June 27/A Quick Jog/PG/Open

[miyaji]

Character(s): Atticus Finnigan, anyone who would like to join!
Time: 9:30am
Location: Track field

Atticus felt oddly vulnerable and exposed in his exercise clothing.

He was wearing a pair of baggy athletic shorts and a dark-colored muscle shirt, completely exposing his arms and the lower half of his legs - and he felt like he was naked. Even during P.E., he always wore sweats. It wasn't like he was uncomfortable with showing off some skin - hell, the boy was never uncomfortable with everything - he just wasn't used to being dressed in this attire.

It was cold, but he already felt hot and sweaty and the boy hadn't even started running yet. Atticus was standing at the beginning of the track field, running a hand through his messy blonde hair as he stared at the seemingly endless path in front of him. Why was he exercising again? Oh, right, he promised to make a blog post about it. He just couldn't break a promise, even if it was a promise made with people online.

A pair of girls walking past him on their own early morning exercise stared at him as they went by. Atticus wasn't sure if those were good stares or not - one of them had been looking at his arms and the other had an expressionless face. "D-do I look that weird?" he muttered to himself, rubbing at his forearm nervously.

"Well, time to start!" Atticus whispered to himself and set off on a leisurely jog down the track. After running for what seemed like an entire day -- but had only really been a little less than fifteen minutes -- the teen collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. He had run about a mile and a half, and sweat trickled down his neck.

"I...I guess it wasn't that bad." he muttered to himself as he took several gulps of water. "It's kinda lonely though." he admitted quietly.

[mellie427]

Hiromi felt the same way, she constantly gripped at her shirt, nervously, and tugged at the bottom of her shorts, paranoid that they were too short and that maybe her legs spontaneously grew hair. Yeah right.
Her hair was tied up and her glasses were nowhere to be found, she supposed it would be too stupid to bring it to the track field and lose it somewhere, ultimately fearing the loss of her secret identity. Which wasn't so secret, because she underestimated (or rather had no idea) of the power of the internet.
She passed by a boy with blonde hair and glanced at him for a moment, before hurriedly walking by him. However, soon she realized he was going to run too...!
Damn it. She cursed.
She decided to stay on the grass near the drinking fountain and watch him instead. And there goes another goal she set out to accomplish, but procastinated on.
After about twenty minutes, he came by the drinking fountain. She crouched her head into her knees and hoped he wouldn't notice her.
Sure, she knew how to act, but she wasn't trying to act in a situation like this. I mean, if she did, it would make her feel like her whole life has been a lie...so she tried to act like herself off the stage/set.
The best thing to do was wait to see if he does anything weird. If he did, she would go away.
Silence, she would attempt at a conversation with him.
She closed her eyes and waited.

[miyaji]

As Atticus regained his breath and was able see clearly again, he noticed that there was somebody else there. "Eh?" he asked as he stood up, running a hand through his hair repeatedly. "I didn't see you there!" he suddenly said, relieved that there was somebody else on the track this morning.

The girl was silent, and looked a bit timid.

"Hey, you out for some exercising too?" Atticus asked as he walked over to her, folding his arms across his chest, "The name's Atticus, by the way!"

[mellie427]

Hiromi opened her eyes and took her head out of her knees and looked up at him.
Okay maybe it wouldn't be too bad to start a conversation with him.
I mean, she didn't even know anyone here.
"H-Haha..." She laughed nervously. "I-I'm just invisible!"
Damn it why am I stuttering?!

"Are you out for some exercise too?"

"Uh...yeah!" She replied a little more confidently than her last two nervously-spoken sentences. "I just want to improve my running." She shrugs. "I'm pretty slow."

She stood up to speak to him at a level (well okay she was shorter) height, than her staring at him from the grass.
"Atticus?" She asked curiously. "What a unique name. For Japan at least."
She said everything in a slower and slightly accented tone than normal Japanese speakers. Which hints her slight unfamiliarity with the language. She has yet to regain what Japanese language skills she lost in America during sixth months.

"I'm Hiromi." She said and gave him a slight smile--she was gaining her confidence with every word she uttered.

[stephanie]

The track field wasn't deserted as Arlette thought it would be.

There were already a couple of students jogging on the track, and the regulated, oversized exercise uniform hung loosely from her frame. The chilly September air blew in Arlette's face, but she knew she was going to gain some heat once she started running. "Ah, but I need to grab some water first..."

Arlette's fingers coiled around the top of her empty sky-blue water bottle, she hadn't refilled it that morning. She looked around and spotted a drinking fountain by a patch of grass, and saw some students hanging around. One was a boy, and the other was a girl who was slightly shorter than him.

"Maybe I'd go introduce myself," she thought, "I don't even know anyone here yet." With that, she walked forward to see if they were as friendly as she hoped they were.

[miyaji]

"Invisible?" Atticus asked, and then laughed. "That's pretty funny! You aren't invisible, though, I can see you!" he grinned and then walked over to her, "Unless I'm able to see invisible people...which would be really cool!" He laughed once more, now in a considerably better mood since he now had someone to talk to.

Atticus was always friendly and hardly ever nervous, so he was glad when the other girl started to speak up more confidently. "Slow in running?" Atticus asked, stretching his arms out a bit, "That's nothing to be ashamed about! But I'm glad that you want to improve it, it's a pretty challenging thing to do! If you want, I can help you out."

"Yeah, Atticus. I was actually born in America and came here to Japan for Aozora. I learned Japanese, along with some other languages, when I was at America. I like languages and different cultures a lot!" Atticus explained enthusiastically. He then tilted his head to the side, " And you don't seem to be completely Japanese either, right? I mean, the way you speak is sort of different. I like it!"

Just then, the blonde noticed another girl walking towards them. "Hey!" Atticus called out, waving excitedly, "Come join us!" He then turned back to the other girl, "And, oh, nice to meet you Hiromi!" he said, extending his hand for the other to shake.

[mellie427]

"Probably." She said, letting his imagination go wild and smiled wider, she was feeling better as well. I mean, she barely had anyone to talk to most of the time.

"Ah...I guess, but it is something everyone should have to improve." She said nods. "I'd really appreciate any help, thank you." She says and smiles brighter, she felt more comfortable around the man, and hoped she was actually becoming his friend.

"Ah...you're American?" She asked in a 'oh really?' voice. She guessed he was from his whole appearance, but could never judge until confirmed.
"I really like languages as well...I just wish I had more time for them...I only know Chinese, Japanese, and English. Acting takes up a lot of my time, you see. I can only quickly learn conversational, but my speaking skills aren't the best....
I was actually in America for the past six months." She said. "I lost all my language skills in Japanese there." She said and laughed a little, though it was quiet and quickly ended, showing that she wasn't 100% comfortable with Atticus yet. "I moved here...the night before the first day. It's a nice academy so far, I really like it. How about you?"

At the same time, Hiromi sensed the presence of someone else, and she looked to the side to see the girl.
She inwardly sighed in relief. A girl.
She felt so much more comfortable just at the sight of her.
"Hey! Come join us!" Atticus called out to her. She smiled along with him, and then waved at the girl, beckoning her over. She wouldn't shout though, her nervous issues got the best of her.

As for the hand...as Hiromi turned back to talk with him until she came by, she saw the hand he took out, she blinked at it. Before slowly taking it and shaking it gently.
"I-I uh..." She stuttered. Did this mean they were friends? Or just common acquaintances? Why didn't she have any social skills? Oh yeah her agent took care of everything for her.
"It's n-nice to meet you too, Atticus." She smiled.

[stephanie]

Arlette could hear the two talking, the blond boy coming off as someone happy, extending his hand to the girl. Then the both of them called her over. A small smile on her face, she waved and picked up her pace, walking faster towards them.

As she approached, Arlette could hear the girl call the boy something, a name -Atticus-? "Ah, hello," Arlette started, and for some reason she felt at peace. For some reason this pair made her seem relatively comfortable.

"I'm Arlette!" She felt her smile grow wider, and waved again although they were right in front of her. She looked at the boy and the girl, "you guys are...?"

[miyaji]

"Yep, American." Atticus confirmed, "And really? Still, though! That's a lot of languages. I'm only fluent in several as well, but I want to learn a lot more. I'm an actor too, I guess, but I don't really pay attention to it that much...and you were in America for six months? Wow, what were you doing there?" he asked, genuinely interested. He didn't want the other girl to feel so nervous, that was the last thing he wanted. Atticus hated when others were uneasy around him. It made him feel nervous as well.

After Atticus shook Hiromi's hand, the boy then whirled around to face the new girl. "Hi, Arlette!" he grinned, "That's a pretty name you have there. I'm Atticus." he said, also holding out a hand for Arlette to shake. The more people, the better.

[mellie427]

Curious, she was curious as to why the boy didn't like acting as much and the languages.
"You're lucky then, English is very hard." She said and nodded. She was learning British English when she was in China, so when she went to America, even though they weren't primarily different, it confused her. A LOT. "What languages?" She asked curiously. "Ah...thanks. If only I had more time, I would agree with you. But I've dedicated my life to acting." She said firmly. It was true, she started when she was 12, so she still had a lifetime to go. "Maybe when I'm done." She smiled. "I'm really happy though...did you see the foreign language classrooms? I was so excited to see a French and Chinese class!" She said and gave a truly happy and genuine smile. Maybe you would have heard a squeal in there.
Even though she didn't fully trust herself to be comfortable around Atticus, at least yet. There was nothing he could do to change that. Only time could. But she knew with their short conversations, in their interactions, that she could trust him at the least.
"Well...I was in America...playing the main heroine of enter movie name that is slightly recognizable, if you still keep in touch with American movies."
She inwardly flinched and hoped he didn't recognize her. The last thing she wanted was for someone to start prejudicing or making fun of her. The last thing she would want to happen is for her to feel isolated. She was already depressed as it was.

Hiromi already liked Arlette, number one reason, she's female. Two, she seemd and looked really nice. She knew she'd get along with her really well.
"I agree with Atticus." She said after he introduced herself. "Such a pretty name! I'm Hiromi, it's really nice to meet you." She said and held her hand out as well. "So what are you doing out here on the tracks in the morning?"

[stephanie]

In her head, Arlette was taking note of everything being said. So, Atticus was American and like her, an actor, and claimed to be fluent in languages. The girl, Hiromi, seemed to equally like languages, talking excitedly about the Chinese and French classes.

"Ah, thank you!" Arlette smiled, after they'd commented on her name. "It means 'little eagle', or, that was what my parents told me, at least." She took Hiromi's extended hand, and shook it, looking at her and Atticus. "Such interesting names, Hiromi and Atticus." Arlette paused for a moment, thinking, before she exclaimed, "to kill a mockingbird?!"

In reply to Hiromi's question, she replied with a smile, "I felt like running a bit. You know, xiang pao bu (想跑步)." It had been a while since Arlette spoke Chinese, but the words sounded alright as she spoke them.

[miyaji]

"Oh? Well, I'm fluent in English, Japanese, and Sinhalese. I also know partial French, Italian, and Spanish. I want to learn a lot more, though. Like I said, languages and cultures interest me the most. Acting's fun, I guess, but I'm not going to pursue it after school." Atticus shrugged nonchalantly, "But it seems like you are! Dedicating your whole life to acting? That's pretty hardcore. I wish you luck." he grinned.

"Wait, you were in an actual movie already?!" Atticus exclaimed, eyes widening in genuine awe, "That's great! That's awesome, actually. I don't know that movie, though, I haven't been following American entertainment lately. That's still really cool, though. Why do you have to go to school if you're already an actress like that?"

Attics then turned to Arlette, and was surprised once more when the girl recognized where his name was from. "Yeah, To Kill A Mockingbird! Didn't think anyone would know that here. I'm not one bit like the Atticus in the book, though." he grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his blonde locks as a light blush appeared on his cheeks. The boy definitely admired his namesake. Atticus Finch was one of his favorite literary characters, and he had always felt proud of sharing the name. But the two were vastly different in personality, and the boy had always felt slightly embarrassed about that.

[mellie427]

"No no." She blushed and shook her head, too modest was she. "Your name is much more interesting. At least it means something. My name is just a generic Japanese name."
Then she flinched at her sudden exclamation. To Kill a Mockingbird...what's that? She pointed at Atticus, the confusion clearly showing in her eyes.
"He killed a songbird?" She asked bewildered.

And then she nearly imploded with happiness again, almost jumping in excitement, she started speaking in a louder, more clear voice.
Ah! ÏëÅܲ½ÏëÅܲ½ÄØ! [Ah! Xiang paobu! xiang paobu!]
ÄãÖªÖªÖÐÎĆ᣿[Ni zhi-zhi zhongwen ma? ]
ÎÒÅdŠ^ż –ÓöÒŠµÄ×ãÖÐÎÄÕfÔ’¡£ [Ta rang wo xingfen de ou er, yujian zu zhongwen shuohua!]
Hiromi quickly replied, though it's like perfectly normal speed in Chinese. She was happy to meet someone that could even speak minimum Chinese.
"We should all run together sometime." Seeing as they weren't really running at the moment.

"Sinhalese?" She scrunched her nose in confusion. "French...oh my god, how do you do it?" She smiled and nodded, considerably glad he didn't recognize the movie. Or her. "I love acting, much more than languages, because...it's just a part of me...you know? To put on a bunch of masks and play the characters you never could in real life, it really excites me. And I'm glad I could play in that movie, the heroine is very interesting."
She frowns a little.
"Well, I actually got a scholarship." She said biting her lip, she didn't want to sound snobby or rich or rude..."And someone wanted me to come here really badly. So I guessed it wouldn't hurt me to attend the academy." She said and shrugged, smilng a little more. "Who knows, maybe I'll learn something new!"
Or get better friends.
Which means, at least make a few. Which she didn't even accomplish. She just hoped she and Atticus and Arlette were already.
Oh she just noticed that Atticus and Arlette's names were both similar, starting with an A.
How cute.

[stephanie]

Silently, Arlette reflected that it would not have been so simple for a new kid to talk to people so easily in her old school back in Paris. Oh well.

"He killed a songbird?"

Arlette couldn't help but laugh; this girl was too cute. "To Kill A Mockingbird!" Arlette exclaimed, "It's a book, Hirmo. I was supposed to do that for English Literature in my old school." She glanced over at Atticus. "Ah, well, it doesn't matter if you're not like Mr. Finch, eh? It only matters that you're who you are." She paused and thought about what had just spilled from her mouth. She hoped it made sense.

"Generic, but pretty. Does your name mean anything in Japanese?" Arlette asked the Japanese girl. "And you're on scholarship? Amazing, zhe me hao , ni yi ding you cai hua. Dui, wo you zai fa guo li xue hua wen. (这么好啊。你一定有才华。对，我在法国里学华文。)" She faced Atticus, who knew so many languages, and asked with a chuckle, "You following any of this?"

[miyaji]

Atticus couldn't help but laugh at Hiromi's confused question about To Kill a Mockingbird. He was glad that Arlette had instead explained what it was to her, for he couldn't stop laughing. "Yeah, it's from a book." he said, after he calmed down a bit. He turned to Arlette and nodded agreeably, "That's right! I am who I am, thanks for that. But, still, it wouldn't hurt to be like Atticus Finch. He really is a cool character."

"And Sinhalese is a language from Sri Lanka, it's my personal favorite actually. And French... well, I'm learning it. I'm not completely comfortable with it yet." he shrugged modestly, running a hand through his blonde locks once more. He dropped his hand, however, to listen to what Hiromi said about acting. "Whoa..." he began, "That's really cool that you feel that way about acting! I have a similar passion with my online videos." he laughed, "And a scholarship? You must be pretty talented! And of course you'll learn something new. It's Aozora! It's an amazing school."

As the two started conversing in Chinese, Atticus merely swung back. He didn't feel left out or anything, in fact he was intrigued.

"You following any of this?"

Atticus laughed sheepishly, shaking his head no. "Nah," he said, putting his hands behind his head, "But it doesn't bother me! It actually interests me. Continue talking!"