June 27/Speak Louder/PG/Open

[miyaji]

Character(s): Atticus Finnigan, Hikari Amamiya, and anyone else!
Time: Late morning
Location: Unused Classroom

Everywhere Atticus went, there were students.

It wasn't as if Atticus hated people or anything. In fact, it was the opposite. He loved others. He loved interacting with them even if they didn't want to do anything with him. But Atticus was always persistent, and would pursue conversations with people until they finally succeeded to shake him off. He would question them about the oddest of things - "What's your favorite font that comes with the Windows operating system?" - and when people would just stare at Atticus as if he was crazy, the blonde would merely give them one of his hugest grins and continue on to another question.

But now, they were everywhere, and Atticus wanted to be someplace where they weren't. He wanted to record another video for his Youtube channel, and he hadn't uploaded one in awhile. He didn't want to keep his subscribers waiting, so he decided to film in another place than his dorm. At least that way, it would stimulate his viewers' interest.

Atticus entered the spare classroom and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that it was empty. He pushed two desks together to act as his seat and readied his video camera on his tripod. Clearing his throat and straightening out his blazer, the boy began to record.

"Hi guys! Long time no see, huh? Well, I'm back at school now! So, yeah, expect me to be busy for a while... but I've been Tweeting a lot lately, so you can always follow me on Twitter! Anyways, about the gurgle of the Chinese Water Dra--"

Beep.

Atticus was cut off by the sound of the video camera. The boy went over to the camera and a loud noise of exasperation escaped him. "Argh! Battery's dead, dammit. Oh...oh well." It wasn't as if recording was the only thing Atticus could do. He could always record from his phone, but it just wasn't the same.

"Well, I'm already here, so I might as well stay here!" The blonde's tone was already cheerful and enthusiastic. It just wasn't like him to stay too upset over something for long. "Maybe someone would come in here and talk to me." he thought out loud, staring at the slightly open door to the classroom.

[tammy]

She knew that if she didn't find her dorm fast enough, her roommate would probably get claiming rights if she found it before her. But Hikari didn't care. She was too hyped up on exploring the campus a little bit.

After all, what if I meet a cute guy? Can't pass up the chance on finding cute boys!

There was a little spring to her step as she made her way down the corridor filled with empty classrooms. I bet people use these classrooms to meet up all the time, she thought. After all, what else would empty classrooms be used for? As she walked along in the mid-September heat, Hikari slowed her steps as she heard a suave voice coming from the last empty room on the left side. She strained her ears.

"Hi guys! Long time no see, huh? Well, I'm back at school now! So, yeah, expect me to be busy for a while... but I've been Tweeting a lot lately, so you can always follow me on Twitter! Anyways, about the gurgle of the Chinese Water Dra--" And then a beep.

Hmm. I wonder what's going on in there...

She peeked in. There, cursing at his camera, was a gorgeous blonde guy, muttering to himself about a dead battery or something. Hikari stood in the doorway, mouth agape.

Oh my god, he's cute!

She wanted to just stand in the doorway and spy on him forever when she noticed that he was looking in her direction.

CRAP. He's looking this way. I must seem like such a creeper! What do I say... she thought, smiling awkwardly at the blonde.

"U-um...hi there. I-I heard someone talking so I went to go check it out...I swear I'm not a creeper or anything," she shyly greeting him.

[miyaji]

Atticus's face broke out into a wide smile when the girl appeared in full view. He grabbed at his hair, still wearing that smile. "Hey, you really had no need to hide there!" he said cheerfully, hopping off the desk and walking towards her. "And of course I don't think you're a creeper. Why would I think that?"

He approached her, inclining his head in curiosity as he just stared at her. Atticus always had the habit of observing people he had just met as if they were newly found creatures. "You don't have to just stand there, you know." he said after several moments, stepping backwards and gesturing to show the length of the classroom. "Sit anywhere you want, I have nothing else to do anyways." He grinned once more, "Oh, and what's your name? I'm Atticus!"

The boy wasn't bothered the least. In fact, he was overjoyed. Someone to talk to when he had nothing else to do - that was the perfect present. Atticus loved talking, after all. He wasn't sure if other people always liked it though.

[tammy]

Hikari melted at the sight of his smile. It really did enhance the features of his face. She felt her face burning as he kept staring at her.

Wh-what, is there something on my face? Something wrong with my hair? Maybe I should stop wearing pigtails...

But then he spoke to her in that same suave voice, and Hikari felt some of her shyness melt away. "W-well I don't know, I was just kind of standing here watching yo--I mean, thank you! Guess I'll take a seat," she replied as she stepped inside and mentally slapped herself for slipping up. "I'm Hikari! Hikari Amamiya! Nice to meet you," she grinned. "By the way, you have such a unique name! Where is it from? And you're not really Japanese, are you?" She felt kind of bad bombarding him with questions all of a sudden, but she couldn't help herself. She was actually talking to a cute guy!

I knew exploring the campus before visiting the dorms was a good idea!

[miyaji]

Her face looks all red, like a baby Norwegian salamander burnt it. Atticus noted, inclining his head to the side. This was an interesting girl. The boy wasn't used to people staring at him like this, but he admittedly liked the feeling. "Watching what?" he asked confusedly, "I didn't hear you." Is there something even worth watching in this room? He thought to himself, glancing around the classroom. Desks, chairs, and a lonely bookshelf in the corner. All with thick layers of dust placed on them.

Nope, nothing interesting here. Wonder what she was looking at, I'm interested now.

"Nice to meet you as well, Hikari!" Atticus smiled, "And, nope! You caught on, huh? Yeah, I'm not Japanese. I moved here from America just so I could attend Aozora. Do I really look that out of place?" he laughed. "What year and major are you?" he asked. Getting to know people was just one of Atticus's many hobbies. In fact, he wasn't even sure if it was a hobby anymore -- maybe it was an instinct.

[tammy]

Hikari breathed a sigh of relief. Seemed like he didn't hear her slip after all...

"Uh uh y'know, just taking a look around. I like exploring new places." Wow, you're a terrible liar, she thought to herself. To her chagrin, she had never been good at making up stories. However, Atticus seemed to push that aside and began inquiring her, so she stopped trying to make up excuses in her head and answered him.

"Haha, well you have such a foreign name! And you're wayy too good looking to be Japanese." She was totally flirting with him, but she couldn't stop herself. "But that's so cool! Your parents let you go all the way to Japan? That's amazing. It must have cost a lot!" Hikari imagined how rich he must have been to pay both the tuition, and the cost to move to Japan. Bet he's super rich, she thought.

"Anyway, I'm a second year singing major! What about you?" Hikari was excited to know more about this handsome foreigner. She hoped they were going to be in the same major so they could do duets or something together.

How awesome would that be...

[miyaji]

Atticus had never called himself gullible, but he definitely was. He bought Hikari's excuse without hesitation.

"Whoa, really? I like exploring new places too!" he grinned, "I want to travel the world one day, after I graduate from here. My dream's to tell my stories of traveling around the world to the internet, through videos and stuff like that. I'm already considered a 'Youtube star', so I want to put it to a good use."

"Yeah, my name's even uncommon for Americans, but it really is a unique name, isn't it?" Atticus laughed, swinging his legs back and forth. "And... good-looking?" he said. "Really? Thank you." Atticus felt rather flattered. He had been told that he was good-looking before, but many of the people who had said it to him was later turned off by his eccentric personality and way of thinking. This was definitely a refreshing change. "I think Japanese girls are really cute, though." he added, "That was one of the first things I noticed when I came here. And, yeah, they allowed me to come... it took a bit of convincing, but they let me go. I just can't resist adventures." he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, I'm a third year acting major!" he replied, "Aw, we're not in the same major. That sucks, but we could always talk outside of class! You seem pretty cool. And you sing? That's amazing! I want to hear you!"

[tammy]

Hikari was amazed. She had heard of YouTube stars before (she figured they were like Nico Nico stars, like Gazelle or Halyosy), but she had never actually met one before! And now, going to the same school as one? It was so exciting.

"Oh wow, that sounds so amazing! Have you ever gone anywhere else before? I mean like besides Japan. I've never visited anywhere outside of Japan before, so I'd like to know what it's like out there! And what it's like in America, too! Is everyone blonde and obese and obnoxious and do they eat McDonald's every day?" Hikari knew it was just a stereotype (because the boy in front of her was obviously not obese and obnoxious), but she couldn't resist asking that question anyway. She hoped that he would take it as a joke. He seems like an easygoing guy...

By now, all of Hikari's shyness seemed to melt away; she plowed on through with her questions.

"Yes, I love your name! Though it's a little hard to pronounce...A-ti-ka-su? Can I call you At-kun instead?" Hikari realized that she needed to work harder on her English. What good was it if you can't even pronounce your own friend's name?

"Aww man, you're lucky. I don't think my parents would ever let me go to America for high school. Maybe college, but definitely not for high school," Hikari sighed. "Even if I told them I wanted an adventure!" she added. "So you're lucky. But I'm glad you got to go. Otherwise I never would have met you!" she smiled.

And I'm also glad I decided to stop by the empty classrooms...

"A third year, huh?" Hikari realized she was flirting with an older boy and blushed a little. "That's cool. Aww it's a shame we aren't in the same major, but let's definitely meet up and talk sometime! And I'd love to come watch your performances if you'll allow me to," she smiled. She wondered how expert his acting skills were. What if he were only acting nice to me and is really a jerk? she thought. Hikari didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing, since if he really were acting, then that meant that he really had skill. Still, she hoped that he really was just a nice guy because she could feel herself crushing on him already.

"A-ah, yes, I sing, but I'm not that great!" Hikari exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her. "Really. I'm just another voice in the crowd..."

[miyaji]

Atticus merely shook his head, "Nah, Japan's the only country I've been to other than America. And, of course not!" he laughed at the stereotypes Hikari listed, "Although..." he said, leaning a bit closer and mockingly cuffing his hands around his mouth as if he was telling a secret, "...quite a few people really are like that... obese and obnoxious."

Atticus couldn't help but laugh some more when Hikari pronounced his name. "Yes, Attikasu is usually how people here pronounce it. At-kun? I never had a nickname before, even back home! This is exciting! At-kun sounds fine."

At-kun. I like the ring to it.

"To be honest, I was surprised when they allowed me to go. But I'm really glad I did, I met so many amazing people. And, really? You're really that glad that you met me?" Atticus asked, raising an eyebrow, "You flatter me way too much. Not that I'm complaining though~"

"Hah, performances!" Atticus gave one of his sarcastic laughs this time, "I'm not that good at acting, believe me. I came to this school with absolutely no experience! I bet even all of the first years are better than me. I'm simply in acting because it's fun. Aozora as a whole is very enjoyable. That's why I like it... acting's interesting, but it isn't my forte. I'm not going to continue pursuing it. But I'm sure that it's different when it comes to singing... you look like the type of person who would sing really well!"

Atticus suddenly hopped off the desk and headed towards her. "I want to hear you sing." he said simply.

[tammy]

Hikari was slightly disappointed, but she tried to hide it. "Aww," she mused. "Oh well! You have plenty of chances to travel the world after you graduate!" She smiled. "And don't forget to record it all! I'd love to hear about your adventures."

She laughed as he "secretly" told her about obese and obnoxious Americans. She decided to play along. "No way! So they actually do exist!" She made exaggerated gestures as she covered her mouth in faux shock. "Oh my!"

Hikari was surprised to hear that such a long name didn't get a nickname back in his home country. "Really? B-but...your name is just so long...surely someone must have called you by something else?" But not that it mattered, since..."Oh well. I like At-kun too so that will be my special nickname for you!"

"But yes, I am glad to have met you! You're the first acting major I've met so far, and you have such a charming personality! Of course," she added on slyly, "you aren't just acting, are you?" She playfully arched an eyebrow at him. "I still don't believe how you can't NOT have even a tiny bit of talent. I mean, you're American! There's like Holllywood and stuff! I'm sure it's like your innate ability to act or something.

"Me, on the other hand? I had to work hard to get here. And even then, I'm sure there are others on campus who must be way better than me. Like I said, I'm just another voice in the crowd..."

Hikari felt her face get hot as he advanced towards her, telling her that he wanted to hear her sing. "N-no, you don't," she said rather quickly. Really, it's not that spectacular..."

[miyaji]

"Nah, everyone called me Atticus." the blonde shrugged, "Nobody ever gave me a nickname, and if they did it was from when I was very little and don't remember it. I guess the name 'Atticus' itself is interesting enough, so they didn't bother giving me a nickname for it." Of course, Atticus has been called names before. At his old junior high school, he was bullied and taunted, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"A charming personality?" he asked, grinning, "And of course I'm not acting! Believe me. Hollywood may be in America, but I've never even been there before. The first experience with acting that I had was on the plane ride here!" He explained, shaking his head. Atticus liked acting, sure, he definitely liked it more this year than he did in his first year, but it still wasn't something that he was incredibly good at.

"But each voice is different!" Atticus insisted, "Come on, music is different from acting right? 'Cause music, you have your own unique appeal...which is exactly why I want you to sing."

[tammy]

Hikari smiled. "Yes, At-kun, a very charming personality." She thought back to all the guys she knew (and liked) in middle school. They were either all good-looking jerks, playboys, or pushed her away once they knew that she liked them. She made a face. Yeah, the blonde in front of her was definitely a lot nicer than those guys. "And really?" Hikari's mouth dropped. "You've never been to Hollywood before? That's surprising!" She didn't know why, but she had a long-held assumption that all Americans go to Hollywood at least once in their lives...how silly. That was like saying that all Japanese go to Hiroshima at least once in their lives, and she had yet to go!

"I-I guess...how about this, if I sing for you, then you have to tell me a story about your first experience with acting because it sounds interesting!" Hikari pouted. "Okay?"

She closed her eyes. Hikari had a tendency to close her eyes when she sang. One, it kept the outside world from distracting her and two, when she closed her eyes, she could imagine another world, a world where the song she happened to be singing took place. A soft melody filled the room as she tried to imagine going stargazing with Atticus--the basic storyline of "Your Unknown Story" by supercell, one of her favorite Japanese pop bands, and one that, along with Utada Hikaru, influenced her singing greatly.

On a day like any other day,
You suddenly stood up and said
"Tonight, let's go stargazing!"

"You say some pretty good things every once in a while"
Everyone said as they laughed.
On a street with no light,
Like idiots, we joked and walked around
So we wouldn't be crushed
By the loneliness and anxiety we held.

Looking up from a pitch-black world
It seemed as if the night sky was raining stars.

Since when, I wonder
Have I been chasing after you?
Somehow, please,
Without be surprised, listen
To these thoughts of mine.