hatred is such a strong word [ almond - kenjiro ]

[CHARLIE VON SCHWANSTEIN]

“KENJIRO! YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD!”

The voice belonged to a very red-faced, very pink-haired young lady, who, currently, was standing inside a store she would never have stepped foot in if it weren’t for the boy who was just outside the dressing room. The boy, who was her butler at the academy, who seemed to obsess over her personality, trying to correct it and fix her somehow too boyish habits, was the one that had dragged her in here under the pretense of buying her a new soccer uniform and a new soccer ball. The little liar. This store didn’t even sell soccer uniforms. She’d checked on her arrival to Italy, and they had been sadly exempt from the list of stores that sold anything remotely sporty.

What was it with him anyway? He knew why she hated being a girl. At least, she felt he should. When he’d asked her on their first meeting, her reply had been a cryptic, “Just look at them.” Although she hadn’t said so out loud, she had been referring to a number of things. Their clothes. Their attitudes. The things expected of them and the things they weren’t allowed to do. It was all the double standards and something more, something else that simply infuriated her. She didn’t like being associated with the female species. She hated the idea that she was actually one of them, that, someday, she would actually be like them. They were so horrible, after all. So frilly and pink and pretty and perfect, topics of conversation rarely wandering far from boys and clothes and physical looks. There were so few girls these days that any sense for what really mattered in life.

What did matter? Charlie hadn’t figured this out for herself yet, but she knew this wasn’t it. Which was precisely why she stalked out of the dressing room in the simple white dress with the little bow in the middle of her chest, face tinged red in both embarrassment and anger. “You little bastard! I can’t believe you take me shopping, and this is what you come up with!” She hit him over the head with the hanger, snarling at him a little animalistic. She hated long sleeves like this, hated high collars, hated just how long the dress was (it reached to her mid-calf) and despite its simplicity, she hated the girly edge if so obviously displayed to her figure. It clung to all the right – in Charlie’s opinion, all the wrong – places.

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[KENJIRO KUMETA]

It’s A Kodak Moment!

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Taking a quick glance at his pocket watch, Kenjiro heaved a sigh and closed his eyes while putting his watch back in his coat’s pocket. A dejected expression on his face, induced from a simple lie to his lady about visiting a store pertaining to sports supplies and attire, illustrated excessive regret. He bit his bottom lip and wondered if Charlotte would hate him for dragging her to such a place. So much for being on good terms with her! Gently placing his right hand to his chest, he anxiously paced as if he were waiting outside the emergency room for a doctor to inform him of his loved one’s current health. It was best to keep his mind off what made him anxious. So he put his trusty gloves on, grabbed a pile of clothes, and started folding while humming a tune. Occupying his mind with other affairs was working perfectly… that is until he heard such displeasing and shrilling words coming from the dressing room his lady currently occupied.

“KENJIRO! YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD!”

As if out of instinct, Kenjiro covered his head and trembled in fear of being struck. There was silence after the outburst, which brought a bit of relief to the blue haired butler. Unfortunately, he wasn’t off the hook just yet, he was going to be punished eventually. Tapping his index finger against his head, Kenjiro tried to recollect what type of clothing he picked out for her. It could not have been that bad. He made sure not to pick anything revealing or something Charlotte would classify as ‘trash.’ Then again, Kenjiro was poor and he definitely could not afford to buy her the finest outfits, so maybe it would be convenient to him if she refused all of the clothes he picked for her. Though, he did promise to buy her something today and he could not risk lying to her again so being cheap was out of the question. Without even realizing it, he had already finished folding all the clothes he had gathered. A nice pat on the back from the employee who was supposedly assigned to fold the clothes… but that was unlikely. In fact, he was awarded with a few dumbfounded stares from random passersby. Waving his hand slightly followed by a nervous chuckle, he turned around and tried to avoid eye contact with them.

Kenjiro’s eyes opened wide when he heard his lady shouting again. It was a little embarrassing having to practically babysit your lady while she had a temper tantrum in public. Putting his index finger to his lips, he glanced to his side hoping they would not get scolded for causing such a ruckus. “I’m sorry! J-Just keep your voice down, m’lady!” He pleaded quietly, flinching at the sight of the clothes hanger she held. As expected, Charlotte struck him with the clothes hanger and snarled, he covered his head hoping she would not strike him again. “Please don’t be angry! I-I just wanted to buy you clothes that contrast from the ones you currently own…” His lips quivered, hesitantly taking a few steps back and briefly examined the dress she was wearing. He paused and tilted his head to the side, making sure to take a good look since she was probably going to rip it to shreds in a sport or maybe at this moment.

A camera to capture this rare moment would have been wonderful right now. He closed his eyes and smiled, “Wow! You look very cute, m’lady!” Kenjiro complimented her, clasping his hands together as his cheeks turned slightly red. Then it hit him. Charlotte despised the thought of being considered a girl and his compliment was definitely one for to a lady. Sweat trickled down his face as he frantically flailed his arms and shook his head, “I-I mean you look very handsome… AH! I MEAN THAT DRESS LOOKS NICE ON YOU! I MEAN… PLEASE FORGIVE ME!” He shielded his face and crouched down. Trying to come up with a compliment that wouldn’t lead to a painful outcome was very difficult.

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& tag: Charlotte~!
♥ word count: 693
♦ muse: OK.
♣ music: None.
• comments: La la la~

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[CHARLIE VON SCHWANSTEIN]

This was an extremely unfortunate kid. He had to be, to have landed with Charlie as his lady of all things. Their personalities simply didn’t clash. She was the man he would never be, and he appeared almost to be the girl he wished she were. It was frustrating to Charlie if not the both of them. He wanted her in dresses and skirts rather than the jeans and slacks she so much preferred. He knew she hated dresses. She had lectured him on that personally. Yet he had dragged her here under some pretense and stuck her in the changing room with this stupid dress.

Although… she had to admit it was soft, even a little appealing. She bit her lip, staring down at the white material. It reminded her of the nightgown her father had given her for Christmas one year, the one she’d never gotten to wear because it had been stolen only a few weeks later. Unlucky. But this one was kinda cute, actually. She examined the fabric further. It wasn’t that horrible. After all, it went to the calf, although the length wasn’t her favorite thing. It was either ankle or knee (she preferred ankle). The collar was bugging her, but she could unbutton it couldn’t she? Charlie attempted this pulling the buttons up to just above her chest. The sleeves were something she could do nothing about however: they reached to her wrists, were rather tight on the arms. But the worst thing was that it showed off her shape, the one that she cared so little about and the one that guys would care about had she bothered to wear something like this.

She ground her teeth, lifting the hanger against and brining it mercilessly down on his head one more time, just as he began with his little speech. She glared at him, crossing her arms and cocking one hip, muttering, “I like the clothes I own. I don’t like stuff like this!” if she hadn’t been standing in the middle of a store, she would probably have ripped the gown from her body and gone back inside to dress in her other clothes. Hell, she might do it despite that fact, just to embarrass him and make her point more clear. It couldn’t exactly hurt, considering she would never come back her again. She hated this place. She loathed it. She detested it. She despised it.

And for a moment, she hated him, too. Maybe that was just because of how angry she was, she wasn’t sure. She just knew that she wanted out of this dress, out of this store, and back home where she belonged. The thought made her stop. Where she belonged? Where did she belong? Ever since her father had died, “home” had lost its appeal. It wasn’t “home” anymore. Her father had told her countless times that home, the place where you belonged, wasn’t a place at all. It was with people you loved and who loved you, a place you could be happy. She loved her siblings, but she wasn’t happy there. She was sure her brothers loved her, but she wasn’t happy. Her mother made her life miserable in ways that wouldn’t hold up anywhere.

She sighed, glare fading as she handed him the hanger and petted his head briefly with her free hand. “Go put that away, would you? It’s an extra I found in the dressing room.” She tried to smile, but it came out more of a grimace, so she dropped the façade, playing on her poker face instead. “I’m getting changed now. Be right back. Then we can get out of here.” She headed back in the direction of the changing room, thoughts roiling in her mind as her back and shoulders stiffened. She would not cry. Charlie von Schwanstein would not cry. She was better than that. It was the only reason she managed to hold off the tears until she’d closed the dressing room door and sunk clean to the floor. Then they came, rolling wet and hot over her cheeks as she tried to banish them to no success.

[KENJIRO KUMETA]

It’s A Kodak Moment!

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As he apologized and tried to come up with a better compliment, he noticed Charlotte examine the dress she currently wore. A small smile appeared on his face wondering if she approved of the dress and was actually willing to allow him to purchase it for her. Once he ran out of time to come up with a better compliment, he still received another whack to the head with the clothes hanger. He covered his head and took a few steps back. His lips quivered and he whimpered a little frightened of his lady’s temper; however, he would eventually get used to it. Lowering his hands from his head he blinked a few times when she spoke to him again. Apparently his selection of clothes was not good enough of a replacement for the clothes she currently owned. Better yet, she liked her own clothes; his meddling in changing her taste in clothes was already pushing it.

How disappointing. Kenjiro nodded to his lady, feeling horrible for forcing her to come to a place she completely detested. “I understand. I’m sorry.” He said apologetically, waiting for another lecture or whack to the head by the ever so painful hanger. After his apology, there was a long pause and awkward silence. People were staring and it was very embarrassing, he did not care about humiliating himself but the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass his lady. Kenjiro opened his mouth to speak again, but immediately swallowed those words when he noticed Charlie handing him the clothes hanger followed by a pat to the head. This was definitely a sign that she was not going to hurt him, or perhaps she found something more painful in the dressing room. A small bead of sweat trickled down his cheek as he took the clothes hanger and the extra dress. She asked him to return the outfit and had a false expression plastered on her face. There was no doubt about it, she was definitely upset, and the tone in her voice was definitely off. Kenjiro nodded to her and decided to return it to the front desk.

Well, so much for his plan to make Charlotte act more like a girl. Biting his bottom lip he gently hanged the outfit with the other clothes and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped the sweat off his face and noticed a few girls outside the store laughing and having a conversation while enjoying their meal. Kenjiro wondered if Charlotte had any friends that were female. Maybe if he asked those girls if they could be Charlotte’s friend then she could probably be convinced to be more lady-like. Kenjiro closed his eyes and chuckled, this was a perfect plan! Friends always encourage others to do something they are reluctant to do. Taking a few steps towards the girls, he froze when he noticed one of the girls pull out a cigarette and light it. The same joyful expression remained on his face, but he made a quick 180 degree turn and discarded that idea. Friends could also be a bad influence and he definitely did not want Charlotte to smoke!

There was no point in coming here empty handed, he did promise to buy her something. He looked through a few clothes for males and decided to bring those to her. He hoped his lady would forgive him. Kenjiro approached the room and stared at the door, he was definitely hesitating to knock. The blue haired butler stood in the same spot for several minutes and was unsure on how to offer the clothes to her. Finally facing his fears, he gently knocked on the door and closed his eyes, “M’lady… I’m sorry for intruding, but I promised to buy you something today… I brought you some clothes that may be fitting to your tastes,” Kenjiro said to her, backing away from the door in case she wished to open the door. His teeth chattered and heart raced, he was very anxious to hear her answer, but did not want to rush her either. Setting the clothes on a bench behind him, he put his hands behind his back and bowed repeatedly. He muttered a few apologies under his breath and was practically preparing an apology once she opened the door.

Then he remembered the tone of her voice when she asked him to return the clothes. She was neither mad nor happy, she was sad. Kenjiro definitely blew it, he shook his head while keeping his head down, “If you don't want clothes,” he began as he sat down on the bench and grinned, “then I’ll search all over Italy for a very rare soccer ball!” What was he saying? There was no way in hell he could afford a ‘rare’ soccer ball, one signed by professional soccer players that is. His idea of a rare soccer ball was probably one with the most colors or interesting design. “I want Lady Charlie to be happy, so I’ll do my best not to meddle with your taste in clothes.” He was really motivated now and hoped he would be able cheer her up… or at least get her back to normal. He wasn’t even sure if she was sad or not, he was merely assuming.

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& tag: Charlotte~!
♥ word count: 891
♦ muse: Good.
♣ music: JOINT by Kawada Mami.
• comments: ...

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[CHARLIE VON SCHWANSTEIN]

Friends? The ones she had were few, male, and currently nowhere near. Namely, her brothers. She loved the idiots more than anything in the world. But she just didn’t get along well with other girls, for much of the same reason she sometimes wished she weren’t one herself. They were just too… blech, she couldn’t even come up with a real word to describe them! Annoying. Perplexing. Irritating. Aggravating. Stupid. All yet none of those applied accurately to the female race. Especially the girl he would want her to befriend. She didn’t see how that would ever work out in the first place. She didn’t go near those girls from experience. The stereotypes had different names in all countries, but the point was usually the same. Girls like that… she didn’t want anything to do with them. Why couldn’t he just understand that?

Why didn’t anyone understand that?

The tears came faster as she tried to rub them away. The thoughts just kept barging into her mind, making her remember things. And then she was reliving her grandfather’s death, her father’s. The tears came harder, and she had to cover her mouth with her hand not to make a sound. She sat like that until she suddenly heard his voice. It pulled her back, slowed the tears, made her realize she really had nothing to cry about. Pride stacked back up inside her, helping her get up as she rubbed furiously at her face to hide the results of the tears. Nonetheless, it was impossible to hide the new red rims around her eyes, or the way her nose was a little flushed. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, had a nose as bright as a Christmas light – was that even from the song?

She took a deep breath and changed slowly back into her jeans and hoodie as he spoke. The words even brought a small smile to her lips. Rare soccer ball, huh? She didn’t need one. She didn’t play. And it would only give her mother another thing to bitch at her for. Playing soccer in the mud, grass stains on my butt. my, weren’t we feeling poetic today? Charlie pulled the green hood over her head, bowing her face slightly so she was staring at her sneaker. Her pink hair wasn’t hidden very well in the recesses of the material, rather in two sections on either side of her face. She hated the color, but she was too prideful to dye it or cut it off. And deep inside, she had to admit she didn’t think short hair or hair of any other color really fit her. It was the closest thing to fashion she knew or cared about. Or maybe she simply liked the two hundred strokes of brush she did every morning and every evening.

She put the dress back on the hanger and opened the door just as he finished with his comment. She smiled at him, just a little, keeping her eyes down, and murmured, “I’d appreciate that, Kenjiro.” She glanced at the clothes he had placed on the bench. She didn’t want to try on anything else. In fact, she just wanted to leave. But she was hungry, so much so that she contemplatively placed a hand on her stomach. “I’d really rather not try on anything else today, but if you’re that intent on buying something for me, why don’t you just get me something to eat?” she asked, still not looking at him, her voice still soft and fragile. “I’m starving.” Then she looked up, unintentionally letting him see the burden in her expression, the redness of her eyes and nose, the one tear that was clinging to her eyelashes. After a long moment of just watching the blue-haired butler, she added, “Please?”

ooc||sorry it's not as long as yours, but hope you like anyway ^^

[KENJIRO KUMETA]

It’s A Kodak Moment!

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Twiddling his thumbs while waiting for his lady to finish getting dressed, he took a second glance at the clothes he picked out for her and frowned. Who was he kidding? His taste in clothing was atrocious; he picked out button up shirts, long socks, business coats, and overalls. Kenjiro lowered his head and sulked while waiting for Charlotte to finish up. At the sound of the door opening, the young butler stood up and put his hands behind his back. Charlotte’s words brought some relief to the blue haired butler and she really wanted the soccer ball after all! Such news brought an enthusiastic smile on his face as he thought of what kind of designs Charlotte would prefer on her new soccer ball. Everything was going to be OK now, she would eventually forget this event ever happened and he would be spared from any physical pain. There was always a bright side to a story and it definitely had its positive traits! That is… until sorrow makes its appearance and deteriorates any sign of happiness.

There were dry tears on her cheeks which meant Charlotte was crying. She was not very subtle when it came to hiding her red nose, eyes, and dry tears with the hood. Time came to a brief stop, his surroundings froze in place, and everyone but Charlotte lost their color. This was definitely a hallucination caused by paranoia and intense anxiety. Ominous and menacing silhouettes of random civilians surrounded them, pointing an accusing index finger at him. The figures accused him of hurting an innocent young girl and prodded him with their sharp fingers. He caused this! It was his fault! The lowest of the low! Kenjiro covered his ears and shook his head, apologizing several times hoping he would be forgiven for his wrongdoings. It was definitely an exaggeration, it’s not like he physically hurt her… but he was blowing the matters out of proportion. Hearing her lady speak once again allowed him to return to reality. Kenjiro wished he could offer her all the clothes hangers in the store so she could punish him until she was satisfied. His bangs covered his eyes as he clenched his fists and barred his teeth. Being the dedicated perfectionist he was, he knew this error had to be fixed.

Without thinking of the outcome to his actions, he immediately wrapped his arms around her and gently placed his right hand on the back of her head. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes. Such warmth from that single embrace caused the negative thoughts to perish and be replaced with serenity and peace of mind. This was the first time he ever got this close to his lady; the thought of bacteria infesting his clothing while in contact with her was completely absent. People were staring, but his mind had currently blotted that out. Kenjiro smiled and felt a small tear trickle down his cheek, “I’m… I’m so sorry. I didn’t think bringing you here would hurt you… I’m such a failure, I really wish I could go back in time and stop myself from making you cry…” He apologized to her quietly, “I won’t rest until I make up for what I did! I promise to get you the greatest soccer ball on earth! I’ll work several jobs just so I can buy it for you! I’ll make sure never to hurt you again!” Kenjiro swallowed a large amount of saliva, but felt like a golf ball was stuck in his throat.

Kenjiro whimpered and couldn’t believe how much tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was really such a crybaby. Eventually, he let her go and wiped his tears with his sleeves and instantly changed his expression to a joyful smile. He let out a laugh and fanned his hand while reaching into his coat’s pocket for a pack of tissues. You know what they say, ‘laughter is the best medicine.’ Kenjiro took a tissue out and gently dabbed it on her cheek, making sure to wipe any tears that remained. The well-prepared butler took out another tissue and placed it to her nose, “Now blow! Make sure all those icky boogers come out!” OK, that was awkward. He sounded like one of those insanely nice parents who constantly babied their children, or her simply lost his mind. The poor butler was a little light-headed and very petrified of his subconscious embrace and sudden mood swing.

His eyes shot open and face turned bright red in embarrassment when he realized the stunt he just pulled. She was going to have his head for what he just did! It was utterly humiliating! The blue haired butler panicked and let out a nervous chuckle. His only way of escaping a painful punishment was changing the subject, “Ah! Y-You wanted to eat, right?! T-Then let’s go!” He took her hand and ran out of the store. Placing his right hand to his chest, he took deep breaths and tried to come up with an excuse for his bold embrace. Just what was he thinking? “S-S-So… What do you wanna eat, m’lady?!” He asked her nervously, too embarrassed and scared to look at her in the face.

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& tag: Charlotte~!
♥ word count: 888
♦ muse: Good.
♣ music: None.
• comments: :3

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[CHARLIE VON SCHWANSTEIN]

Touch was not a common happening in the Schwanstein household. They were just short of royalty, with riches and land to their name, responsible for hundreds of people. It was rather old-fashioned, but where Charlie came from, emotion was a weakness. For her mother, she was far too weak to ever become Baroness or whatever the title was. Charlie herself couldn’t care less. She didn’t really want to take the title, didn’t want to get married or have kids. In truth, it kind of scared her – the prospect of growing old, growing in that responsibility. It seemed like something she would never be able to handle, something that would end in almost instantaneous failure, and one that her mother would only give her hell for from there on out. Naturally, touching as comfort was not common.

All the same… his arms were around her. At first, instinct told her to stay stiff, tough it out until an overly affectionate idiot would let go. Then, emotions got the better of her, and she hugged him back, hiding her forehead against his shoulder despite his shortness. More tears fell from her eyes, although this time she made no effort to banish them immediately. Most days, she wouldn’t have hugged him back, would have pulled away after a few seconds to get away from him. Maybe a hug was what she needed. Charlie squeezed her eyes shut, feeling eyes on them but trying not to care, trying not to cry anymore. The embrace felt nice, like someone actually cared at that moment, right then and there. She didn’t want the feeling to go away, but she knew it would as soon as they pulled apart. She might as well enjoy it as long as it lasted. Another sigh, and this time her eyes were dry.

They pulled apart simultaneously. Charlie rubbed at her eyes, trying to get rid of the red puffiness. She took the tissue gratefully and blew her nose, using a free corner afterwards to be one hundred and ten percent sure all the tears were gone and her face was dry. “Thanks,” she murmured, swallowing and staring at his shoulder rather than looking him in the face. The red in her cheeks was caused not only by tears now – a light blush was at fault as well. “But you don’t have to do that,” she continued softly, still not looking at him, “Just some food would be fine… it wasn’t even your fault. All the same… thanks. It was…sweet of you to offer.” It seemed almost hard to say, but she spit it out nonetheless. Maybe they’d both feel better with something in their stomachs.

And then he was moving again, pulling her out of the store. From there, she grinned and took the initiative. Charlie didn’t release his hand but shot ahead, looking for the food court around here. There had to be one around here somewhere, didn’t there? She paused, looking around. She had no idea where they were. It was probably because she’d never been here before and because she didn’t shop much to begin with. Trying not to show this, she smiled at him and teased, “Surprise me, Kenji,” and yes, she liked nicknames. “You do know how to do that, don’t you?” Despite her smiles however, there was still a small part inside her that ached. And an even smaller, even more annoying part was telling her she wanted to hug him again. She squashed that one repeatedly, but it was insistent, and would not go away. Damn, she’d been deprived of love as a child, hadn’t she?

[KENJIRO KUMETA]

It’s A Kodak Moment!

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Seeing his lady cry was heart wrenching at first, but it was also the first time anybody was willing to cry on his shoulder. This moment was to be treasured for all eternity, their bond definitely increased! Eventually they would begin sharing their life experiences, problems, and even their future goals. Merely a week had passed since they last met and they were already crying together. It may have been a little pathetic and awkward, but Kenjiro viewed their waterworks performance as extra bonus points for a nonexistent butler evaluation. As for the soccer ball, Kenjiro was actually very motivated to seek the best one out there for her. Kenjiro was a little stubborn when it came to keeping his promises, he was definitely going to get Charlotte something to eat, but he wanted her to have something to keep for a lifetime. Despite never observing her play sports, he figured she would probably treasure it and keep it in her room for all her friends to see. A slight chuckle escaped his mouth just imagining how happy his lady would be when she unwraps a cube-shaped present only to discover a rare soccer ball inside. Then he would be awarded with hugs and praise!

Now that they were out of the store he glanced down to Charlotte and watched her look around for a restaurant. Her nose was still a little red and her cheeks had a light shade of pink. If it was not his fault, as she declared, then what could have compelled such sorrow into the young girl’s thoughts? Kenjiro glanced to his side and still felt at fault for making her cry, especially in public. Perhaps she was being sympathetic and pitied his pathetic nature. If it was truly his fault, he wanted to be punished for it. An unforgivable act to publicly humiliate someone precious to him always deserved some form of punishment, whether it be beheading or the electric chair… OK, maybe that’s a little too far, but he still believed that his lady should take action and do something to prevent any future failures.

“Surprise me, Kenji.”

Kenji? He turned his head to his lady and stared at her for a few seconds, astonished by such words and the smile on her face. Not only did the nickname bring some relief into his thoughts, but the fact that his lady was happy made him so overjoyed that he could jump up and thrust a fist to the air… however, he decided not to. She was now depending on him to find a perfect place to eat. His cheeks turned bright red, his heart thumped, and a bright smile appeared on his face, “Right, m’lady! I’ll do my best!” he replied to the pink haired young girl. Deciding to take a moment to scan the area, he had completely forgotten that he was still holding his lady’s hand. There was a hotdog stand near the exit, but Charlotte was probably famished. Only four hours since she last ate breakfast, so it was not too bad; unfortunately, Kenjiro loved to exaggerate and figured she would much rather devour an entire plate of hotdogs. Hotdogs were not that healthy for a lady anyway. So next!

After a few minutes, they soon came across a pasta restaurant. Kenjiro pointed his index finger at the shop and looked to his lady, “How about there? I heard the Fettucine Alfredo is really good.” Uncertain if she approved of pasta or not, he tried to recollect from the past meals he cooked for her if he ever served her something in the pasta category. Nope! Not at all! This would probably be the first time she tried the Fettucine Alfredo, there were still other choices to go by. And if she did enjoy it, he would make sure to look for a recipe so she could eat at the comfort of her own home. He walked in the restaurant with her and slowly looked down to spot his hand still holding on to hers. He turned bright red and gasped when he realized how long he had been holding her hand. Kenjiro bowed his head and laughed nervously, “Ah… S-Sorry! I was holding your hand for so long! I’m sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable!” He gently pulled his hand away and quickly walked to an empty table, pulling the chair out for her. “H-Have a seat, m’lady!”

Glancing to his side, he could not help but blush at the fact that his lady probably did not mind holding hands. “If you want… After we eat, we can go to the arcade.” He had spotted one a few stores back and made sure to memorize the location. There were tons of boys in there and maybe Charlotte enjoyed video games. Then again, he was merely changing the subject again and did not want to get scolded for being so forward today.

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& tag: Charlotte~!
♥ word count: 830
♦ muse: Uuuuu.
♣ music: None.
• comments: Damn my muuuuuuuse. :<

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[CHARLIE VON SCHWANSTEIN]

Charlie didn’t like crying. In fact, she despised it. The tears made her feel weak, exposed, like she needed protection. She didn’t want protection from any but the dead, and the dead and gone couldn’t help her in situations like this. The living… most of the time, she didn’t want the living to help her when she cried. They were rarely good at it. Yet for some strange reason, Kenjiro had been. Although she doubted she would be sharing life experiences and future goals with him anytime soon – she was a rather private person in some regards – she could see herself hugging him again. It had felt good, right, somehow. Thinking back on it made her want to smile. She even felt safe around, comfortable with him. It was strange – would have been even stranger if he were a girl. But he wasn’t, although his attitude sometimes didn’t help with that thought.

It wasn’t unforgiveable to make someone cry, but it could be considered irritating. Especially if that someone wasn’t accustomed to crying very often or very much. More than anything, she’d found his tears annoying – mostly because they were unnecessary. The rest seemed to be that he shouldn’t have cried for her sake, and she found that infuriatingly sweet. It wasn’t necessarily humiliating, but it made her wonder. Why would someone cry because she was crying? Sure, she had often heard that it was a method to stop tears, but his had seemed different somehow, as if he truly cared that she was crying, and cried because it hurt him, too. Strange country was all she had to say about it.

Perfection was an impossible feat. He shouldn’t be vying for it. But he was, so she needed to put up with it. He was probably still upset over her crying, so he needed to be distracted by something he could be happy about. Although she certainly found it strange that she cared much about his happiness. The pink-haired girl sighed, closing her eyes for a minute and turning her face up to the sunlight for a moment of relaxation. She cared because he was a guy – no matter how much like a girl he sometimes acted – and they were becoming… friends. That alone was weird. They were so different, and yet she was managing to actually like him. If he were anyone else and not half so happy to please her, she would be very annoyed with him, would hate him in fact. The problem was that he was this cute little blue-haired butler that wanted to make her happy. And worst of all, she liked it.

What an idiot she was becoming. Charlie rolled her eyes, but mid-roll he was exclaiming about some restaurant. She stopped immediately to look at which storefront he was pointing at. A pasta house? Pasta sounded good. Fettuccini Alfredo had always been a favorite food of hers, after all. She just loved slurping up the creamy sauce on the flat noodles. It was much more fun than slurping on spaghetti or whistling through ziti. Yes, she was very entertained when eating pasta, and just loved the different shapes. She found them very amusing. It was this reason that she agreed rather enthusiastically, “Sounds great!” and even grinned at him again. Maybe she needed a distraction as much as he did. Strange.

The happiness disappeared in a puff of black smoke as soon as he tugged his hand form hers, exclaiming loudly in apology. She blushed, turning her face down and hoping her bushels of pink hair would hide this. She hadn’t noticed herself, and probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t pointed it out so loudly. If she had noticed, she would have thought about how it reminded her of her walks with her brothers, how she had enjoyed these and usually held their hands as well, especially when she’d been little. Although only subconsciously noted, she had felt rather comfortable holding his hand, had liked the resounding familiarity of it. All the same, she was still blushing as she muttered quickly, “It’s fine, no trouble whatsoever,” and threw him a quick grin – willing to risk him seeing the blush to reassure him it was, actually, fine.

Charlie took the seat gratefully, although she felt a little awkward having him pull it out for her. Forward. It was such an old-fashioned word. At least, in the context he was probably thinking. The pink-haired lady shrugged, but was forced to grin at his next suggestion. Video games galore. Perfect. But she had a different question first. “That sounds good and all, but do you think they have an amusement park around here? With rollercoasters and wild rides and things like that?” Well, she certainly hoped so.


ooc:|| OML i almost matched your length that time ^^

[KENJIRO KUMETA]

It’s A Kodak Moment!

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Relieved to hear a reassuring answer from his lady, he blinked when she gave him a feigned smile before taking her seat. As he gently pushed her chair in, he caught a slight glimpse of a shade of pink on her cheeks. She must have been embarrassed of the hand holding or it could have been simply too hot since she was wearing the hoodie. Kenjiro took her hood off, slowly removed his gloves off, and fixed her long pink hair. He had an urge to brush the young girl’s hair, but did not have a brush at hand so his fingers would have to do for now. Why was he touching her without permission? And why did he feel that he could touch the strands of pink hair with his bare hands? A small smile formed across his lips, admiring how adorable her young lady looked when she had her hair down. He chuckled and shook his head, there was no need to hide such elegance, and she was a very beautiful girl. Kenjiro wished to someday see her wearing an outfit fit for a lady that she would enjoy. Perhaps a nice young man would help her to break out of the enclosed shell of self-consciousness. She did not need to be ashamed of her appearance. Maybe he could be the nice gentleman who would help change her ways, then again, he would just be a hypocrite if he actually believed that someone like himself who already had enough problems would actually encourage a young girl to view life from a different perspective.

Well, his arcade plan did not go to waste; it somehow brought up an amusement park. Kenjiro thought for a second and wondered if there was an amusement park in the area. He glanced up and laughed nervously when she mentioned the wild rides. It would definitely be his first time going to an amusement park that was for sure, but from merely seeing how fast the roller coasters went on TV he was a little reluctant about the idea. As long as it brought a smile to his lady’s face, he would definitely suck it up, face his fears, and ride a roller coaster with her. He nodded his head, “That’s a good idea, m’lady! I’ll make sure to look up the nearest one after we eat, alright?” Kenjiro said joyfully as he continued to stroke her hair. The only problem now was how he was going to be able to afford it? He did have a savings account, but he only planned on using that for emergencies. What was he thinking? This was an emergency! Charlotte’s happiness depended on this mission to the amusement park. He clenched his fist, puffed out his cheek, and had a rather amusing but determined expression on his face.

Lowering his head, Kenjiro frowned wondering if Charlotte actually thought of him more as a burden than a person who would be of some help to her. His older brother once told him that in order to help someone; the rescuer must be free of any negative thoughts and fears. He removed his hands from her hair and wondered if his brother was correct. Kenjiro’s older brother was not much of a good influence and his choice of profession was one Kenjiro usually frowned upon; however, he was a very wise fellow and knew how the world worked so maybe his theory was correct. As he put his gloves back on, he walked over to the other end of the table and sat in front of her. He stared at his silky, white gloves and was lost in thought. Subconsciously, he stood up from where he sat and started wiping the cutlery with a napkin, rearranging the flowers, and using his hand as an ironing appliance to remove the wrinkles on the table’s mantle. He wondered what his older brother was doing at this very moment, he was not expecting someone affiliated with the yakuza to live this long, but he was really praying for his safety. It had already been 4 years since he last spoke to him. He closed his eyes and decided to think of something else or return to the previous topic he was thinking of.

Previous topic… oh yes, now he remembered, it was his lady. Was it before or after he was playing with her hair? Kenjiro’s eyes shot open and abruptly sat back down on his chair. “Oh dear! I-I don’t know what came over me!” He put his arms in front of him and his face turned bright red in embarrassment, “I promise I will never do it again! Please forgive me!” He pleaded and was really uncertain on how to explain his actions. The only excuse he could think of was that he felt a little closer to her, but there was no way he was going to tell her that. It would really upset her. What gives him the right to touch her like that? Kenjiro bonked his own head repeatedly, mentally scolding himself for being such a fool. He lowered his head and bit his bottom lip, a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek as he stared at the table. Maybe his brother was right, perhaps he was not the person fit to help Charlotte. He could not even help himself. He constantly panicked over trivial matters, had several phobias, and did not act much like a man. Did Charlotte feel uncomfortable around him because of that?

He placed his hands on his lap and trembled slightly, he had to learn how to control his impulsive hands. The waiter approached them and Kenjiro handed him his the menu, “Water for me please,” He was not too hungry, that and he wanted to save up for the amusement park… but after placing his hands on her like that, he expected her to be disgusted with him. Kenjiro’s face was still slightly red and he started fidgeting on his chair until eventually staying still. Once Charlotte ordered and the waiter left, he opened his mouth and spoke to her quietly, “I washed my hands 20 times today… I-I’ll shampoo your hair if you--” What was he saying? She wasn’t mysophobic like he was, but he was trying to determine a way to ease his punishment. He closed his eyes and raised his index finger, “Did you know a newborn child understands language before it can speak it?” Kenjiro was definitely trying to change the subject, but his attempt at escaping the precarious situation seemed futile now. Besides, a random fun fact he read off a newspaper was definitely not a suitable substitute. He was all out of ideas now…

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& tag: Charlotte~!
♥ word count: 1,131
♦ muse: Great.
♣ music: None.
• comments: Don’t worry too much about the word count. Quality over quantity. ^^ Besides, long posts usually consist of lots of rambling... I'm being a hypocrite. e___e;

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