Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Store

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

A soft little smile came over Shelby's face when she thought about Phoenix Rising, the Harry Potter convention she had dragged Cassie to a few years ago, kicking and screaming all the way in her Ginny Weasley costume that Shelby had forced upon her. God, she was so reluctant to go...I think she probably did end up having fun, though. She made a bunch of friends that I'm pretty sure she still talks to on Facebook and stuff, even if she didn't go to any of the panels or join the cosplay contest--even though our costumes were fantastic--or anything...and I know for a fact that Cassie's still got the costume. It seems like so long ago, but it was really only a few years, wasn't it? 2006, the year after Katrina. So I would have been twelve, and Cassie must have just turned fourteen...why does it seems like so much longer than three years?

I wonder if Cassie ever thinks about that con.

"I totally conned by sister into going too," Shelby continued. "She was Ginny, but I think I had more fun than she did. She really just liked interacting with all of the other random cosplayers and didn't do a whole lot of anything else. I was Coriander, my OC that I mentioned." Another smile. Ah, Coriander Aisling. She was pretty cool. I wonder if I could dig up my old fanfic somewhere...it didn't fail that much.

"OC?" asked the other girl in the car, who Shelby kept forgetting was actually there. "What's a--"

Shelby opened her mouth to respond, but Silhouette beat her to the punch. "Original character," she said before pausing and adding, "Aura." Shelby's brow furrowed in confusion before Silhouette said, "That's my sister's name, by the way."

"Wow," said Shelby before she could stop herself. "Awesome names."

"What's your sister's name, Shelby?"

Ridiculous? Nosy? Mother Hen? Any of those would do. After the tiniest of pauses, Shelby said, "Cassandra. Cassie. And I've got a brother too. Jake."

And a fictional boyfriend. Fictional, but real. And he's not Ron Weasley.

[GGJ5]

Silhouette St. James

"That's my sister's name, by the way," Silhouette explained for Shelby's benefit.

"Wow," commented Shelby. "Awesome names."

Silhouette gave a quiet laugh. "That's what people tell me, but I guess when you're used to it, it doesn't seem anything particularly special... What's your sister's name, Shelby?"

"Cassandra. Cassie. And I've got a brother too. Jake."

Silently Silhouette stored this information in the back of her mind, curious about Shelby's siblings but not wanting to pry, and also, not wanting to get Shelby annoyed with her for making her talk. Shelby was the least talkative person she had probably ever met. Which was saying something, because Silhouette didn't consider herself much of a talker, either. So she just nodded with Shelby's answer before saying to Tonya, "Hey, pass the CD case back to Shelby so she can pick something for us."

Tonya obliged, passing back behind her the full case of CDs, perfectly organized in alphabetical order and with the cover art wedged in the slots behind the actual CDs. The case held a little bit of everything from Lang Lang to 3 Doors Down to Andrea Bocelli to Three Days Grace to The Eagles to Goo Goo Dolls and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

Silhouette and Aura? I wish my parents had been more creative. Jacob and Cassandra were both family names, as were Cassie and Shelby's middle names of Emily and Louise--Emily being very prominent on Kristen's side of the family, the O'Leary's, and Louise being the name of Mark's mother. She wasn't sure where the name Shelby came from on the old family tree, but she assumed it had been a long-ago surname of some daughter who had married into the Wright family ages ago. That was how it was in families like theirs--names, houses, and histories passed from generation to generation, with no end in sight.

Secrets too.

"That's what people tell me, but I guess when you're used to it, it doesn't seem anything particularly special..." Silhouette said. Shelby gave a vague little nod at that. I guess that makes sense. "What's your sister's name, Shelby?"

A bit put off by the question, Shelby paused a bit before replying. "Cassandra. Cassie. And I've got a brother too. Jake." It felt weird to be talking about her siblings after being shut off from them for so long--the age difference of over five years between her and Jake had always meant that she wasn't as close to him as she was with Cassie, and she had hardly ever seen him since he went off to college...but lately she had felt more distanced from Cassie than from him. Lots of people feel that way about their siblings, right?

"Hey, pass the CD case back to Shelby so she can pick something for us."

Shelby browsed the CD case, not getting her hopes up for the titles and artists she yearned to see there. If she didn't know L'arc, she's not gonna know any of the others...just pick something and deal with it. If it all sucks, I can probably listen to my ipod without them noticing anyway.

She stopped, gazing down at a Josh Groban CD and recalling the night recently when Cassie had attempted to lure Shelby out of her room by offering to watch the live concert of the musical Chess with her. "Come on, Shelby, it'll be awesome! It's got Josh, and Idina Menzel, and you know I'm an Adam Pascal fangirl, so that'll be fun too. And we can have popcorn and I'll make cookies and stuff. Or just the cookie dough, if you want. It'll be fun, and I do like Chess, I'm not just saying I do, it's by the Abba people and stuff, and I listened to it that one time when you told me to, and it's so sweet and sad! I love 'You and I' so much...come on, Shelby, please?"

But she hadn't watched it with her.

Silently, Shelby handed the Josh Groban CD to Silhouette, followed by the rest of the CD's. Sorry, Cassie.

[GGJ5]

Silhouette St. James

Shelby silently passed a Josh Groban CD to the front seat as Silhouette rounded a corner. The choice in music told Silhouette just a little something about her new passenger. Only about as much as her talking told her... which wasn't very much. But it was more than nothing.

In a weird way, it kind of made Shelby an interesting person. She was sad, didn't want anyone to know, but couldn't hide it. And it tugged at Silhouette a little, sensing that. She knew it was hardly her place to worry now, as such a new acquaintance, but hopefully... hopefully this ride and this show would be a connection. Even just a tiny thin thread.

She pulled into the parking lot and slipped out the car. "C'mon, let's see if we can still help set up... Maybe the band will wanna chat," she added with a glance at Shelby.

With a quick tug on her door to confirm it was locked, Silhouette headed into the library.

Silhouette is gone from the ice cream place![/u]

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

Shelby turned her face to gaze out the window of the car as the music started up, and she suppressed a sigh. She couldn't help feeling guilty about the way she had treated Kagayaki, and Silhouette, and her sister. It's not as if they weren't asking for it--I mean, there's this thing called body language that they should have been able to see, since it's not that hard to tell when a person just doesn't feel like talking...but I didn't have to be so hard on them when they're just trying to be nice, or just trying to help me.

"See, Shelby? This is good for you. You don't have to be so upset and sad anymore, don't you see that?"

But this is what I want, Alphonse. I'm not upset. I'm doing what I want.

"Are you sure?"

Shelby sighed, closing her eyes. Yes. I think so.

"C'mon, let's see if we can still help set up..." she heard Silhouette say, and Shelby opened her eyes to find they had arrived at the library. She tried to remember the last time she'd been there, but she couldn't. "Maybe the band will wanna chat."

"Maybe."

Shelby has left Baskin Robbins.

[mystmoonstruck]

OOC: Golden is open to meeting anyone interested! BIC:

Golden Hunt

Looking every inch the tourist he was, Golden pushed open the door to a bit of heaven on Earth, his backpack suddenly a feather as he forgot his weariness from trekking around the city to focus on the dreamalicious confections waiting for him in their tubs. Where he should have been daydreaming of cocoa, hot tea or coffee, he was practically salivating in anticipation of a triple~no~quadruple stack of scoops, all different flavors of course. But, which? Standing before the glass-enclosed dairy treasures, a blissful smile on his face, he hooked thumbs in the backpockets of his jeans. Today, he wore his 30 Seconds to Mars T-shirt and a gray, quilted jacket that was managing to keep most of him warm. However, he had neglected to grab some gloves, and now his hands were fussing at him to wrap them around hot. Well, hands would just have to wait because his taste buds and stomach were arguing for such concoctions as Pralines’n Cream, Chocolate Escape, Creole Cream Cheese, and Jamoca Almond Fudge. The names were sheer poetry, and he could have brought many others to mind except the girl behind the counter was asking him what he wanted. He thought, from the expression on her very pretty face, that she recognized a true devotee. Now, it would take a waffle cone to bear up under his selection~and his appetite, and he made fast work of his selection (See above). He hovered as he watched her move from tub to tub, admiring her skill at forming the globes of delight for his enjoyment.

Once he had treat, spoon and napkins in hand, he made his way to a table where only one person sat, hoping the young man there, poring over an application though doing little writing at the moment, wouldn't mind his company. Luckily, he didn't, thus Golden was able to seat himself and actually feel somewhat civilized after having spent much of his time lately actually eating in motion, trying to cover as many sites as possible whenever he could fit it in his work schedule. With his backpack resting between his feet, Golden divided his time among nibbling, people watching, and helping the frazzled job-seeker fill out the application, coaching him into such entries as "strong wrists for ice cream dipping" and "personal knowledge of product", which was verified when Golden held a pop quiz about his choices. By the time the guy was ready to turn in his application, he seemed quite relaxed and in much better spirits. In the meantime, ice cream and waffle cone had vanished, reversing the situation so that now his outside was warm, while his "innards" were chilled.

Before relinquishing this seat, Golden decided to take the opportunity to check one of his maps so that he could decide where to head next. He made certain that he wrote down the address of this shop, for knowing where to dine at any time of day was essential for this growing boy. He grinned at the thought, remembering the teasing of his six older sisters and their delight in creating nicknames for him, including referring to him as "the bottomless pit" when it came to his sometimes-embarrassing appetite. Bowed over the rather voluminous map, he traced a street with a fingertip, muttering as he tried to make sense of the layout.

[Elda Forever]

Amane Ourmura

It always amazed her how well an ice cream shop could do even in the middle of winter. Amane beamed, though, at the layout of flavors behind the counter, eagerly imagining how each colorful, frozen scoop would taste. She leaned over, contemplating. In her experience, multiple scoops was always more fun, but she was just clumsy enough to drop the scoops, just like that guy in Lilo And Stitch, who always dropped his chocolate mint ice cream before he got to enjoy it.

Oooh...chocolate mint, and mississippi mud slide...and good ol' chocolate chip! She decided to go alphabetically, then realized that would mean eating her ultimate favorite first. With a little pout, she decided to try reverse alphabetically, and took a single scoop of mudslide to begin her afternoon free.

Giving her ice cream an appreciative lick, Amane looked around and noticed there was a severe limit to available seats in the establishment, and with a shy little smile she walked up to a nearby blond guy that reminded her of a character from a manga she'd read. Even down to the pretty curls. Amane was overwhelmed by the sudden urge to run her fingers through it, but the mere thought made her start to blush as she quietly asked, "Do you mind if I sit here?" She noted that he had no cone, but was looking at a map, and she was afraid he would take her request as a push for him to leave. Instantly, her hands came up in an apologetic gesture, "You don't have to leave, honest! I don't want to be a bother.."

Plus, you're quite pretty. I wouldn't mind you sitting near me..

[mystmoonstruck]

OOC: Ooh! He IS pretty~Alex Pettyfer purtyful! I was amazed when I set eyes on this rising star and just knew he had to be somebody to RP with! So far, he's a lot of fun. BIC:

Golden Hunt

In the midst of his attempts at map-reading, something he generally was excellent at doing, Golden's sharp hearing picked up the dulcet tones of a nearby female asking somewhat timidly, "Do you mind if I sit here?" Immediately, he looked up at her, a welcoming smile on his handsome face, the crystal blue eyes practically glinting like one of those animated heroes in cartoons of old and not-so-old. Suddenly, he was realizing that he was a table hog! He had finished his feast but had not departed, leaving others to wait for the moment that he would finally move his big, gallumphing hide. "You don't have to leave, honest! I don't want to be a bother."

"No! No bother!" he assured her as he tried to make as quick a work as possible of folding the darn map which seemed to be rebelling every inch of the way. No! I was never a neat little rectangle that fit in a pocket! I've always been a huge, sprawling being that wants to take up every bit of room in your backpack! Mwhahahahahaha! Yes, it even laughed that evil laugh at him till he scrambled to his feet, marched to the nearest wastecan and crammed the offending publication through the hole. "There!" he announced to no one in particular. "No map gets the best of Golden Sebastian Hunt!" Just as he was about to plant fists on hips and laugh the Secret Swordsman Laugh (learned directly from Dirk & Guido aka The Swordsmen), he hesitated, looking around and realizing that he had become the target of many curious gazes and a lot of snickering. He wouldn't have been surprised to see at least one cellphone pointed in his direction. Sneaking back to the table, as much as 6'2" of goofball could sneak, he finished gathering his things together.

"I apologize for my~um~bizarre behavior. I have a tendency to get~eh~a little melodramatic?" He doubted that little was the right word. "Maps and I generally do get along, but I think that particular one..." He paused to point in the direction of the trashcan that held the offending object. "...just might have been cursed or possessed or..." With a sheepish smile, he settled the backpack into place and remembered to pick up the little booklet that held his checklist. "Mississippi Mud: Perfect choice," he commended, nodding toward the treat. Then, he turned to head toward the door, paused and turned back to look down at the beyond pretty girl who had taken up ownership of the table.

"I'm in no position to do this," he began, "but could I ask a favor? How familiar are you with the city? I'm looking for some suggestions about what to see and especially where to eat." Since she said she didn't expect him to leave, he sat down again to wait for any tourist-type hints she might be able to provide.

OOC: As for The Swordsmen: Yes, Golden and his family enjoy reenactment events, too, and have attended them, in costume, throughout the world. // I feel compelled to leave a couple of links to these very funny guys so you will know some of Golden's inspiration, including the gestures/laugh he almost did:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmCd3UrP73I&feature=related BIC:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=phj3sc6yjjU

[Elda Forever]

Amane Ourmura

As soon as she started speaking, a set of bright blue eyes lifted up and smiled at her, sending her into a flushed panic, her voice quiet and hesitant as she told him he didn't have to leave. She didn't want to be a bother to him, she said. In her mind she added, And I would really rather not make you leave...

"No! No bother!" he assured her as he started trying to fold the map he had been looking at. The paper made loud crinkling noises like a maniacal cackle as he fussed with it, and a little smile came to Amane's face as she licked quietly at her cone. Tired of fighting with it, the boy leapt up and shoved the offending article into a nearby trashcan, then declared in a triumphant voice, "There! No map gets the best of Golden Sebastian Hunt!"

Amane let out a little giggle, expecting him to pose with his hands on his hips proudly, reminiscent of Peter Pan with his golden hair and bright, humor-filled eyes. But then he noticed the attention he had attracted, and slunk back to the table in a much more demure manner. Somehow, the sudden realization amused her even more than his pride in 'overcoming' an unruly map. "I apologize for my~um~bizarre behavior. I have a tendency to get~eh~a little melodramatic? Maps and I generally do get along, but I think that particular one just might have been cursed or possessed or..." Amane let out another giggle, making her hand shake, resulting in a little ice cream on her nose, which she hurriedly wiped away with a blush.

“It's nothing. You remind me of my best friend Kagayaki, a little bit. He makes me laugh all the time.” Of course, Kagayaki was too shy to goof off in public very much, but he liked to goof around with her and he likes to make her smile. Amane, distracted by Kagayaki's recent antics, got a little more ice cream on her nose, making her blush deeper as she wiped it away again with the back of her hand.

"Mississippi Mud: Perfect choice," he commended, nodding toward the treat. She smiled, and murmured, “Thanks..” She saw him consider for a moment whether or not he was going to head out, and was happy when he turned back toward her instead.

"I'm in no position to do this," he began, "but could I ask a favor? How familiar are you with the city? I'm looking for some suggestions about what to see and especially where to eat."

With another little smile, she said, “Sure,” and as he sat down, found herself blurting out, “I like your name – Golden..It's very pretty..” She looked down, then mumbled, “Sorry...you weren't asking about that...Um..” Amane thought hard for a moment, then added, “There are a lot of Haunted Houses around here. I always have fun at those. There is one on...well, that one's kind of far...and most of the others I know are on the more confusing streets...” she flushed, then came across a solution, “But I could show you, I mean, it's easier for me to actually show you than, say, draw a map of it.” She gave a shy smile at that, gesturing back toward the trash can/grave of his last map.

[mystmoonstruck]

Golden Hunt

The girl's giggles had been a reward for Golden, accustomed as he was to having his antics succeed with people to various degrees, ranging from guffaws to smirks. Plus, there was the ice cream nose that had reminded him of Willow and Xander's almost-kiss, one of his favorite BTVS moments. His giggling audience was cute~very cute.

“It's nothing," she assured him of his acting out. "You remind me of my best friend Kagayaki, a little bit. He makes me laugh all the time.” Golden smiled again and nodded his understanding. So, she liked a guy who made her laugh~always a good sign.

Then, when she ended up with a delicacy-tipped nose again, he really had to resist the urge, managing to simply comment, "Mississippi Mud: Perfect choice." What would she have thought: that he intended to devour her face? Well, it was winter, but he wasn't Jack Frost "nipping at your nose". Great Chrsitmas song, by the way!

Golden had a great exit going: the stalwart traveler leaving the shop to venture into relatively unkown terrain. Honestly, he didn't want to leave just yet, so he returned to the table and voiced his request. He really did want to know where he was going, and, if he had pleasant company, all the better.

To his plea for help, she smiled in her shy way and said, “Sure,” then, in a rush, "I like your name – Golden..It's very pretty.” She bowed her head, as if overcome with her admission, and her demureness brought a smile to his face, not a grin but something softer. His sisters would have said it was a "mushy" or even "sappy" look and would have drawn a teasing cartoon of "Golden Rover" (as they had dubbed their puppy image of their kid brother) wagging his tail. “Sorry...you weren't asking about that."

"No need to be apologetic for liking my name. I like it, too! But, now that you know my name, may I know yours?" He held up a cautioning hand. "No. You don't need to tell me. After all, I'm the crazy stranger who destroys maps and makes scenes in ice cream shops. Though, I have to be honest and say that's the first time I've ever done that~the map part. I do tend to act bonkers far too often," he admitted.

Then, she began her suggestions: "There are a lot of Haunted Houses around here." Golden thought that his eyes might have popped out of his head when he heard that delightful news, his mouth forming an "O" of surprise. "I always have fun at those." He nodded enthusiastically so that there was no mistake in his interest. "There is one on...well, that one's kind of far...and most of the others I know are on the more confusing streets.” Which was why he needed a guide... But, the poor girl seemed so flustered that he was regretting bothering her. He supposed he should excuse himself and continue his lone venture though the houses sounded so interesting that he knew he would have to track them down somehow. Then, she seemed ready to continue, perhaps having made up her mind about what she would like to do. “But I could show you, I mean, it's easier for me to actually show you than, say, draw a map of it." He chuckled as she gestured toward where the map had met its demise.

"Honestly, I do not always get violent when it comes to maps. Maps and I have always been good friends. You can ask my parents and six~yes, six~sisters! That generally was my duty: keeper of the maps, telling the driver when to turn where and how many miles to go. Thus, I was one child who never asked, 'Are we there yet?!'" The rolling laughter came again. "Now, you finish your ice cream. I'll be right back." So saying, he hurried back to the counter, returning shortly after with two Cappuccino Blasts, which he set down on the table between them. "Please tell me you like coffee. If you don't, that's OK. I can get very thirsty wandering around. I figure I can do justice to two Blasts." But, after all of that ice cream and a waffle cone, he was certain that a bit of barfiness might be in his future if he did have to dispose of both coffee/ice cream drinks. "Anyway, I now have a legitimate reason for sitting, don't I?"

[Elda Forever]

Amane Ourmura

She somehow fumbled through saying how she liked his name, immediately apologizing for it and bowing her head. It brought a smile to his energetic face. He told her, "No need to be apologetic for liking my name. I like it, too! But, now that you know my name, may I know yours?" He held up a cautioning hand. "No. You don't need to tell me. After all, I'm the crazy stranger who destroys maps and makes scenes in ice cream shops. Though, I have to be honest and say that's the first time I've ever done that - the map part. I do tend to act bonkers far too often," he admitted.

His words made her eyes sparkle with amusement, “I'm Amane..” She was nearly done with her ice cream now, and thought a long moment, trying to think of some good places for Golden to visit. She suggested the local Haunted Houses, for which New Orleans – with its rich history of voodoo and dark arts – was well-known for. After a moment, she volunteered to guide him to a few of the ones she knew, because she didn't seem writing a map for him as a very effective route. She gestured pointedly toward the trash can turned grave for his last map escapade, and he chuckled good-naturedly.

"Honestly, I do not always get violent when it comes to maps. Maps and I have always been good friends. You can ask my parents and six~yes, six~sisters! That generally was my duty: keeper of the maps, telling the driver when to turn where and how many miles to go. Thus, I was one child who never asked, 'Are we there yet?!'" The rolling laughter came again, merry and colorful as his name. Amane was still reeling from the thought of having six siblings.

“That's a lot of kids...” she murmured, forgetting for a moment about her ice cream as she tried to imagine. She's always been an only child, and being a shyer, more introverted sort, she hadn't much minded it. She'd thought about it, and when she was little even played pretend that she had a host of brothers and sisters. But really, truly growing up with so many kids running around..it must have been very noisy. “I admire your parents, haha..”

"Now, you finish your ice cream. I'll be right back." He stood up and she waited until he couldn't see her anymore, then seized the moment to toss the rest of her cone into her mouth, causing a brain freeze that came on so suddenly it made her eyes water. That was stupid...

When he returned, she offered him a smile, then noticed he was carrying two Cappuccino Blasts, which he sat between them before taking his seat across from her once again. "Please tell me you like coffee. If you don't, that's OK. I can get very thirsty wandering around. I figure I can do justice to two Blasts. Anyway, I now have a legitimate reason for sitting, don't I?"

She smiled and picked up the closer of the two Cappuccinos. “I haven't actually tried coffee before. But I'm game. I have friends who swear by the stuff..” She lifted it to her lips and took a cautious drink. For a moment, she was sitting there with a strange expression on her face, trying to figure out her feelings on the odd taste in her mouth, then she gave a wild shudder and shiver, making her whole body shake and her hair whipped around her face. “Wo-o-o-oah...that's...wooooah!” She laughed, looking over at Golden making her grin, “It's cold and..strange..” She took another sip, this time her eye giving a twitch at the bean-plus-ice-cream combination. “Haha...I think I could grow to like that...” One more contemplative drink, a little larger this time, and she looked up curiously into Golden's pretty eyes. “Do you drink a lot? Of coffee, I mean.."

[mystmoonstruck]

Golden Hunt

In response to his revelation about the size of his family, Amane gave a common reaction: “That's a lot of kids...” to which he could only nod and smile. “I admire your parents, haha.”

"I cannot lie: They are amazing. Our family is so embarrassingly functional that people think I'm making it up or covering up dark secrets. All the arguments are over petty stuff, and they never amount to much. We had to work and play together mainly because we were in all of these remote places where we mainly had each other. Oh, sometimes there were kids if we were around villages, but other times, it really was important for us to be able to depend on each other. Since I've been traveling on my own, I honestly get really lonely and tend to latch onto people. Don't think you have to entertain me or be my personal guide. Really, that's forward of me to think you can show me around. After all, we just met, and it's not like you should trust someone you don't know anything about."

At that, he had gone for the frozen coffee drinks, never thinking for a moment that Amane might not have experienced the beverage since it seemed so common to everyone's life these days. So, he could not disguise his surprise when she admitted, “I haven't actually tried coffee before. But I'm game. I have friends who swear by the stuff.” His attention was fixed on the girl as she sampled the icy drink, and her initial expression was difficult to decipher. Then, to his puzzled delight, her whole body began to tremble and she tossed her head so that her dark hair went into wild disarray as she finally had a vocal reaction: “Wo-o-o-oah...that's...wooooah!” When she laughed, Golden could not help but join in, tickled that she was capable of such an outburst. “It's cold and..strange,” she said before taking another sip, which curiously made her eye twitch, making him chuckle yet again. “Haha...I think I could grow to like that.” Her next sampling was a deeper draught, and she seemed to have grown more accustomed to it now that the initial shock was over. “Do you drink a lot? Of coffee, I mean.."

"Actually, I do. Our parents started us on coffee with lots of cream or milk and some sugar when we were about 10. We decided to like it or not and got to have more coffee in it by the time we were at the 13 mark. They didn't encourage us to drink a lot of coffee ever, and I know they question whether it's sensible to indulge in something like this," he said as he moved the cup in his hand, pausing to take several luxurious swallows, closing his eyes dreamily and emitting a blissful "Mmmmmmmm..." When he opened his eyes again, he studied the girl across from him.

"If I'd known you had never had coffee, I wouldn't have started with a Blast," he admitted. "I took for granted that you had had it before. You might want to be careful if you're not used to a heavy caffeine intake. I'm going to caution you to not go for the whole thing, maybe only half, if you aren't used to it. If you drink a lot of Coke or Pepsi, I guess it would average out a bit more. Gosh! I would have started you on a smaller drink if I'd known! I feel so irresponsible," he admitted, "leading you astray like that without even thinking! My sisters would be admonishing me. They definitely would be taking me to task for asking you for directions in the way I did." A sudden thought hit him, and, setting his drink aside, he held up a hand and said, "Wait a sec!" Doffing his backpack, he unzipped it, rummaged around inside then drew out a photograph book with a picture of a Golden Retriever puppy on the cover, placing it on the table before him and flipping it open to show a family picture: all nine of the Hunts, all dressed in their Christmas best, the most recent photo for their annual greeting card. The blond, blue-eyed bunch looked quite dazzling, all movie star/model perfect, with smiles the viewer had no doubt were real. "Blinding, aren't we?" Golden giggled at his question. "The rest are some of my favorites from digs we were on and places we've lived or just visited. Don't worry. You don't have to look through them." He chuckled again. "I know how people can be with their pictures and especially slides though I generally don't mind an occasional slideshow. How's the drink coming? Had enough? Or, have I started something?"

[Elda Forever]

Amane Ourmura

She mentioned that she had to have an admiration for his parents, having so many children, and Golden replied with, "I cannot lie: They are amazing. Our family is so embarrassingly functional that people think I'm making it up or covering up dark secrets. All the arguments are over petty stuff, and they never amount to much. We had to work and play together mainly because we were in all of these remote places where we mainly had each other. Oh, sometimes there were kids if we were around villages, but other times, it really was important for us to be able to depend on each other. Since I've been traveling on my own, I honestly get really lonely and tend to latch onto people. Don't think you have to entertain me or be my personal guide. Really, that's forward of me to think you can show me around. After all, we just met, and it's not like you should trust someone you don't know anything about." Amane was distracted from his last few words by the picture in her head of Golden being chased around by a bunch of sisters. Somehow he pictured all of them with blond hair like their pretty brother, and the thought made her smile as she worked on her cone. Golden went, then, and got them a couple of frozen coffees, which Amane admitted was her first time drinking coffee.

She felt his eyes on her as she took a couple drinks, shaking and shivering with shock and delight at the odd flavor and its accompanying aftertaste. “Haha...I think I could grow to like that.” She took another drink, letting it rest in her mouth a little longer this time, testing out its flavor with curiosity. “Do you drink a lot? Of coffee, I mean.."

"Actually, I do. Our parents started us on coffee with lots of cream or milk and some sugar when we were about 10. We decided to like it or not and got to have more coffee in it by the time we were at the 13 mark. They didn't encourage us to drink a lot of coffee ever, and I know they question whether it's sensible to indulge in something like this," he then took a few long, drawn out drinks, soaking in the flavor like he was tasting heaven. Amane, on the other hand, looked down at her cup dubiously. If it was strong enough stuff to go through all that trouble to add cream or milk to it and slowly work up to its regular potency, she was worried what would happen drinking the whole thing. Golden let out a blissful little sound, making her look up just as he glanced over at her. Something about the look on his face made her heart flutter and she had to avert her eyes, smiling to herself.

"If I'd known you had never had coffee, I wouldn't have started with a Blast," he admitted. "I took for granted that you had had it before. You might want to be careful if you're not used to a heavy caffeine intake. I'm going to caution you to not go for the whole thing, maybe only half, if you aren't used to it. If you drink a lot of Coke or Pepsi, I guess it would average out a bit more. Gosh! I would have started you on a smaller drink if I'd known! I feel so irresponsible, leading you astray like that without even thinking! My sisters would be admonishing me. They definitely would be taking me to task for asking you for directions in the way I did."

“Oh no, no!” Amane insisted, surprised that he would start blaming himself for her lack of regular caffeine. It made her feel silly and foolish that she had leapt into such large gulps without even thinking about it. It was either her imagination, or having such a beautiful boy sitting across the table conversing with her, or perhaps the caffeine, but Amane's fingertips started to get restless, playing with her cup absently as she shifted nervously in her seat. “You couldn't have known, and I'll be fine...”

"Wait a sec!" he suddenly exclaimed, holding up a hand as though she had been threatening to leave. Then, he grabbed his backpack and started rummaging inside it until he found a book, pulling it out and laying it on the table for her to see. Curious, she leaned forward, clutching her Blast in one hand. She gave a little squeak that would have turned into a laugh when she saw the cute puppy on the cover. A Golden Retriever... Heehee! “Aww, so cute!” she exclaimed, then Golden turned to a page with a ton of people on it. Her eyes widened as she realized this must be Golden's family, and she quickly scanned the faces until she saw him. As she had imagined, they were all blond, with the same bright, smiling blue eyes that he had. She couldn't imagine having so many people in her family, much less so many beautiful people. They looked like they would be the much-envied, modern version of The Partridge Family or something, and her eyes sparkled with wonder.

"Blinding, aren't we?" Golden giggled at his question. Amane just nodded slowly, dazzled by the sight of them. She wanted to study those faces for hours and learn to read what they said, between the honest grins and laughing eyes. She wanted to guess at what kind of person they were each like, and to know them better. "The rest are some of my favorites from digs we were on and places we've lived or just visited. Don't worry. You don't have to look through them." He chuckled again. "I know how people can be with their pictures and especially slides though I generally don't mind an occasional slideshow. How's the drink coming? Had enough? Or, have I started something?"

“Oh, you have definitely started something!” she said with a grin, taking another long sip of her Blast, then giving another shiver, followed by a laugh at her own reaction. “I think your family is very beautiful...and they all look so happy. And I have a thing for pictures..” She flushed a little, thinking of Yukito, and how over the top she had been about photos of him. How she had gotten hooked on cameras and even begged her parents to get her a better camera so she could practice with it. “Do you mind? I...I mean if I look at them?”

[mystmoonstruck]

Golden Hunt

While Golden was trying to not feel guilty about corrupting a young girl with strong brew aka a Baskin-Robbins Cappucchino Blast, she apparently was enjoying the new experience and, additionally, seemed delighted by the appearance of his photo album, even liking the cover art, proclaiming, “Aww, so cute!” He had a feeling that she "got" the Golden Retriever/Golden Hunt connection and thought that she might appreciate his sister's cartoons of "Golden Rover", which were inspired by the antics of their energetic, adventurous and often silly kid brother. He liked knowing that people could appreciate his family or at least accept him being crazy about them.

“Oh, you have definitely started something!” she said with a grin, causing him to break into laughter as she studied the picture while sampling the coffee drink again, which produced another shiver plus laughter on her part. “I think your family is very beautiful...and they all look so happy. And I have a thing for pictures.”

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them they passed muster yet again," he assured her. "Yeah. They're very photogenic, which explains our library shelf that's full of photo albums. Visitors have been known to pale when we decide to show family pictures." He chuckled at his words, which weren't always an exaggeration, as some people had been inundated with photographic evidence of the Hunt and Sebastian families. "Genetically, we seem to be fairly consistent lookswise. I've had friends calls us the Stepfords, but we're not really that perfect and surely not that plastic. If you know the Stepford movies..." It was highly possible that she had not encountered the excellent film, its poor sequels, and the dreadful remake although too many young people seemed only to know the travesty that passed itself off as a "reimagining" of Ira Levin's novel. But, there he was, obsessing over movies again.

“Do you mind? I...I mean if I look at them?” she asked after a moment in which he could not quite have guessed what was going through her mind~perhaps someone close to her. He tended to remind people of buddies and pals.

"No! No! I don't mind at all, Amane. Like I said, they're pictures of digs we've been on, places we've been that I most like to remember, such as Petra. Somewhere in there is a shop in Morocco, where my mom went into labor with me. She said I just had to arrive a bit early to get a look at my first country. I was supposed to wait till they got back to the States~to Colorado, but..." He shrugged, grinning as he did so. "I've never been very patient, always rushing into things, sometimes being too reckless for my own good. I just want to see and do and hear everything. Anyway... My sisters also were born away from home, and we all have~well~colorful names. I'm not sure where that came from really except the family on both sides tends to do stuff like that: flowers, jewels, etc." He sort of ran out of steam there, watching her looking at the pictures, wishing he could read minds (a lifelong dream of his, along with flying, the two things wished for upon every falling star, loose eyelash, wishing well and blown-out birthday candles).

[Elda Forever]

Amane Ourmura

“I think your family is very beautiful...and they all look so happy. And I have a thing for pictures.” She took sips of her Blast, happily enjoying the shivers and the little burst of restless energy.

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them they passed muster yet again," he assured her. "Yeah. They're very photogenic, which explains our library shelf that's full of photo albums. Visitors have been known to pale when we decide to show family pictures." He chuckled at his words, "Genetically, we seem to be fairly consistent lookswise. I've had friends calls us the Stepfords, but we're not really that perfect and surely not that plastic. If you know the Stepford movies..."

She smiled, not sure about the movies he mentioned but sure the Stepfords were all as unbelievably beautiful as the Hunts. “Do you mind? I...I mean if I look at them?” she asked after a moment, trying to control her insatiable curiosity.

"No! No! I don't mind at all, Amane.” She blushed a little at how he had remembered her name, and picked up the book to start slowly perusing it was he spoke, ”Like I said, they're pictures of digs we've been on, places we've been that I most like to remember, such as Petra. Somewhere in there is a shop in Morocco, where my mom went into labor with me. She said I just had to arrive a bit early to get a look at my first country. I was supposed to wait till they got back to the States~to Colorado, but..." He shrugged, grinning as he did so. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

“You were born in a shop in Morocco?” It was like the stuff of fairytales and books, her wonder only quadrupling when she found the picture he must have been talking about, the strange building and its surrounding décor in unfamiliar shapes and colors.

"I've never been very patient, always rushing into things, sometimes being too reckless for my own good. I just want to see and do and hear everything. Anyway... My sisters also were born away from home, and we all have~well~colorful names. I'm not sure where that came from really except the family on both sides tends to do stuff like that: flowers, jewels, etc."

“What kind of names do they have?” she asked curiously, going back to the picture of the whole family, studying each sister's face and wanting to know them, to have a name to give each of them. Then, she sent him a smile, "I'm sorry, I'm just so curious...I don't really have any stories like that. It's all so amazing..."