Remnants of the Earth
AEDOLIS => Haviah => Topic started by: Flakeblood on September 23, 2012, 02:32:37 pm
-
There was one color Kotone enjoyed most: Pink. It was not suitable for decorating a penthouse space though, unless she wanted it to look like Valentine's Day had thrown up all over her place. Instead, she opted for some classy golds, blacks, and rich brown woods. It might have looked a little outdated—she had been told it looked reminiscent of 19th century interior design—but Kotone found it to be relaxing and cathartic.
She was currently in the main room, sprawled across a black leather couch with a couple ribbons in her hand. Her hands scrubbed through her hair to relieve her scalp from the buns they had been in. As the large TV across the room murmured some show she wasn't watching, she flopped onto her back with her hair spread out around her head.
It was one of her rare down times, where she spent a couple hours doing nothing. Later on she'd practice her singing, and after that maybe she should make some extra dinner to take down to her band mate, Felix. Sometimes, she'd swear that he ate candy and doughnuts for every meal. He could do with some beef stew, and she could do with some company to chase her self-depreciation away. Besides, she did live in the same building, so she might as well be a good neighbor.
Not now though. Right now, she was going to zone out for a while and forget that she had any problems or responsibilities. She closed her eyes and flung her arms over her head, stretching until she touched both ends of the couch before she relaxed into the cushions.
-
Right then, Felix chose that exact moment to burst into Kotone’s apartment. Luckily for him (and probably something Kotone would later regret), she had programmed the hand scanner next to the entrance to recognize his handprint. He liked having this type of power over her door, and took every opportunity he could to randomly walk into her apartment, most of the time for absolutely no reason. However, today was different. Today, he was on a mission.
Barely waiting for the door to fully slide open, Felix ran in, dragging some poor girl behind him.
"KOTONE-NE-NE-N-" As he dashed into the main room, he paused in mid-sprint, seeing his other band member on the couch. "Ah! There ya are! Look, look!"
Holding up the hand of the girl he had pulled in, his normally happy face was ten times brighter than usual.
"I found us a new band mate!"
He looked over at the supposed new member excitedly, waiting for her to introduce herself.
-
"Um."
Well then. Sophia took her hand back, and massaged it where she'd been pulled along. She did look a little inconvenienced, but simply took a deep breath and did just as was expected of her. "My name's Sophia, but you might know me better as Ragna. I used to play bass for Air Raid before we went on hiatus."
She looked around the room then, and away from the girl she could only assume was the singer of That Band, as friendly Felix there had said, many times. However, she wasn't going to say that right yet, instead opting to catch her breath.
-
Her reaction was a sigh, but nothing else. She was not surprised by the excitable voice calling her even as it moved closer. Felix always seemed to appear when she made plans revolving around him. Did her thoughts summon him? Of course, he'd burst in at other times as well, so she supposed it was more due to his need to bother her than any sort of power she might have.
What she did not expect was for him to drag some girl into her line of sight and declare her to be a new band member.
She gave him a "what the hell, did you bring a person into my suite?" look before glancing over at the girl. Sure enough, Kotone had probably seen her on the scene, and the name Ragna rang more than a few bells. Had she been good at what she did? Kotone thought she might have. If she was, that might excuse Felix for just up and deciding to include her on his own. ...Even if it was his band and he did things like this all the time. Dammit.
"Kotone," she introduced lazily.
It was rather redundant, since Felix had shouted her name as he came in, but she could care less right now. She slowly moved herself up into a sitting position, pulling her black tank top back down to her waist and smoothing her blue shorts as she went. She hated for people, especially new people, to see her in this disarrayed state. Her hair was swinging past her shoulders and probably looked like a nest. She smoothed it self-consciously and stood up.
Ragna's, or rather Sophia's, breathing finally caught her attention. Kotone looked back at her band-mate.
"You forced her to take the stairs, didn't you?"
-
Felix grinned sheepishly and clasped his hands behind his back, his breathing unusually steady for someone who just ran up several flights of stairs.
"The ’vator was too slow!"
With that, he went over to Kotone’s couch and plopped down on it. Looking up at the two girls seriously (or as seriously as one could look while smiling brightly), he cleared his throat, changing the subject.
"Now that we got us a new member, we totally need to get to know each other!" He looked over at Regna. "Firs’ thang’s firs’! What’s ya favorite food?"
-
Sophia was tempted to relax too, but she wasn't really comfortable in the houses of people she'd never met before ten or less seconds ago. Not only that, but she wasn't really sure where this favorite food thing was going. The lax side of her, the one she was in right now, was almost uncomfortable for some reason.
... Maybe being the more hyper and girly side of herself would be a good idea. Roxie was much better with new people. Ragna was more used to people she knew. In that case...
"Well, I really like sweet stuff," she answered, her voice just a few pitches higher than it had been before. It might be passable as normal, might -- but Sophia wouldn't be able to notice if it was or wasn't.
-
An eye roll was necessary here. Felix refused the elevators, despite the fact that they were undoubtedly faster than he could ever be, something that Kotone could not understand. Not that she understood any of his decisions to begin with.
Sophia admitting to liking sweets definitely drew her interest. Another who enjoyed sweet treats? Welcome to the band; when can you move in? She wouldn't show her interest so quickly though. She had a reputation to maintain, especially around the new girl. She kept her head turned slightly away, pretending to contemplate the sliding doors on the far side of the room that lead to the kitchen and dining area.
"I'm making beef stew regardless." However, her gaze sharpened and turned to Felix when she said the next part. "You will eat all of the vegetables this time."
If he didn't, he wouldn't be getting any of her flat blackberry cake.
-
Felix’s face immediately brightened at Sophia’s answer. If she liked sweets, they should definitely go out and get donuts! You know, to welcome her to the band.
But, alas, Kotone shot his hopes down. He pouted a little and looked down, one of the rare moments when he wasn’t smiling. Her stew was okay, but the vegetables... Bleh. But he knew she wouldn’t give him any cake if he didn’t eat them...and her cake was really good, too! Argh, decisions...
"Yeah, ‘kay..." Felix mumbled, kicking at the floor. Glancing up at Sophia, he wondered if he could somehow sneak his veggies onto her plate (because she was definitely staying for dinner, Felix would see to that.)
-
"I'm not very picky," Sophia shrugged. Obviously she liked indulging in sweet things, but honestly, she didn't usually care, as long as it wasn't horrible. Of course she wasn't all that happy about her love of sweets being apparently brushed off so easily, but it... wasn't a big deal. So.
-
A small grin worked its way onto Kotone's face as she considered her small victory. Felix hadn't actually eaten the vegetables yet, but she'd worry about that when it came time. Lucky for everyone in the suite, she already had some cooked beef, chopped vegetables, and beef stock stored in her kitchen and ready for use. All she really had to do was throw them and a few spices together and heat it up. It was so simple she wanted to pat herself on the back.
Instead, she nodded at both Sophia and Felix. "Good. I'll get started now."
She then swept to the sliding doors she had been staring at earlier and pushed them aside. She didn't invite them in, but she didn't tell them to keep out either.
Starting the food earlier wasn't in her plans, but she would just have to improvise, given the situation. Dinner came pretty late for her normally, and the drummer didn't seem to care one way or another, but she would make it at a normal time for the new girl.
She set about getting the needed ingredients out of the fridge and putting a large pot on the stove to heat. She pushed a button on the wall and music poured out of the speakers she had installed in her kitchen. Upbeat electronica (http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI6Ee5VNf4A) music filled the room, and Kotone sang along as she cooked.
-
[laaaawl, I don’t even have to click the link to know xD]
Felix trudged into the kitchen after Kotone and plopped down into a chair, dreading the vegetables he would soon have to eat. However, his happy mood soon returned at the start of the music. Resting his chin in his hands, he nodded his head to the beat, listening to Kotone sing.
Contrary to popular belief, Felix doesn’t just get lucky when he randomly asks someone to join his band; they’ve all had something really good about them he noticed, something unique he heard that really set them apart from the rest. Kotone’s voice and Sophia’s bass playing both had it. To be honest, he didn’t know what “it” was, but they definitely had it!
Distracted by his thoughts, Felix stared off into space, grinning goofily.
-
For a bit, Sophia was content listening to the music from afar and being patient, but when she'd been alone for a few minutes she wasn't so sure she should be waiting by herself. She stood up a little hesitantly before following the sound of the music.
At first it was a slightly new combination to her, as far as the melody of the vocals and the backing track went, but it soon became clear how they fit together as the song went on. It was pulled off quite well, and had Sophia known the song much, she might have sung along too.
"What's the name of this song?" she peeked her head into the kitchen. "It's catchy and unique at the same time."
-
[OOC: I know you don't, Miss Atlus. xD]
"Electronica in Velvet Room," she responded automatically.
Kotone had finished putting everything in the pot and slapped a lid on it before setting the timer. She turned to face the two who had joined her in the kitchen. Sophia looked rather uncomfortable, so Kotone rolled her eyes and motioned to a chair next to Felix. The drummer himself was spacing off, as per usual.
"But it's affectionately known as 'A Rave for Everyone's Souls'."
Since dinner would take a bit, even with the ingredients all cooked and merely needing some time to simmer together, she decided to bring out a few drinks at least. She sashayed to the fridge, singing to the last chorus, and opened the door.
"What do you want?" She gestured to the small array of sodas lined in the door. Some were cans, some were bottles with pop-caps, and a couple were smaller bottles with clear marbles sealing them shut.
Even though she knew the sugar would completely contradict her effort to make a healthy meal, she couldn't help herself. She was less of a sugar enthusiast and more of a sugar slave. At least one portion of every meal she had was required to contain sugar, whether it be natural from fruit or unnatural from soda.
-
A rave for everyone's souls... Well then. This band could be fun, especially if the music they listened to normally was this interesting.
"Umm. I'm not picky with soda," Sophia replied, after sitting down in the chair that had been motioned to. A quick glance at Felix didn't tell her much, other than he was smiling at absolutely nothing. Maybe he was thinking of something funny, who knows.
-
At the word soda, Felix blinked, coming out of his stupor.
"Oh. Anythang’s fine with me. Heehee."
He smushed his cheeks together with his hands, making a face that resembled a fish.
"Ish tha food done yeeet?"
-
Well, ginger ale then, since neither of them were picky. Kotone rolled her eyes at their indecisiveness and grabbed three cans before closing the fridge. She plopped two of them down in front of her... guests and popped the top on the third for herself.
"Should be done soon." She sipped at her soda. "Do you remember where the spoons are? We'll do this buffet style."
She set her can on a nearby counter, moving to grab some large blue bowls out of a cabinet.
-
"Mhm!"
Felix immediately jumped up and walked over to one of the kitchen’s drawers, opening it. He then closed it and opened the one next to it, successfully finding the utensils.
"Found em! Here!"
Pulling out three spoons, he held out two of them toward the girls.
-
Kotone couldn't stop the small grin at her drummer's enthusiasm. It didn't ever seem to dry up, even when the subject was as simple as spoons. She plucked a spoon from his grasp with a "thanks," and set it in one of the bowls. Placing them on the counter next to the pot of stew, she turned off the heat and lifted the pot's lid, stirring the contents with a nearby ladle.
"Yup. Done."
She was gratified that she had prepared the meal ahead of time; that made it so much faster to put together. Of course, it would taste even better in a couple days, when the flavors had time to marinate and combine, but it would still taste good now.
"How much you guys want?" She ladled stew into her own bowl, filling it only a little more than halfway, before setting it aside and hovering over the next.
-
"Not too much," Sophia shrugged after taking a spoon. "About the same amount as that is good."
Not many popstars had the gift of high metabolism, and she wasn't much of an exception. She also definitely would not risk an extra few pounds in exchange for more stew.
-
Felix sat back down, twirling his spoon in one hand.
"Fill up my bowl!"
It took a lot of energy to be as enthusiastic as he constantly was and, needless to say, he ate a lot.
-
Kotone complied with both of their requests, filling one as much as her own and the other almost to the top. She then set the ladle aside and covered the steaming pot with the lid before setting the bowls in front of them both. "Here."
Her eyes lingered on Sophia, but they eventually moved to Felix, a small grin finally crossing her face again. She went back to grab her own bowl and spoon, remembering her soda as well, and settled down to eat with them.
"I'll start fixing up the cake in just a bit," she promised, blowing on a spoonful of stew before sticking it in her mouth.
It wasn't bad, considering it hadn't marinated yet. A few red peppers would have added a subtle kick to it though. She made a mental note to try it out next time.
-
"Thanks!"
Carefully pushing any vegetables he saw to the side, Felix scooped up a big spoonful of the stew and enthusiastically began eating, forgetting to blow on it. Naturally, it was extremely hot, but after a bit of flailing and a huge gulp of ginger ale, he managed to swallow the stew down. Sucking in air quickly to cool down his tongue, he grinned.
"It’s hot. But really good!"
-
"Thank you," she echoed, as well as that following that, she almost made the same mistake. However, Felix had easily beat her to it, and she watched the frantic flailing for a moment, not too sure what to make of it but not especially surprised, either.
"... I'm going to learn from that and wait for the soup to cool a bit... " Sophia said softly, stirring the soup instead. She didn't especially dislike vegetables, at least, but they still weren't her favorite like sweets were.
-
Her guests' flailing was pretty amusing, she had to admit. She had grown up with scalding food, so she kept forgetting others didn't feel the same way. The stew carved a path of heat all the way to her stomach, warming her from the inside. Her skin tingled as the blood pumped closer to her skin in an effort to dispel the extra warmth. She enjoyed food that heated her throat and flushed her skin; it made her feel alive.
She smirked. "Suit yourselves. Don't care either way."
She'd be making the cake soon, so they might as well be still eating rather than sitting, bored. Another spoonful left her bowl nearly empty, so she decided to finish off her ginger ale before baking.
"So Felix," she started, still sipping at her drink, "Where exactly did you drag her from?"
Kotone glanced at Sophia before focusing on her drummer again. Hopefully, it hadn't been anything too important... or personal. Every now and then--who was she kidding, quite often he was oblivious to what people thought of him, especially on a first meeting. He'd drag them off or start following them around without a thought as to whether they wanted him to. She didn't care anymore, it was part of her life, but she wanted to know why Sophia let herself be pulled all the way here.
-
Felix, who was busy trying to peer down at his tongue, looked up at Kotone when he heard her address him. Slipping the body part back into his mouth, he grinned excitedly, eager to answer the question.
"Like, from right outside the buildin’! She was jus’ walkin’ down the street! Super lucky, huh?" The drummer gave a joyous smile to Sophia, bouncing a little in his seat. "Lemme tell ya, I’ve wanted ya to be in the band for a real real long long time, y’know, ever since I firs’ heard ya playin’ with your other group! So when I saw ya on the street, I jus’ had to ask ya to join!"
-
"Yeah, super lucky." Her words were coated in sarcasm, but Kotone couldn't hide the smile at his enthusiasm.
She stood up, leaving Sophia to answer the exuberant drummer, though she did stay in hearing range. She started grabbing ingredients from the closest cupboards, as well as measuring tools. Into the biggest bowl went the dry elements: flour, baking soda, cinnamon... She measured and mixed more ingredients until they were one homogenous mass.
Eventually, she left the bowl on the counter in order to grab some other components, like butter and an egg, from the fridge. Ah, and maybe some apple juice to give the taste more depth. All the while, she listened to the other two people in her apartment.
How Felix had recognized Sophia off-stage was beyond her. Kotone knew for a fact that getting dressed up for a concert made you look almost like someone else entirely. Then again, the only people who's appearances she actively noticed, besides herself, were the others in her band. She likely wouldn't have recognized Sophia as Ragna even if she had known her better.
The question was how the new girl would fit into the band, if she accepted. Kotone was still apprehensive. Well, she'd trust Felix. It was his band, and he'd done well enough without her cynical outlook on potential members.
She threw the final ingredient, blackberries, into the large bowl and began folding them into the sticky batter.