolf-blog

[thejadedwolf-blog]

You know what's frustrating?

When you're almost finished writing a pretty damn amazing reply and then Tumblr/your laptop fucks up and it's gone. *sigh*

...I'll get to it eventually. For now I'll just sulk or something.

#ooc #astraeahighrp

[thejadedwolf-blog]

text message from t.k.: i've got one word for you MUFFINS

Matt stared incredulously at his phone.

"That's your brilliant idea, Teeks? Muffins?" A frown enveloped his lips; his fingers hovered over the keys, about to make a sarcastic retort, when he paused to actually contemplate the merit of his suggestion. Well, cooking had always been Matt's forte, and he had yet to meet anyone who did not appreciate his skills in the kitchen when it came down to it. Baking came easy to him as well; it may not have been as forgiving as cooking was, but making sweets and the like was always popular with the fairer sex...and he could make some mean delicious, home-made muffins. Maybe it wasn't such a ridiculous idea after all.

The next morning, Matt made sure to rise up bright and early. He headed off to a room students in the cooking club were allowed to use. Flipping on the light switch, Matt noted the fridge right beside the door and proceeded to migrate around the spic and span area. There was a large table in the middle, and on each side of it were three ovens. In between the ovens were counters, with cupboards filled with supplies underneath. At the far end of the room were two sinks; he inspected everything from the contents of the pantry and refrigerator to several cupboards - the latter in which he discovered frilly aprons. Shrugging lightly, he donned one. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Besides, it wasn't like anyone was going to see him wearing it.

Matt decided he was satisfied with what he saw all in all, and wasted no time getting down to business.

There were so many types of muffins to choose from: oat, bran, rye, blueberry, apple, banana, poppy-seed, chocolate. It was difficult to just pick one, especially given he knew nothing about Machi's interests or what she even liked besides playing tennis and creating funny sandwich faces... so Matt decided on having a little variety: blueberry, because it was a classic, oat, because it was the healthiest choice, and chocolate chip, because it was extra sweet. Matt's personal favorite type of muffins were banana oat. But that was not necessarily the most popular, and besides, he wasn't doing this for himself.

No, Matt was wearing a frilly, pink apron with a cherry red bow tied messily in the back while running around the room like chicken with its head cut off and a dollop of batter on his nose for Machi. He only hoped his efforts would be appreciated and the muffins damn tasty to boot.

Once everything was complete, Matt started his walk of shame towards the cafeteria, large plate of saran-wrapped muffins in his hands. He threw open the door before him and for a moment, peered around the slowly filling cafeteria with hopeful blue eyes. Call it a hunch, but he figured she would be sitting at an unoccupied table, alone. His guess was right. Matt didn't waver, but he did ruffle a hand through his golden hair and stand still for an extra amount of time. Examining the batch of muffins he was carrying one last time, the teenager nodded to himself and then set forth on a one-track path towards the oblivious brunette.

Another shocker - she was looking through her notes while she was eating. Matt's nose wrinkled with distaste at the sight of cereal. As far as he was concerned, the stuff was as good as sugary cardboard pieces. At least she had some bacon; he always did like when a girl ate her meat.

It was now or never. Judgement was upon him. Either Machi would completely and totally ice him out, or she would...hopefully alleviate his conscious and forgive him for being a total douche by agreeing to accepting his muffins. There were only two options in this situation, two courses that could be taken, and usually Matt wasn't the type to over think things or even get so caught up and inwardly freak out. But for some reason, he felt antsy. For some indisputable, nonsensical reason, he was questioning himself and even this entire venture for forgiveness; not that it was visible on his face, no. Matt was the master of disguising his emotions, allowing his countenance to gracefully remain composed, calm, and the opposite of anxious.

His casual, silken voice interjected, and made his additional presence from behind her known, "So, is there room for one more?"

Not So Breakfast at Tiffany's

The irritating song of early morning woke up Machi from her deep slumber, the constant beeping from her alarm clock was horrid to the highest degree. Shuffling out of bed, pushing off the purple cotton sheets and dragging her exhausted body to her dresser to pull out a fresh uniform. Looking over, her roommate was still sluggishly sitting on her bed, rubbing her eyes and gave Machi a good morning mid-yawn. Machi only nodded in reply, and continued to walk into the bathroom to change out of her Mogeta pajamas and into her daily wear.

It was the same routine: get dressed, wash her face, brush her teeth, comb out long, brown hair, grab books and other necessary school items. It didn’t take long for Machi to finish, only about thirty minutes tops. And she always ended her morning ritual by standing in front of the full-length mirror that was hanging on the door of the bathroom. Pressing her hands on her uniform to remove on creases, she sighed.

“Well… this is as good as it is ever going to get.”

Breakfast at Astraea was set up like a giant buffet. Long table with trays of food were lined at one end of the cafeteria, followed with the cashier. It must have been easier for the school, having so many different breakfast options to keep everyone happy. Walking into the eatery, breakfast was always much more quiet and calm then lunch and dinner. Grabbing a plate, Machi gathered whatever she was planning on eating, and purchased the items with her checking account again.

Scanning the room, there seemed to be a lot more empty spots then there were last night during dinner. Machi guessed it was because unlike yesterday, she has arrived a little early. There had been no one to hold her down. Machi sat at the very end of a table, placing her backpack in the chair next to her and her tray in front. She didn’t pick out much, all it was was two small boxes of Mogeta-O’s, a biscuit, a few strips of bacon and a carton of milk. It was small, but it was all she needed to get her through till lunch.

Pulling out a folder from her bag, she began to scan through crumpled papers for her AP English notes. She really had nothing but time till kill while she ate, and she knew she looked stupid just sitting there, eating alone. Placing a small strip of bacon in her mouth, Machi started to look over her vocab list, to distract her. All of yesterday’s events were blocked out of her mind, and if she had a choice, it was going to stay that way.

#perfectphobe #Come on Machi #Say yes #PEER PRESSURE #And muffins

[thejadedwolf-blog]

Okay, this wasn't going like he was vainly hoping it would at all.

“It’s fine. You got hit with a tennis ball, you must have been in pain. It is understandable. No need to apologize since it was all my fault.”

Machi refused point blank to accept his apology; he knew from the way she looked away from him that she didn't believe he meant a single word that came out of his mouth. That definitely made this a lot more...troublesome and complicated, to put it lightly. She obviously didn't believe Matt because she didn't get why he'd bother caring about her or her feelings or be any different than the likes of them. Them currently being the gaggle of teenaged girls who were whispering and pointing fingers at Machi like she was some kind of circus freak. They were just more upfront about their feelings, she probably assumed, whereas Matt was more - what, sneaky? Conniving? If that was a case then in a way, she was absolutely right.

Machi was not used to anyone being legitimately nice to her.

And so she acted like she accepted his words, and believed them at face value, but in reality she didn't.

He felt weirdly defeated. His stomach curdled unpleasantly as Machi pushed herself to her feet, stood to her full height, and walked away just like that. He couldn't even bring himself to protest. What would he have said? Stay, don't go, please, I'm not as much of an ass as I seem like? Yeah, sure, like that would fly. Matt wished he cared less, and he did not even comprehend why he cared at all. Why give a rat's ass what some slip of a mousy, quiet girl thought of him? The two of them literally just met - all because of fate or whatever deciding it'd be fucking grand to smack Matt upside the head with a tennis ball. Either way, it was already too late. Machi disappeared from Matt's sight, and the likelihood of laying eyes on her again were low considering they didn't share any classes together or live anywhere near one another on Astraea's vast campus, apparently.

His numbness momentarily subsided as he heard someone move to sit closer beside him on his right; the chair gave a metallic screech as it slid across the floor, and Matt turned to face a skinny looking kid with a messy mop of coarse, brown hair who looked like he needed to take a bath. He didn't smile as he listened to him talk, but he didn't show any signs of aggression or anger either. He merely looked away and stared at the door Machi vanished through, wishing he could make it up to her or maybe that she'd come back so that he could make her see that he wasn't the guy she thought he probably was.

Matt had no such luck, naturally, because they were not the main characters in some cliché'd romcom movie that were destined to make up and reconcile their differences.

Matt wasn't the dashing, white knight dressed up as the cool kid who would break the social pyramid down from the inside and fall for Machi - the quirky yet loveable geek who was actually a babe underneath the mousy hair and frumpy clothes, no. Things weren't nearly that perfect nor pure and simple. This was reality, and as cliché as the way things played out as to how they met, the way she felt towards him could not be erased by playing her a brand new song on his guitar in front of the entire school and serenading her.

He was just a big, fat jerk with a corny sense of humor and a jaded outlook on both life and love.

“I don’t like to believe the rumors that go around about her, there are so many. But she never talks to anyone, and I never thought I’d see anyone make her flustered like that. I’m not saying don’t talk to her, but man, she is a weird one…”

For a moment, he was taken aback by his blunt choice of words. Regaining himself, he forced out a smooth excuse, saying almost dully, "Excuse me. I've got somewhere else to be."

The teen decided to split. What other reason did he have to stick around now? He hated the stench of cafeteria food, the feeling of claustrophobia he got from so many close, sweaty bodies in such an enclosed environment, the loud din of students laughing obnoxiously and carrying on; even when he was back home the lunch room had never been Matt's scene, and after what just happened there was no way he could finish the last of his meal. Wanting to try to get rid of the nasty taste in his mouth, despite his stomach's protest, Matt chugged the rest of his milk. Slamming the empty carton onto the tray, he stood up, nodded his head in farewell, and headed out. A group of girls at a table he passed by all tittered and smiled widely at him, but Matt pretended not to see, not having the heart to turn on the charm for anyone. His mouth formed into a latent smile but that was it.

Once his trash was discarded, it was back outside he went.

One of his hands strayed to pat the outside of his pocket absently, checking for the familiar shape and outline of his harmonica. Yup, there it was - safe and sound where he put it since earlier, when this whole thing first started. Digging inside, Matt pulled the trusty harmonica out, enjoying how it molded perfectly into the palm of his hand. For a moment, he just allowed himself to observe its brownish red, wooden cover plate, the blue flame insignia decorating the cover, and the carving of his name which was barely still legible. Nothing was amiss. It was still in the same condition as it was before, worn out, aged, but still good, still use-able.

It was funny how things worked out, sometimes; it'd started with this harmonica, and it was going to end with this harmonica. Matt had some serious thinking to do, and the best way to accomplish that was to let himself get lost in contemplation and play. Moments later, he settled down underneath the same cherry blossom tree as earlier, back leaning fully against the base, and thereafter, strings of soulful notes began to fill the air once more.

cliché

Taking the small bite of the jello she had, she sat there in silence as Matt seemed to be preoccupied with his pizza. It wasn’t an uncomfortable quiet, it was just, well, quiet. Did it really matter why she had asked him about his name? It was just something that had bugged her.

“That’s how it always starts. Then it evolves into obsession. But remember - no autographs, please.”

Machi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she looked at him with a concerned look. Was that his idea of a joke or something? It was just… awful. It wasn’t even funny! It had been such an arrogant thing to say that she couldn’t help but think that maybe the tennis ball she had hit him with scrambled his brains or something. He didn’t say things like that do other people, did he? Another reason she felt so worried about it was it just plain out reminded her of Manabe.

She simply ignored the comment, praying that it was just a once time thing. Taking the last bite of jello that she had left, she crammed the plastic container and spoon into her paper bag. Now, she really had no reason to stay. She would most likely just go to the library if there was still enough time and-

“…-I’m sorry you even had to see me like that.”

She didn’t even have the chance to leave the table, she was stunned to her seat. He wasn’t really apologizing, was he? For a split second, for a tiny moment, she honestly thought he was being sincere. He looked sincere, but, why would he care? Machi blinked, doe eyes still confused, and lips parted as though she had something to say that just wouldn’t come out. What did he have to gain from apologizing though, that Machi didn’t know. “Well- I…” She stopped herself, and finally her brain began to kick start again and pump logical reasons as to why Matt was acting so nicely. It was defiantly that she had scrambled his brains with a tennis ball.

“It’s fine. You got hit with a tennis ball, you must have been in pain. It is understandable. No need to apologize since it was all my fault.”

Glad that the overwhelmingly odd topic was said and down with, Machi could hear her name being thrown loudly and freely behind her. Only tilting her head far enough to put a voice to a face, it was that girl Fumie with her friends, staring straight at Machi with malicious eyes. Machi hadn’t picked up on what had been said, but it wasn’t hard to guess. Machi met Fumie’s gaze with her armor of blandness. Machi’s eyes dulled, and whatever emotion she had showed Mat was now gone. The group let out a laugh as something else was being said, and Machi stood up, grabbing her paper sack and tennis racket. She didn’t even look at Matt as she edged out of her chair.

“I’m going to go before something else happens.”

She left Matt, pushing past tables and chairs. She walked over to the trashcan, propping open the lid to throw away her food. Without a second glance back to Matt, she headed towards the door. Her hands pressed against the handle, something made her pause. It was Fumie’s voice, loud enough for her to hear.

“I bet she is just going to destroy another classroom or something. To hell with her.”

closing her eyes, she only thought about how funny her statement was. She hadn’t even been thinking about breaking something, but now, it was all she wanted. Finally, she opened the door, and slowly made her way to the library. Though, a new worry was setting in. When was the next time she was going to have an episode?

Even after Machi had departed the cafeteria, the students who had seen the event happen were still whispering about what had happened. Many of them were just dumbstruck that Kuragi was even speaking to someone, not to mention holding a conversation. A boy, gangly and tall with dirt brown hair had been sitting at the same table as Matt and Machi scooted down closer to Matt. With a nonchalant tone, he gave a simple “Hey.” Before getting to his point. “I don’t like to believe the rumors that go around about her, there are so many. But she never talks to anyone, and I never thought I’d see anyone make her flustered like that. I’m not saying don’t talk to her, but man, she is a weird one…” And with that, the boy moved back to his friends to continue their conversation. And to some degree, the boy was right.

#perfectphobe #the end #for now #machi whyyy

[thejadedwolf-blog]

What...was he confused about, exactly? He hadn't asked anything weird or confusing right? Reviewing the brief course of their conversation thus far, Matt was able to determine that no, he hadn't. If anything it was completely normal and pretty damn predictable for two people having just met.

Leaning back against the wall fully, Matt allowed his right leg to remain stretched out while raising his left leg into a bent up position. Both arms dropped to his sides, elbows resting on the mattress, as he gave Allen a measuring look. Blond bangs slipped into his gaze as he lowered his head just slightly, raising a brow the more that time passed. The kid was looking up at the ceiling, pale, blue eyes looking distant in thought, as if contemplating the answers of the universe. Then, understanding finally set in. Allen seemed like someone with a lot of restless energy to say the least based upon his answer.

So in short, from what he could tell, he was like a more well-put together and well-mannered Taiichi Yagami.

This was going to be an interesting school year, that was for sure. Matt smiled humorously and said, "Well, a guy's gotta eat. No shame in that. Although I have to say I prefer cooking my own meals versus chowing down on cafeteria food." A blink, and thereafter, he exclaimed, "Wait! You've seriously never been to a real school before?"

@thejadedwolf : Roommates

Allen blinked. “Where I usually…hang?” He still hadn’t quite gotten used to the ways people spoke here, used to the terms of his own time. He looked up at the ceiling in thought for a moment, trying to get what he meant by that. Then the lightbulb went off in his head. “I’m usually in the cafeteria or just wandering around. I don’t usually stay in one place, actually. But the cafeteria is generally where people look for me first, apparently.” He sighed and stood, stretching out a bit. “I’m not used to being in a dorm, or even at school, at all.”

#cursedclownwalker #Lol this thread #I'm lovin' it man #Because Matt is such a dude and Allen is...Allen

[thejadedwolf-blog]

For a second, Matt's eyebrows rose dramatically in his face. It wasn't just the niceness that was putting him off, no; it was the way he was so...polite and formal and everything. Jeez, maybe he was like Tai - if Tai ever went to etiquette classes and actually aced the topic with flying colors.

Quickly, he recovered from his shock, and managed to regain his formerly calmed composure. Threading a hand through his blond hair absentmindedly, he replied in an offhand way, "Yeah, well what can I say...I usually like to just chill outside. It's kind of stuffy in here, and I'm still not used to this whole dorm thing. Where do you usually hang?"

@thejadedwolf : Roommates

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Matt. I’m sorry if I disturbed you at all.” Allen smiled apologetically. He hated disrupting people unless it was Kanda or someone working for the Millennium Earl, then it was fine even if another fight did break out. “I didn’t actually expect you to be in here, to be honest.” The white-haired boy always somehow managed to barely miss Matt, it seemed, whether it be coming into the room or leaving.

#cursedclownwalker

[thejadedwolf-blog]

"Ah, I see," Matt lightly pointed out as he munched on his pizza. He was already well on his way to devouring his second slice. He'd chowed down on the first one, and finished his apple like it was nobody's business. But hey, to be fair, he was a growing teenaged boy and he was fucking starving. Maybe it was because he finally had some food in his system, maybe it was because she was so out there and quiet and yet nice, but he could feel traces of his older self returning. A hint of playfulness gleamed in his sapphire eyes as he regarded her. Continuing, he said, "That's how it always starts. Then it evolves into obsession. But remember - no autographs, please."

This was followed up by a laugh. He still remembered when he first introduced himself to the Digidestined group back during that fateful summer. He'd used that exact same line on all of them. Idly, Matt wondered how they'd put up with his ego. Even at the age of eleven he had been pretty confident and not afraid to show it.

Who was he kidding? He was still overly confident, although he liked to think it was not to the point he was at when younger. Over the years, Matt had done a lot of mellowing out and chilling to say the least. His anger and fierce temper'd even abated although...that wasn't completely true, now that he thought about it. Just earlier Matt antagonized Machi and raised his voice at her. At last, he cooled down, but that was only after she agreed to give him retribution. In hindsight, she had no reason to distinguish him any differently from any other of the jerks in this school. If anything, she had every reason in the world to view him as nothing short of a bum and a total scumbag.

Setting down his unfinished slice, Matt expelled a regretful sigh. He may not have wanted to integrate himself into the school or bother with making any friends, but Machi deserved better than what Matt had dished out. It just...didn't sit right with him, and he needed to fix it.

Realizing the only napkin there was currently was soaking with grease in a lonely corner on his large lunch tray, Matt frowned, shrugged, and ended up rubbing his hands quickly up and down his pants. No big deal as far as he was concerned; after that, he turned to Machi, and his expression softened guiltily. She really was like a harmless little mouse - though her bout of yelling moments earlier showed she had an inner fire, he still couldn't help but think she looked so small and fragile in a way.

“Thanks… for what you did back there… I- never mind.”

At Machi's statement of gratitude, Matt's gaze widened imperceptibly. He caught sight of the faint blush staining her cheeks and raised a brow at it. Most of the time whenever he saw a girl blush, it meant something was going on, but what exactly here was happening he wasn't completely certain of. His hand buried itself in his golden hair, and casually he continued to peer at her from beneath his lashes until it hit him and hit him like a train wreck - she was thanking Matt, and she was genuinely feeling embarrassed about it. Not only that, but she radiated nerves and was embarrassed because she didn't know how to respond to his blowing off Fumie and defending her. She wasn't used to people being nice to her.

Bangs hung into his face and distractedly he ducked his head; in the corner of his eye, he saw some kids staring and whispering from the nearest table. Suddenly, he felt sick to his stomach.

"I appreciate it," Matt murmured softly, shame breaking out on his face. After a brief pause, he continued speaking, "But there's no need for it. Seriously. I still owe you an apology for how I acted earlier...The way I flipped off on you? Not cool. You really didn't deserve to have me freak out like that. I don't know why I...I'm just. I'm sorry you even had to see me like that." Matt hated how lame of an apology it was, but he didn't know what else to say. It was her choice whether to accept it or not.

cliché

Middle school? That was what he compared those girls too? He didn’t seem much better himself, not after the way he had snapped outside at her. She had to offer him food just to be able to calm down the boy. And yes, the girl was spreading rumors, but in her own horrible way, she was only trying to be nice.

Machi’s mind wasn’t really sympathetic when it came towards herself. She was so used to hearing people talk about her, watching and studying others as she was always left to her own devices that she didn’t blame others for thinking ill of her. She never pitied herself, never felt sorry or cursed god for her life situation; Machi fully accepted she was odd and dull. There was never anything special anyone could point out in her. And though she tried her hardest to change that, no one noticed.

Maybe that was why Machi felt stuck in confusion by Matt’s choice of words. Friendly curiosity? It helped calm her down a little after her outburst, only because she was distracted by it’s meaning. She glanced at him, unsure how to take respond to the blond. So she didn’t. Machi merely grabbed the plastic spoon that had been placed in her meal and scooped up a tiny amount of jello to eat. It tasted alright, but Machi was mainly eating it for the sake of having energy, not because she actually wanted to eat it.

“I was just- I was just wondering was all…”

Taking another small swallow of jello, brown hues kept their attention on Matt as he began to talk. His own eyes seemed to lit up when he mentioned his younger brother, his tone of voice was filled with amusement. Machi guessed that Matt truly cared for his sibling, or was at least on good terms. It sort of left her feeling envious. Machi worried about her younger brother, though sometimes she felt it was all for naught because she was never allowed to see him. And her other brother was a complete moron.

As quickly as the spark in Matt’s eye had came, it went. His mood dropped suddenly, and she guessed that conversation was over. She glanced as he started to wipe away the grease off of his pizza. It was an odd act; if it had been Machi eating the pizza, she would have simply just ate it without hesitation. Maybe she had misjudged him. There was no doubt that the boy had some sort of an ego, that was for sure. But she hadn’t really given him credit for being a regular person with different sides and traits. With a sigh, and a small blush returning to her cheeks, she looked away from Matt.

“Thanks… for what you did back there… I- never mind.”

#Finally a formal apology #perfectphobe #MACHI PLZ ACCEPT OKAY

[thejadedwolf-blog]

Matt was trying to play his guitar. His fingers, usually nimble across the strings, were sluggish. He kept missing notes or getting them completely  wrong. He even tried to play an old song rather than a new one; it was really old and he knew it like the back of his hand. But even that proved to be completely futile, because inside he still felt that cloud of anxiety that wasn't dissipating.

His anxiety grew to frustration, which rocketed into anger. Growling deeply, his hands clenched the neck of his guitar so tightly the knuckles were turning a pale white. That deep, hidden vicious anger that hadn't grown in so long was starting to leak out of his body. Not wanting to destroy his guitar by chucking it into the wall, Matt laid it on his bed with eerily calm fingers. With a frustrated sigh, he decided to simply give up and start tuning his guitar. That was when his roommate decided to show up. Damn it, I was hoping I could put this away before he got back, he mentally groused.

"Hey, I'm Yamato," he greeted the other teen. "But I prefer if you'd call me Matt," he continued with a crooked smile.

The grin Matt was awarded by the other boy instantly took him off guard. But hesitantly, after threading a hand through his blond locks, he reached out to take Allen's hand in his and shake it with his own. Thereafter, he watched with curious blue eyes as he shrugged off his coat and leaned casually against the bed frame, sitting on the floor like it was the most comfortable and natural thing in the world. It was...just such a Tai thing to do, it made Matt actually blink slowly.

"So," he started to say simply by way of conversation, and setting his musical instrument aside. "'Sup?"

@thejadedwolf : Roommates

Allen yawned a bit as he walked into the room. “Oh. Hello.” He greeted the boy already inside who seemed to be tuning a guitar. “You must be my roommate. I’m Allen Walker, it’s nice to meet you.” He smiled and held out his hand. He set his stuff down on the bed on the other side of the room. He removed his coat and set it on the bed before sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed frame.

#cursedclownwalker #it's totally fine man #short and sweet haha

[thejadedwolf-blog]

"All right, all right - I'm going already! Jeez, woman, what are you on? Maybe I don't even want to know..."

"And hey, what?! Come on, you don't just throw around a term like 'stalker' like that man! Not cool. Er, plush...thing. Wait, are you a Digimon?" The blond asked cautiously, looking at the foreign creature with probing blue eyes.

Derpherp wut

thejadedwolf replied to your post: Did someone say…

IC: “Machi - what are you on? ‘Crackships’? What…?” Matt scratched the back of his head, raising a brow at her antics. She could be silly, sure, but this was something else entirely. / OOC: Hehehe.

“…It is 2:30. GO TO YOUR ROOM!” She says as she pushes the blond away.

{Meanwhile….}

Matt-chan is a stalker!~ It is past his bedtime!~

#perfectphobe #LOL WTF IS GOIN ON #WATER U DOIN

[thejadedwolf-blog]

Just a heads up

I prefer para RP'ing, and plotting out ahead - but otherwise I'm open to RP'ing with anybody out there who'd be, well, interested.

<3 Don't be afraid to hit up my inbox.

#atraeahighrp #ooc #lol look at him #is that the face you can say no to #nope

[thejadedwolf-blog]

Machi's gaze was unwaveringly focused on the table top in front of her, small, white fists balled up in her lap as she merely sat there, silent. A number of heartbeats passed and he saw it; an unmistakeable glimmer of brown in his direction, and then, she was looking behind her. Matt's own eyes flickered to follow her line of sight. Instantly he noticed that a small group had gathered - a crowd of babbling students lingered nearby who wanted to know what the fuss was all about. Matt met the wide, anxious and curious stares of his classmates with a carefully controlled visage, and only raised a brow when they all started to disperse and the chatter broke up, but nonetheless continued in low whispers.

He let himself flinch slightly as he turned back around in his seat and let out a feigned laugh. "I guess we're in middle school," Matt complained in a bored tone. "Because that's definitely what it feels like right now..."

Matt's musings were interjected due to a sudden, additional soft and feminine voice speaking up. This one was more toned down, muted even, but not unpleasant sounding. Bitchy chick and annoying crowd of nosy-bodies forgotten, he refocused all of his attention on the girl he was sitting next to, who was stumbling clumsily over her words, tongue-tied, struggling visibly to explain herself and failing miserably. Sheesh, he wasn't wrong at all about in his earlier deduction about her being a quiet mouse, was he? But then she started to yell, and well, that wasn't expected. Sensing a possibly grand freak out, in the middle of the cafeteria right after what had transpired too, he quickly cut in, interrupting her in a bewildered voice.

"Woah, chill out! I'm not judging you. I'm merely asking. You know, out of friendly curiosity?" His bright eyes veered from the carefully made, smiley-face sandwich to her vividly red features. He tried to detect something that'd give away her thought process, something that would explain her particularly childish behavior, her uncalled for outburst, but it was hard to when she was avoiding his stare purposefully and focusing on shoving everything back into its original location - a paper, brown bag.

At least for now she looked like she was done yelling. If she'd yelled anymore he would have been hard-pressed to gently tug her outside where there would be fresh air and less obnoxious stares. That still sounded like the ideal option, but he didn't know how much Machi would appreciate him "manhandling" her, especially after his seriously uncool tirade earlier.

Ugh, that's going to bug me forever, he internally groused. It just wasn't a Matt thing to do. It'd only add onto the already painfully long list of past indiscretions he wasn't so proud of.

“…Why do you call yourself Matt? I don’t see anything wrong with your real name…”

Oh, good, she was calmer now. He only hoped it'd stay that way. Not many people lashed out like that, that was for sure. As cool of a head Matt was typically able to maintain, he'd always been infamous even since his Digital Destined days for his pretty wicked temper and lapses into dark moods. Other than a certain redhead, Matt hadn't met someone who was capable of freaking like that; or at least, until now. It made him look at Machi with new eyes. She was still a shy, reserved and mousy girl but underneath the surface there lay something else, something more untamed and wild.

"Hmm, why do you ask?" Matt eventually murmured, his tone curious.

Another upward quirk of his lips, maybe from amusement, maybe from pure shock that she was actually speaking to him and showing some sort of interest in him as a human being, it could have been a combination of both. Either way, it was a harmless question and there was no reason not to supply her with an equally reasonable answer; "There isn't any special reason for it. It's just a nickname I've always gone by. Okay, I mean..." Lightly, he began to chuckle, and retorted, "I guess that's not completely true. If you really want the story, it goes something like this: my kid bro mispronounced my name a ton when we were younger. He just never could get it right. So, the nickname Matt was born. It was easier to say than Ya-ma-to. After that it just stuck and hey, I came to like it well enough."

He shrugged. The story wasn't anything particularly spellbinding or mysterious, and the origin of "Matt" was even predictable. To other people it may not mean much but to Matt, and for Matt, it served to remind him of better days - back when his parents were still together, and love was still tangible, not some Hallmark poster card bullshit.

Wanting to distract himself from that particular spiral of thoughts, Matt lifted up a napkin and began to dab at the surface of both of his slices of cooling pizza. A crease started between his brows. That sure was a lot of grease... Once he was finished, he set the stained sheet onto the far corner of his lunch tray and lifted up the meaty pizza, proceeding to take his first bite of the cheesy, pepperoni concoction before digging in more. Could be worse, he thought.

cliché

Finishing her small pack of carrots except two, she had pulled her sandwich back. Still using the slightest amounts of pressure with her fingers to use her last remaining carrots as eyebrows for her sandwich face. Usually, she would have given a faint smile at her creation, then would have left the cafeteria. But something held her back. Today had just gotten worse and worse, and dealing with that boy had left her feeling a little drained. The experience hadn’t been altogether traumatizing, Machi just had dealt so little with people that social interaction left her bewildered. Not that she wasn’t getting better at talking, oh no. Her new roommate had been helping her with that.

“Hey -“

Her shoulders tensed, and Machi unconsciously held her breath. A voice, one that she had hoped would have not followed her, did. Her head tilted ever so slightly, Machi glanced back to see Matt was only a few paces away from her, but with a new girl. A pretty one, red hair, shimmering blue eyes and all. Large brown hues feel forward, back to her sandwich. He- He must have been calling to the girl. Not her- never her. But Machi only felt frustrated with herself. She should have been content that Matt hadn’t called out to her but- she only felt a small twinge of disappointment. One she should have been used to. She should have been used to being alone.

Though she tried to push all thoughts of Matt, the red head and disappointment from her weary mind, Machi couldn’t help but overhear the conversation that was taking place behind her. It was typical. Someone being warned away from her for their own well-being; that Machi would break everything and anything around her. That she thought she looked down upon everyone else because she didn’t wear make-up or talk about others freely or whatever absurd reason her peers could think of. Machi could feel her heart sink lower, her eyes dulled as their conversation went on. Couldn’t they have talked somewhere else? Wasn’t this cruel enough?

“I-I just - I thought - you know; she wouldn’t be someone you’d want to waste your time with! Everybody knows she’s a total -“

“A total what? Never mind, don’t waste your breath.”

Well- that certainly was new. It was very seldom when someone rejected rumors about Machi, if they ever did. It made her blink in surprise and she give it her to not turn around and stare at Matt. He really was stupid, wasn’t he? Rejecting her certainly wasn’t going to help him gain friends, and even more rumors might spread- about the both of them. It was a nice enough gesture though-

Without any warning, the chair beside her had pulled out and Matt had clamored into the seat beside her. The sudden scare at caused Machi to let out a small squeak of surprise, and her cheeks flooded with embarrassed pink. Her eyes were nailed to the table before her, her hands in tight fists in her lap. A moment passed before she had gained the courage to look at him, and saw yet another smile. though this one was different, more gentle and non-judging, it did set her at ease a little. Glancing behind her, Machi saw the redhead huffing off to her table of friends, most likely telling them of her rejection.

Looking back at the blond, Machi couldn’t hide the new found amazement she held for his action. His question even took a moment to process; she had to gaze back to her sandwich to realize he had asked why in the world she had destroyed a perfectly good dinner. Really, she had no idea what she was doing. She was bored, and it calmed her. That was it. But explaining it to others had always been difficult. And they seemed to always end up calling her wasteful.

“I-uh…I…” She fumbled, not sure what would make sense. Overcome with anxiety, she panicked.

“I wasn’t doing a-anything! Nothing at all! Don’t look at it!” And with that, Machi shoved the sandwich back into the paper sack, too embarrassed to even be able to talk to him. Her face was flushed with sudden emotion, and her body seemed to fidget yet again to help all the energy out of her system.

Taking a deep breath, she finally looked back up at Matt. She didn’t understand it at all, why had he rejected a pretty, interesting girl over her? Tilting her head, her eyes unwavering as they stared into his, Machi felt at a lose as to what to do.

“…Why do you call yourself Matt? I don’t see anything wrong with your real name…” Machi had chosen to go in this direction of conversation because, it seemed safe enough. It was a question that had stuck with her, and it was better then asking why Matt had turned the other girl down. Waiting for his reply, Machi reached for the carton of jello, and began to tear the seal open.

#perfectphobe #matt is special #so is machi

[thejadedwolf-blog]

it isn't that you're scary, i just like to admire you from afar, yet felt the need to get my feelings off my chest

"Hmm?" he asked, trying to maintain his calm demeanor, but curiosity getting the better of him. It wasn't all that surprising, realistically. And whoever this grey-face was, he or she had a good point; why risk unveiling their mask to him and confess face to face when the chance of rejection was so high? Matt was not looking for a girlfriend currently at this point in his life, and why would he after what happened in his last relationship? Love was messy - romantic or otherwise.

Still, you couldn't blame the guy for being curious; he'd barely been attending Astraea Academy for a few days, and only met one other student by the name of Machi Kuragi... While Matt inwardly frowned, he resigned himself to nodding his head with understanding.

Then, he smiled, and said, "Okay. If that's what you want. One question, though. Do you go to my school or...?"

#anon question #matt is curious indeed

[thejadedwolf-blog]

you'll turn me down if i do

He gave no response beyond a polite stare. That was...strange. Matt was used to brazen fangirls forcing their affections upon him and even chicks who used their feminine charms and wiles in hopes of - what? Winning his heart, getting a chance to get a piece of him and brag about it to their friends? But this girl - hell, boy for all he knew - seemed genuinely afraid of him, as if he'd actually freak out. Maybe, Matt thought, it's because they saw you snap at Machi earlier. He shook his head, meanwhile threading his fingers through his golden locks, and almost against his will, his smile lightened.

"Hey now. That's not fair...I'm hardly that scary," Matt murmured softly in that silken voice he saved for special occasions, this being one of them. "Right?"

#anon question #where art thou anon

[thejadedwolf-blog]

i love you.

Jeez, already? Fangirls sure don’t waste their time, Matt thought. He didn’t allow his incredibility to show on his features. Instead, he slanted a look at the grey-face out of the corner of his eye, lazily twitching up his lips into a slow, answering smile. This was the guy who was not only the bassist guitar player in a hugely successful band but the lead singer; was being emphasized. To say Matt was used to declarations of affection, showers of flowers and love notes was an understatement; regardless, keeping cool and maintaining a stoic facade was second nature to him.

Matt remained silent for a heartbeat, before lowering his headphones -which were mysteriously soundless - to rest around his neck, and asked with that same, nonchalant smile, “If you love me so much, then why the secrecy babe?”

#anon question #interesting indeed...

[thejadedwolf-blog]

“…Machi Kuragi.”

"Machi Kuragi."

The corner of his lips twitched. His shoulders lifted as he shrugged nonchalantly, although inwardly he was considering asking her something. She was quiet, shy, obviously unpopular with the general student population if not an outcast from the way people whispered and gossiped about her, not even caring she was standing right there. Sure, Matt had always been popular, and even was used to and enjoyed being in the spotlight, but he'd never engaged in spreading hurtful rumors or making snide comments like the one's he'd overheard centering around Machi. Frankly anyone that engaged in it had to insecure, and Matt was anything but. He furrowed his brow. Wait - why did he even care? Matt didn't know her. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and finally parting his lips, he said airily, "All right. Well, thanks for the food, Mach -"

After blinking several times and finally realizing the brunette had already walked off, Matt's eyes widened in surprise.

"Did she seriously just..." he breathed, words spoken lowly as he watched her do exactly what he thought she was doing. Machi was walking away from him, without even saying goodbye or giving him a cursory glance signaling she was leaving; before she'd left, he noticed an unspoken and unidentifiable glimmer of criticism lingering in the air between them. A frown made itself present on his countenance. What, was she turned off because he smiled at those three chicks back there? Was smiling like some kind of lawful crime now? Or maybe, another part of his brain prodded, it was because you lost your cool earlier and snapped at her. That...made sense, unfortunately. As far as Machi knew, all he wanted was to bum free food off of her, and that was that.

That was all he wanted, right?

Realizing he was still holding up the line, he started to slowly navigate the lunchroom, walking without any aim or goal in mind until he found himself looking for a door that lead to the outside. There was one nearby where Machi was sitting down at the far end of a table by herself. How convenient, he internally mused. Matt quickened his pace to walk more briskly, intending to head outside and eat somewhere by himself where it'd be considerably less crowded and more quiet, when something caught his eye, making him slow his steps until he'd actually reached a sudden halt.

For a moment, Matt'd wondered if it was really a bright idea to pursue his curiosity because he wasn't altogether prepared to deal with Machi's brand of individuality and...uniqueness. But seeing her playing with her food was something else entirely; her box of raisins was opened and instead of eating the individual dried fruits she was pressing them into the soft, white surface of the bread of her sandwich, and making what looked like a smiley face. How old was she? Fifteen like him, at least, or maybe even older; the way she carried herself she just seemed so mature and above childishness. Yet, here Machi was, the contents of her bagged lunch dumped out all over the table top surface in front of her, playing with a bunch of raisins and her bread.

Girls were such mysterious creatures.

"Hey -"

"Oh my god, you're Matt, aren't you?" It was a high-pitched and unfamiliar girly voice that cut him off, swiping his attention momentarily. A flicker of agitation surfaced as quickly as it vanished; Matt turned to face an unidentified girl who was staring at him openly with awe and adoration. He flashed another one of his winning smiles.

"Yeah, that's me. What's up?" he asked, the charm practically radiating off of him as he peered at her in an appraising fashion. This girl had very light blue eyes and long, wavy red hair held back by a hairband, slender but with noticeable curves in all of the right places; in short, she was definitely hot. She seemed smarter than the airheads from earlier too, but he still had no idea who the hell she was; not that Matt would admit to that. He was sure he would find out anyway. The girl looked like she was brimming with bumbling energy and excitement just from being in his mere presence, something he was used to.

"Oh, I knew it! It's me, Fumie," she introduced herself while simultaneously gushing. A radiant smile spread across her pink, lip-glossed lips, and she giggled cutely. "You have an unforgettable face, you know? Well I just wanted to come over and say hi! I'm a huge fan of your band!"

"Yeah, thanks...and oh, cool," Matt replied in an aloof tone of voice, tensing up at the mention of his band. She must have gone to one of his gigs before they broke up. It didn't mean he wanted to hear about it. It only reminded Matt of things he'd rather not think about. Besides, that only confirmed his suspicions about her being a fangirl. Silently, he hoped she'd go away, but of course she could not contain her excitement and asked if he'd sit with her.

Matt threaded a hand through his silken, blond locks, almost considering on taking her up on it just to shut her up - after all, Machi was the one who walked away from him, and he didn't even know what he was doing over here standing behind her anyway - until her next comment slammed into him like a sledgehammer, turning his blood ice-cold.

Flicking a strand of her long, red hair over her shoulder, Fumie leaned towards him, not hiding the disgusted glance she sent towards Machi, and murmured in a half-whisper, sneering, "Plus, I figured you'd want to stay away from the freak. You're way too cool to be seen with someone like her. I mean, seriously, just look at what she's doing. What is she, retarded or something?" And suddenly, the hot girl with the cute giggle and the pretty smile wasn't so hot anymore. A feeling of quiet rage burst in his stomach, and Matt felt his mouth twitching imperceptibly, as he stared into pools of shimmering, pale blue. She was smiling up at him so stupidly, so mindlessly, and it honestly disgusted him. What made her think in her right mind he'd want to sit and eat lunch with her after hearing her spout off such complete and utter bullshit? He was about to burst her little bubble.

"Just what are you saying?" Matt asked in a low murmur; he heard his own voice come out calmly, but with a razor-sharp and unforgiving edge. It'd lost the smooth, soothing quality from before.

Stilling, breath catching, Fumie fumbled, "I-I just - I thought - you know; she wouldn't be someone you'd want to waste your time with! Everybody knows she's a total -"

"A total what?" Matt shook his head, and uttered carelessly, "Never mind, don't waste your breath."

Pulling out a chair and plopping down, he set his tray down - on Machi's left side - and rested his face against his palm, purposefully ignoring Fumie and staring at the sandwich art Machi was in the midst of making.

"So...what exactly are you doing?" He tilted his head further, another, smaller smile tilting his lips upwards. It was a softer, kinder one, different from the ones he used unconscionably around hot girls. Instead, it was the rarer sort he used in quiet, solitary moments, when he was talking with close friends or his brother. The question he asked, granted, was stupid; wasn't it obvious what Machi was doing? But he figured it was a good way to break the ice and who knows, maybe she'd explain what was going on in that increasingly interesting and attention grabbing brain of hers.

cliché

Waiting in line began to grow increasingly uncomfortable for Machi, especially with the presence of three girls sitting at the table behind them. She had known those girls, oh yes, they were in her same grade and they certainly had a reputation. Machi was hardly one to listen to rumors, but she did know the three liked to party harder then most. They also loved making rumors themselves, if there were not enough in supply.

When the boy decided to throw a smile at the girls, she felt the strong desire to smack him. Was he that dense, not knowing what they wanted from him, or was he trying to genuinely be nice? She highly doubted that it was the latter; he was a teenage boy, he should have known what they wanted. And, with those three, he could have easily achieved it. Machi cringed when she heard the squealed in excitement. Was she the only girl that didn’t do that?  

Machi only nodded when he said he wanted pizza. The guy wanted pizza, nothing she could say about that. But even though Machi had spent that whole time staring at the menu, she simply grabbed whatever she saw, which happened to be sack lunch and a sandwich. Machi wasn’t a very picky eater, so whatever she grabbed was usually fine by her. Growing up, being forced to her parent’s dinner parties and having to act more like a little doll then a child made sure she didn’t have the voice to complain about food. It would have been hard enough to balance a tray of food along with her tennis racket, so this was the only sensible choice to her.

“I never did catch your name. Mine is Yamato, but I’d prefer if you’d call me Matt…”

…Matt? How very…-American of him. She didn’t see anything wrong with his real name, Yamato, but if he wanted to go by Matt, then that was his choice. Large chocolate hues glanced his away, and saw yet another smile on the boy’s mouth. It caused her to fidget for some unknown reason. Why did he have to look at her like that? He had totally changed from the guy she had just met moments before. It all seemed to fit together in some weird cool guy act this Matt was trying to pull off.

“…Machi Kuragi.”

She mumbled her name under her breath as she walked to the register. The woman behind the counter simply smiled, and asked what she was having. Without words, Machi lifted her bag, and then pointed to Matt. The woman nodded in understanding, and Machi gave her the code to her checking account. And… that was that. Giving the woman a small “Thank you,” Machi walked out of the way of the lines, away from Matt (hopefully), and started looking for a place to sit among the vast heads of students. She didn’t even give Matt another side glance, or a wave goodbye. He had the meal he had wanted, and there was nothing else he said he wanted. Machi thought there was honestly nothing else he wanted from her.

Finally, she spotted a table near the corner of the cafeteria, one long table only one third filled. Feeling lucky, she almost hurried over to get a chair, and a small smile of accomplishment slip as she sat down. Placing her racket upright in the chair beside her, it almost looked like the racket had a place of it’s own. Slowly pulling out the contents of her meal, she finally saw what she had purchased. A ham and cheese sandwich, a cheesy stick, a pack of jello and spoon, baby carrots and a box of raisins. It seemed more like a meal for an grade schooler then a 16 year old girl. And most of it she didn’t care for.

Setting the jello and carrots aside, Machi opened the container of raisins and poured their contains on the table. She then proceeded to unwrap the sandwich from its prison of plastic wrap, and placed the raisins on the top of the soft wheat surface. Her face set in concentration, she placed the raisins in a smilie face pattern, and with the slightest amount of pressure of her thumb she pressed the raisins into the texture. She didn’t care if it was a waste of food, it calmed her nerves. Anything to ruin perfection; anything to set her at ease.

Giving a gentle sigh, she pushed the decorated, ruined sandwich towards the middle of the table. Opening the pack of baby carrots, and nibbling on the end of one she had randomly selected, her mind began to think of what she could do after dinner.

#perfectphobe

[thejadedwolf-blog]

Ishida Family

#Yamato Ishida #Takeru Ishida

[thejadedwolf-blog]

Well, this was new and unexpected, except not. Matt should not have been surprised, but it still grated on his nerves. As the small, brown-haired girl lead him through the lunchroom, pointedly avoiding meeting his eyes, he caught snatches and snippets of conversations buzzing all around them. The topic being discussed in question was the two of them, as luck would have it. At the sound of laughter, Matt's cerulean hues wandered until he saw three blonde girls sitting at a table directly beside them.

They were eating tiny salads, drinking from water bottles, and had a chocolate chip cookie the size of button to share between the three of them. The three blondes all giggled in unison and watched him with flickering eyes. Not only were they unabashedly and shamelessly eye-fucking him, but they themselves were a sight for sore eyes, what with their school uniforms customized to be as revealing as possible. Matt doubted that was even allowed, letting out a small snort. He resisted the urge to chuck something at them, particularly his apple, but knew it'd be fruitless - inwardly, he laughed at his own humor - and a waste of a perfectly good apple. Instead, Matt just settled on giving them one of his winning smiles, which sent them all into obnoxious giggles, and the harsh, hurried whispers continued.

“Why is she just carrying a tennis racker? Couldn’t she have left it-“

“Is that Kuragi-san with a guy? who would have thought-“

“Look at him! He is cute, I wonder if he is new!”

Kuragi-san? That had to be the last name of the girl he was with. Matt started to wonder what all the fuss was about, and why people would care so damn much or be scandalized at the sight of her being accompanied by a guy when it hit him, and it hit him so hard he nearly slapped himself.

She was on the quieter, mousey side - face plain and clear of any make-up and her hair straight and brown and free of any product. Just from being in her mere presence for as short of a time Matt had, and regarding her out of the corner of one eye, he could guess that she was not exactly Miss Popular or running for prom queen anytime soon either. Matt didn't think that was a bad thing. Most would find her appearance boring, perhaps, but he thought she looked...cute. He liked that she wasn't flashy or overdone looking. It was refreshing, and definitely Kari-like.

A small smile creeped over his face against his will.

"Anything is fine with me. But since you're asking, I guess I'll go with pizza," Matt said, picking up a tray and helping himself to picking up a slice. Typically, he liked to cook his own food and stayed as far away from cafeteria food as possible; he wanted to avoid getting sick and maintain his physique and good health, thank you very much. Cooking home-made dishes was more his forte anyway - he'd even taken to making T.K.'s lunches for the longest time, not trusting their mom to give him the proper nutrition he needed. And even if it was lame, he preferred bringing in a paper bagged lunch.

But this morning he'd been so lost in thought, so busy brooding over the acknowledgement that not only was he isolated from the one person in his life he still at least wanted to stay in contact with, but also resigned himself to being a loner, that he'd just forgotten - caught up within his head and forgot; thus, here Matt was. Stomach grumbling, holding up a tray with a carton of regular milk, a bright, red apple, and a plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza. At least the pizza looked tasty. The cheese looked exceptionally gooey, and the pieces of pepperoni looked satisfactory if not a little too greasy. Mentally, he jotted down a note to pick up a napkin to dab as much grease off as possible.

So Matt was highly concerned about grease and saturated fats and the like? So what? There was nothing wrong with giving a damn about things as important as one's health; that's what he would have told anyone who dared to make a snide comment about his behavior in regards to food. Sure, he was a regular guy who liked to pig out on his Chinese take-out and the occasional slice of meaty pizza or seven. But Matt, unlike most dudes his age, actually knew his way around the kitchen, and how to cook a mean lasagna or bake an amazing homemade marble cheesecake.

It went without saying that while he enjoyed his occasional junk food, for the most part he was selective about what he put into his body and tried not to make eating poorly a gross daily habit. Maybe it was the result of being forced to constantly eat unhealthy food growing up thanks to his dad failing when it came to matters concerning home-cooked meals; maybe it was because he had to learn to cook himself, and even burned himself many a time in the process of doing so. Regardless, it was just how he was.

Matt's preference to prepare his own lunch fell by the way side nonetheless. Like he'd said earlier - a guy's gotta eat, and he needed to eat now.

That reduced the blond to being just another face in the growing line of ravenous teenagers. As the line continued inching forward, Matt casted his companion a side glance. Up until this point, she'd barely uttered a single word to him. Other than giving him permission to choose whatever he wanted, she was silent, clutching that tennis racket tightly against herself like it was a lifeline. Damn, he thought - she really was a shy thing. And she was pretty nice considering she was actually paying for his meal and all. Although, it was funny how similar to Kari she was in both looks and demeanor, and yet here she was walking around carrying a tennis racket. It brought to mind a certain red-haired, brown-eyed girl he knew back home who was famous for her skills as a tennis pro. The recollection made his heart lurch unpleasantly.

"So," he started, the corner of his mouth lifting up in a smile. "I never did catch your name. Mine is Yamato, but I'd prefer if you'd call me Matt..."

cliché

Leaning against the tree, giving her a bemused grin, caused the corner of Machi’s mouth to twitch in distaste. Did he really think he was cool or something, or was he testing her? The way his mood changed from anger to passive aggressive cool made Machi feel uneasy. It almost seemed cheesy, how he was trying to pull of being not phased; only a moment before was this boy wiggling on the ground in pain, hollering out like a child. Maybe that was why she couldn’t take him seriously.

Even if he assured her it was alright, it wasn’t. Not to her at least. Even if they guy was a jerk, he hand’t been asked to be mauled in the head. He had done nothing to her, he didn’t deserve-

“If you’re really that insistent on it, how about you treat me to some food? A guy’s gotta eat.”

Moocher.

“…”

Ok, maybe thinking he was a moocher was not the best idea. The more the guy talked, the less she felt sorry for pelting him on the head. He had a certain air of confidence, one that reminded her of… her brother. At the thought of Manabe, Machi began to tense up. Manabe was the sort of person that would jinx you; you think about him too often, and he’ll show up out of the blue to taunt you.

Besides, he only wanted food. It wasn’t an unreasonable or expensive demand; and even if it was a snide comment, he did need to eat. She just wasn’t sure what to expect, did he plan on sitting with her, or was this just a free meal ticket? Either way, there was no backing down. She had dug a hole, and it seemed to only be growing deeper and deeper.  With her hands clutching her racket tightly behind her back, as though hiding the weapon to not upset the boy, Machi let out a sigh. 

“…alright.”

Without so much as a warning, Machi turned away, and began walking in the direction of the cafeteria. She only assumed he was following her, but if he didn’t, she would have no objection. Only a quick glance to her side and she saw him walking with her. So much for wishful thinking.

It took about twelve minutes of silent walking till the cafeteria came into view. Moving inside, the room was packed with students at tables and in line. If only she hadn’t have accidentally struck down the man, she might have had enough time to miss the crowds. It only added to her irritation, though nothing about her features gave it away. She simply joined in the line for food, and was glancing up at that evening’s dinner choices. Whispers could be hear around her, all having to do with her or the boy.

“Why is she just carrying a tennis racker? Couldn’t she have left it-“

“Is that Kuragi-san with a guy? who would have thought-“

“Look at him! He is cute, I wonder if he is new!”

All the murmers seemed to match one of the three tunes, but Machi was used to murmers. At least it wasn’t about her brother, or her habit. Besides, what did she care if they wondered about her racket? She wasn’t hurting anyone. And if they really wanted to talk to the guy, they could have him after she was done paying for his meal. Really, she could have cared less. It wasn’t like they were going to be friends or anything.

“…what do you want?” Machi’s eyes didn’t even give sway to the other as she picked out her own choice. She had no money, but her mother had set up a charge account with the school, so no money was needed when she payed for meals. All the girl had was her racket that she clung to tightly. Even if it only caused her unwanted attention, she still held onto it.

#perfectphobe #YOU-OFFERED! #DON'T-BLAME-ME

[thejadedwolf-blog]

“…no, I do not use stranger’s heads as target practice if that is what you are implying. And I meant no harm by you.”

At the brunette's response, Matt rose a golden brow down at her, flashing her an amused glance despite himself as he placed his harmonica back within the pockets of his trousers. It'd probably be safer there, he mused. Straightening his posture again, Matt watched her closely, surprised at the tinge of unhappiness he could sense radiating from her being. He took a few casual steps away from her, to lean against the tree, crossing his right shin over his left. Arms folded over the expanse of his chest, he tossed his hair out of his gaze as he continued to observe her.

Perhaps, Matt thought, he'd been too hasty in his judgement of this girl's character. In fact, the longer he stared at her, the more she reminded him of his best friend Tai's kid sister by the name of Kari. Of course, he had no way of knowing how similar the two actually were, and it didn't matter in the grander scheme of things anyway. Matt simply supposed he could turn off the ice and lay on the typical charm. That usually seemed to work in lifting the tension, not that he felt particularly awkward. It took a lot more than that to get underneath his skin.

"Interesting," Matt replied, his eyes twinkling slightly. "Well, that's good to know then."

“I am truly sorry for any pain or damage I caused you. I, in no way, wanted to hurt you. I-I can make it up to you…somehow…if you want…”

He shook his head at her words. "Okay, okay," he replied easily, chuckling a little at her eagerness to make it up to him. Matt's initial angered response probably gave her the impression that he was going to hold a grudge against her if she didn't try to make it up to him somehow, but to be honest? He really didn't have the energy to care, and as long as she did not persist in hitting him with tennis balls, or stalk him across campus a la Jun back in his middle school days, it was no big deal. The tiniest sliver of something niggled at his brain as he glimpsed her downcast face and big brown eyes shimmering - probably with genuine guilt and concern - but Matt worked hard to push it down, ignoring it, and added, "Just...chill. It's fine. It was an accident, right? No harm and no foul in that case."

He felt shockingly tentative; this was the first actual person he'd shared a conversation with since settling into his dorm at Astraea Academy. The school was pretty big and fancy, and so he expected the worst; rich, uppity kids who had too much time on their hands and would love to get their claws into him. Just the thought made Matt's stomach feel nauseous. He hated dealing with those types of girls. The kind that threw themselves shamelessly at you, who batted their eyelashes coyly and rubbed their bodies all over yours in the hopes of more...At one point in his life, Matt hadn't hesitated in inviting a girl or two that matched said description back stage.

A hot chick, brainless or not, was hot. After his messy break up with his first and last girlfriend, he just reached the point of not caring and letting loose in every sense of the word. He'd started to party harder, drink harder, and screw any available hot thing with two legs. But that was not the person he wanted to be anymore.

Matt just did not want to deal with...anyone. He had willingly transferred to Astraea to get away from all of that. He rejected his parents, his ex, his small group of friends, and after a long, struggling grip of angst, decided to call it a quits and find a place where he could actually breathe. Making and building new friendships was not in his plans whatsoever. The only things he cared about maintaining were contact with his kid brother, T.K., and playing music.

Maybe it was backwards, maybe it undid all the supposed 'good' he'd accomplished in his past, but he figured he deserved to be selfish.

At the same time, it was hard to remember that when someone, a random mouse of a girl of all damn people, was standing in front of Matt, looking the way she was. For that reason, he sighed, letting his hand smooth through his hair. What could the harm be in entertaining her and giving her a false peace of mind? Plus, she was putting the offer out there. After this, he could leave her life as quietly and quickly as he'd entered it. The chances of them being in classes together was pretty slim as it was. It was with that final resolve in mind that Matt started to ask, "If you're really that insistent on it, how about you treat me to some food? A guy's gotta eat."

cliché

It may have been rude, but Machi peered over the man’s shoulder as he inspected something small. A—…harmonica? Deducing that this was the origin of the music she heard earlier, Machi’s guilt deepened. What if her ill decision had caused it to break? She would have gladly payed for any damages done to it, and the thought of that not even being enough caused her stomach to sink lower still.

It didn’t help that the boy gave her a snarky attitude in return to her apology. He had every right to be upset and cross- but what was with this guy? Did he honestly believe that she had it out for him? Why? As he straightened, she had the chance to get a better look at her victim. He was tall, easily towering over her, with sandy blond hair (she guessed it was dyed) and handsome features. A looker, really. But it made no difference to her if he was attractive or blue skinned; looks meant very little to her.

“…no, I do not use stranger’s heads as target practice if that is what you are implying. And I meant no harm by you.”

What struck Machi as rude was the smirk the boy held on his face; she felt he had already pinned her down in his mind. Whatever stereotype he placed her under, he would most certainly be wrong. She was much more dull then whatever he believed. And the effect of his brashness gave a strange effect on the brunette as she gained a little confidence. Once she made sure everything was amended, she would never give a thought to this boy ever again.

Still, despite how she felt on his actions she had still stuck him with a tennis ball. If he wanted, he could probable get her into trouble. Trouble she had no one to help defend her with. Maybe once he calmed down, and she explained herself, everything would work.

“I am truly sorry for any pain or damage I caused you. I, in no way, wanted to hurt you. I-I can make it up to you…somehow…if you want…”

#perfectphobe #it's-fine #it's-a-good-length-still #;]