sunset on campus

[larachekov]

You pushed me, to the top floor
so we could see the sights
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Lara was in a mood. She was tired and angry and hungry and bored and feisty and frustrated and so many other adjectives. It wasn’t even two weeks into school and she was already falling behind. It infuriated her beyond belief that it was so easy for her to get such bad grades. Growing up no one had cared about her grades so she hadn’t tried. Now when she was at some fancy school for the smart, athletic, and artsy, Lara needed good grades, but it was so hard for her. Sure she was intelligent, she just didn’t try hard enough. The knowledge that she was falling behind was the source of her mood and she wished to forget it. If she had to think for another sad minute of her grades and school, then she would lose it. She dug through the drawers in her room, attempting to find her sketch pad and charcoal, before slipping on shoes and heading to the roof. The roof was a place Lara had discovered her freshman year at Kostine and since she’d visited regularly. It seemed that not many people came up there; either they didn’t know it existed or they didn’t care, and Lara loved that. A few times she’d found a couple making out heavily but with a stern glare they’d left her alone. Other than that, rarely did Lara find anyone. Whenever she wanted to be alone and just draw, she’d make her way to the roof. It was her little secret that she loved and wouldn’t share with a single soul. Everyone needs their own sanctuary, at least that’s what Lara thought.

Since she’d come back to Kostine, Lara had escaped the slump she’d been in. During the summer break, she hadn’t been able to draw a decent thing. Even with her camera she wasn’t very talented. It had driven her crazy. So the excitement she’d felt when she’d gotten her ‘mojo’ back was an excitement unmatched by another feeling. Lately she’d been drawing so much more, drawing in the fear that she’d lose motivation again. As Lara walked up the stairs leading to the roof, she was still in her mood and she hoped she could change that. She clutched her sketch pad tightly in her left hand as her right held to the rail attached to the wall. The stairway was tight and dark. She’d stumbled going up the stairs before and it had been a pain. After dropping the sketch pad, she’d spent thirty minutes trying to find it, wasting the entire amount of time she’d been hoping to spend up on the roof. After what felt like an eternity, Lara found the door and emerged on the roof. The sun was setting and the campus was bathed in shades of pinks and oranges. It almost made her wish she’d brought her paints instead. With an inward shrug, Lara walked a few feet until she found her spot. It was near the edge of the roof and sheltered on three sides from the wind on windy days. It had a fantastic view of the campus and plenty of room to sit. During Lara’s freshman year she’d brought up a small metal chest and placed it beneath one of the many pipes. In the chest Lara had a blanket and a pillow, for those days when the rock roof was just too uncomfortable.

Lara found her chest and opened it, pulled out the blanket and pillow, then returned the chest. After situating her things, Lara sat down and began to look around. Out in the courtyard kids were milling about, wasting time before the dinner bell rang. It was only an hour or so till dinner so there wasn’t too much time to get anything done. A game of football was going on near the yoga club, a fact that made Lara chuckle before continuing to look around. Near the fountain a group of freshman were having a water gun fight. She scanned the grounds before noticing a bird situated on his perch a few feet away. Lara quickly flipped open to a clean page in her sketch pad and began to sketch the bird. It was small, less than half a foot tall, and had a soft and kind expression. It was a rounder bird and Lara couldn’t tell if it was fat or if it just had puffy feathers. Bits of orange bled into the reds and black colors of its feathers. His eyes were closed for a few moments before he opened them slightly to inspect Lara and decide if she was a threat. After deciding that she was not a threat, his eyes closed again and he ruffled his feathers before going back to sleep. A soft smile stayed on Lara’s features as she drew the bird, paying special attention to shade him in correctly and not smudge her drawing.

The drawing ended when Lara’s stomach growled loudly, startling the bird. He jumped up quickly, chirped, and flew off into the setting sun. Lara frowned and glared at her stomach. She was starving but she knew she wasn’t planning on eating dinner. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out Kostine had amazing food. Only a month into her freshman year she’d figured that out. Anything really was better than the crap she’d grown up eating, but she loved Kostine’s food. The only problem was when lasagna was served. Lara didn’t know why, but it was the one meal that Kostine could not prepare correctly, and it wasn’t just Lara who thought that way. It wasn’t uncommon for kids to find a way to sneak off campus and get something else to eat when lasagna was served, but Lara had never done that. Usually she just stocked up on snacks or went to a friends’ suite that had something to eat. As Lara sat, she realized she didn’t have anything to substitute for the meal she would shortly have to endure. She glared at a spot on the ground and sighed. It was too soon into the school year for her to get food poisoning.

tagged • Seth!
outfit •HURRR
word count • 1023
lyrics • jump in the pool by lenka
credit • AMANDA IN WONDERLAND !? @ caution
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[wickedgent]

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[/center]

It was getting late, and he'd been cooped up in the music room for almost three hours now. His fingers were somewhat numb, having been practicing pretty much non-stop. He flexed them quietly, eying them with a mild desolation before bringing the casing over the keys of the piano. It settled with a quiet clunk, hardly echoing in the massive music room. Seth relaxed a bit, staring plainly as he let out a breath. It was about a two weeks now, that he'd arrived back at the isolated academy. He had almost another two full years to go until he was finally out of there for good. And he wasn't sure whether he should look forward to it or not - because that meant he had to make a decision about his future and the fact that he was already a Junior made it seem like he really was running out of time. He looked over the music score sitting before him; Mephisto Waltz No. 1 as composed by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. It was an insane piece with a languid condensed melody filled with a passion and intensity that he could never understand.

He rose from the bench, grabbing hold of the music score as he further moved to put it in his bag. Slinging the black bag over his shoulder he gave the piano one last glance before listlessly departing. He was emphatically drained both emotionally and physically. Because the piece did that much to him. Though the effects had taken such a deliberate toll as a result of his three hour practice. Normally he would have felt so epitomized after his ritual piano practice, but he usually only ever went about it for two hours at most. Today however, after sitting through a lecture on future careers he had a strong ambition to work hard at what he knew he was good at. The only problem was, was that Seth was not confidant that he could be great at it. So he figured maybe practicing more might help. The truth was, and though he would never admit it to anyone, he was a perfectionist with his piano playing skills. He wanted to be the best of the best, but he failed majorly in meeting his own expectations and as a result was lacking in the motivation to try and pursue a career as a pianist. And after his practice today, that motivation - detonated by the lecture from earlier that day, had withered and dried. He couldn't play it presentably. He fumbled and slipped and broke the rhythm too often. He missed a few crescendos, decrescendos and other idyllic musical proses. And it bothered him.

He wandered the near empty halls deep in critical thought as he reviewed over the complexities of his practice. On a regular occasion he was not known to think so deeply or be so particularly critical of himself, but this was something he was actually serious about. Music was by his definition, his life. It fueled his basic energies and pushed him forward on a day to day basis. Without it he would be an impotent blob, and empty box, or worse yet a zombie. Seth. A zombie. It was hardly a striking thought and it was one that disturbed him. He didn't want to be some depressed emo kid or some emotionless buffoon. It would encourage more boredom than he could handle and that was a bloody nightmare for him. He shook it off, looking up ahead of him. He needed coffee. Something to buzz him out of this pathetic listlessness.

He steered off to the kitchens, waiting a good five minute until a coffee was wedged firmly in his hand, warming his fingers as steam curled out from the lid. He took a sip, departing from the kitchens in somewhat of a less empty pace and more with direction and destination. Where exactly was he headed? Well, when he wanted some place to just relax and let loose, the only place that sufficed on such a mild evening was none other than the roof of the academy. He didn't go up there very often, mostly because it deemed itself a hang out for people he didn't care to deal with - mainly those looking to get some and couples getting it on rather ineptly. But, considering it was getting late, he figured most people had steered off towards their dorms or were more aimed at indoor adventures. Besides, even if there were people up there, he could probably scare them off.

He approached the staircase in a matter of minutes and bounded upwards towards the roof, his bag beating against his hip restlessly. His headphones, for once had not been set on his head, and rested firmly around his neck, the cord connected to his iPod swaying back and forth with his movements. He wasn't exactly in the mood to be listening to much of anything, mostly because his brain had spent three full hours going over one song in specific. For once, the silence was welcomed. Though this likely wouldn't last very long considering. As he reached the top of the staircase, before the door, he pulled to a stop, taking another harmless swig from his coffee cup. As he pulled it form his lips, he reached for the handle, pulling the door open. He stepped out, licking his lips of remaining coffee and looked over the contents of the roof.

Almost immediately, Lara Chekov caught his attention, having been settled with a pillow and even a blanket. His brow shot up curiously as he waved, "Evening," He said, less energetic than he would have usually been, "You certainly look comfortable," He commented, walking over to her and then proceeding to sit down next to her, not even making the effort to ask. If she didn't want him there than she'd have to leave herself. Though, he was pretty sure his company wasn't going to be shot down. They were pretty good friends, so formalities were easily dismissed. He looked out over the horizon, the pink and orange sky slowly departing, "What are you doing up here?" He asked, taking another sip of his coffee.

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WORDS. 1031.
TAGS. LARA.
MUSE. CAROL OF THE BELLS - JOHN WILLIAMS
OUTFIT. CLICK HUURRR!
NOTES. >:3

lyrics. burn the evidence - billy talent.
credits. template - me; dem. steal and I eat you.
playby. - kevin zegers

[larachekov]

You pushed me, to the top floor
so we could see the sights
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

[/center]

The sound of the door opening had caused Lara to jump. Her head snapped towards the door and she stared at it intently as someone stepped out. When Lara realized it was just Seth, a smile grew on her face. Her attention returned to her sketchpad as Seth walked over and sat down. “Geez, don’t ask or anything,” Lara teased. She rested her head on Seth’s shoulder and sighed heavily. It had been a long day and Lara was ready to sleep. After she got something to eat she was going to bed and crashing. Even though she had some homework she should probably get done, Lara wasn’t in the mood. If she thought about it, that was probably one of the reasons her grades were always on the edge of failing; she never put the time into doing her work. Either she was too tired, too hungry, too busy, or too lazy. When Lara did do her homework, it was half the time half-assed. The rest of the time though, she put her effort into it and got decent grades on her work. She figured that if she put more time into her schoolwork and less into art and screwing around, her grades would improve – if only slightly. It was a thought, one she probably wouldn’t consider for more than a minute or two before tossing it out. The tutoring she got from her peers helped a lot too for the subjects she actually didn’t understand. Like math, science, and art history. Honestly, who cared about dead artists? In Lara’s opinion, it’s all about the present. When you try so hard to forget the past, thinking about it in any way brings back unwanted memories. She would probably end up passing art history, though her marks wouldn’t be excellent, which was just fine with Lara.

Lara laughed, “Why yes I am comfortable. I learned that the cold rocks up here don’t make for a comfortable sitting area way back in my freshman year. That’s why I brought my blanket and pillow up here. Makes a lovely little nest, doesn’t it?” Though she wouldn’t tell another soul about her spot on the roof, it seemed Seth already knew. Since she hadn’t told him, she figured it was fine if she shared her nest of blankets with him. It was always nice to have a friend to cuddle up with. Plus, Seth was comfortable. Lara had learned that a year or so ago. She’d been mad at him for something and then tried to get back on his good side by cuddling up with him. Even after he’d forgiven her Lara hadn’t moved because Seth happened to be so damn comfortable. Lara moved closer to him and smiled. “So you’ve discovered my secret hiding spot up on the roof. Promise not to tell anyone?” Lara teased. She knew Seth wouldn’t tell anyone. He probably didn’t see the same appeal in the roof that Lara did anyways. The people that did know about it just thought of it as another place to hook up so they were turned away from the whole idea of the place – which suited Lara just fine. It meant less people came up there so the place remained ‘hers.’ The whole magic of the place was the view of the campus. It had a whole different perspective on the beauty of Kostine Academy. There wasn’t another place on the grounds where someone could get a view as great as that. It looked over the whole Academy and showed all of its beauty. Lara smiled as she looked down at the garden. A few people were milling about. One was an art student – identified by the camera that was firmly placed in front of their face.

Noticing the coffee that Seth had, Lara reached out and took it from him. The warmth coming from the cup was nice. She brought it up to her lips and took a sip, enjoying the taste. With a smile, she returned Seth’s coffee. “I come up here to draw and get away from everything down there. It’s great for when I’m lacking inspiration. I just look around and pick something to draw or paint,” Lara said softly, a soft smile painted on her features. She opened up her sketch pad and flipped through the drawings. There were a few of people – rarely could Lara find beautiful people willing to sit for her, sure she had pretty friends, but they were self conscious – but most of them were of animals and landscapes. They all had a date in the top right corner and Lara’s signature in the bottom left. The most recent of the sketches was the bird she’d just drawn and the oldest was from a few months prior and it was of broken beer bottles she’d found outside her house in Russia. She lingered at the sketch of beer bottles before turning the page to a sketch of a park in Russia. It was weird, but Lara found herself missing home sometimes. It wasn’t her home she missed, but Russia. The place was beautiful and dark and cold and so very much like herself. With a few exceptions, the people there were spectacular and so very different from the other’s she’d met. It was one of her two homes, Kostine being the other.

Once again Lara’s stomach growled, loudly. She stared at her stomach for a moment and sighed. “Did you hear we’re having lasagna for dinner?” Lara winkled her nose in disgust. There was no way, no matter how hungry she was, she was going to eat it this early into the year. Food poisoning was not an option. She would rather lay hungry in her room with her stomach growling in protest until morning than eat. Lara picked her head up off of Seth’s shoulder for a moment and stretched her back. Some point during the time she’d been sitting, her back had gone stiff, a feeling that Lara didn’t like in the least. When she’d fixed the stiff feeling she set her head back down on Seth’s shoulder and looked into the distance, watching the sun set. For a few moments she stayed like that before jumping suddenly and turning to stare at Seth with a soft smile. “Seth, I’m going to draw you. You can’t protest,” Lara said brightly. She flipped to a new page in her sketch book and looked up at Seth. Excitement bubbled up inside of her and radiated from her smile. She hadn’t sketched Seth before and she wondered why that was so. He most certainly was handsome and he had this wonderful vibe that would be easy for Lara to capture with paper and a pencil.

tagged • Seth!
outfit •HURRR
word count • 1123
lyrics • jump in the pool by lenka
credit • AMANDA IN WONDERLAND !? @ caution
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[wickedgent]

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[/center]

Seth wasn't a big fan of additives with his coffee so on most occasions he usually took it black - and where people usually found it to taste predominantly like dirt, he actually preferred it to the sugary milk stir that others usually took to it. The same generally applied to tea, when he actually at the mind to drink it. He preferred them straight up, plain and simple and without the complication of accidentally adding too much or not nearly enough. However, that particular evening he'd taken the less ritual approach and went for something more common. Milk and sugar had been stirred in for the simple reason of accenting on the taste. Black coffee was bitter and lacked the perpetual flare that he needed that particular evening. So while the taste wasn't as welcomed as it usually was, it managed to awaken his usual disposition in placement of his sulky dried up desolation. It didn't really take all that long for the coffee to sink in, as he was beginning to feel more lively with each manageable sip. But the problem still lingered in the back of his mind, his fingers still numbed and his physical backdrop remained relatively languid.

As Lara commented on his absence of basic manners, he grinned plainly, eyes set ahead of him as he took another heedless sip from the Styrofoam cup. The heat that traveled through his fingers tips remained relatively intact, but as time passed, he could feel it downgrading, slowly slipping away without a concentration of consistent heat to supply it with. And his own body heat was certainly not enough for it. Still, he cupped both his hands around it, finally glancing over at his friend as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Since when do I ever ask? I'm an instinctual being. I act first. But if you so wish it. Can I sit with you, Lara babe?" he asked, almost mockingly seeing as he was already supplying her a headrest. He tossed her another grin before turning his attention back to the evening sunset. A gentle breeze tugged lightly at the ridges of his hair, dancing the thin dark threads into clean tangles only for them to fall back into place. He shook his head slightly, brushing the bangs from his eyes before, once again taking in a mouthful of the liquid substance. As he swallowed, it rippled down his throat with relative ease, expanding temporarily on the internal heat of his stomach.

Needless to say it was actually quite soothing, despite its mind awakening properties. Pulling one hand away from the cup, he curled it, cracking it against his knee to release some of the wound up strain - induced by over usage and quick consistently changing finger movements that he was often subjected to when placed before a keyboard, particularly of the musical type. He rotated hands, doing the same with the other as Lara's statement processed. He chuckled slightly, smothering a bit of a yawn, "Yes, yes it does. But, if you're going to use my shoulder as your personal head rest, I want the pillow," He replied coolly, "So cough it up Chekov." he added, putting on a bit of a smug display as he caught eye of the sketchbook in her lap. She was a wonderful artist by his definition - though this opinion was paramount by the fact that he was a crappy drawer, painter and the like. Art wasn't so much his forte. Music was. And where people believed he was a wonderful musician, he believed otherwise, simply because he was not good enough for his own expectations. He wouldn't be even remotely surprised if Lara felt the same way in reference to her artwork.

"You're secret's safe with me. As long as I can wander my ass up here whenever I want," he smirked.

Shifting a bit he crossed his legs, making to get more appropriately comfortable, only to find that, in the process, his coffee had disappeared from his grasp and somehow made it to Lara's lips. He shot her a dismal pout, pursing his lips until it was back in his hand. He said nothing however, her lips moving before he could really come up with a pointless remark that would have probably had something to do with coffee snatcher or something or other. Instead, his attention was shifted, "I guess there's no place better than here is there? Too bad I can't lug the piano up here,"he said sipping up what remained of his coffee, "I might be able to practice properly if I could." And he actually relished the idea because as it as, his practices were more stressful than usual. Maybe a change in atmosphere was needed.

He glanced over as Lara propped open her sketch book, eying it up as she flipped through it, "Hmmm," his lip pursed at the mention of lasagna, "I'm tempted to sneak into the kitchen and change the stupid recipe... its sucks the way they make it here," he replied rubbing his cheek briefly, "I don't want to go down and eat it. I'll probably just veg out in my room on noodles of something for dinner," Honestly, he wasn't big on the meals they served anyway, mostly because it was either too gourmet and not enough. What ever happened to potatoes and steak? No, not the crap steak they fed 'em, the real stuff. He was just naturally picky frankly, but that was besides the point, "You're welcome to join me," he added, downing more of his coffee. He swallowed the liquid as Lara then proceeded to insist on drawing him.

He shifted, posing dorkishly, "Go for it babe, my sexy face needs a place," He snorted, settling back, "Yeah go ahead. I don't mind," And he really didn't, what with having been captured on Corbi's camera multiple times, he was used to being a model.

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WORDS. 985.
TAGS. LARA.
MUSE. GAITA - JESSE COOK
OUTFIT. CLICK HUURRR!
NOTES. I AM SUCH A LAZY FUCKING TART. XD

lyrics. burn the evidence - billy talent.
credits. template - me; dem. steal and I eat you.
playby. - kevin zegers