[IC] Portal to Terra

[CaptainTabatha]

A girl hummed along to her music as she walked home from school. She was focused on the lyrics, quickly interpreting them as they played through her headphones. The music was in another language, and she was determined to learn the song's lyrics.

Still muttering lyrics under her breath, she shoved a strand of her honey-blond hair out of her face as she approached the apartment complex she lived in. She could see the small patio of her apartment from where she was. The teenage girl quickened her pace, and as she was getting ready to ascend the stairs, she noticed something out of the ordinary. There was a car in the visitor parking lot.

This was strange to her because of two reasons. No one ever used the visitor lot, and the car was one she had never seen. It was a black car, one that looked nice, perhaps owned by an agency or rental company. It must have just parked since the people were still inside. The driver looked to be a shrewish woman with her hair done up a tad too tightly, causing her forehead to appear too large. In the backseat there was a silhouette of a second person, but she couldn't quite make out their features... She kept standing at the base of the stairs, curious about the newcomers.

[WandererJiyuren]

The car pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex where Jayden's new foster guardian lived. The driver meandered around the lot searching for the visitor parking that was in plain sight for a minute, and then she parked. She gathered up some accordion folders and files from the glove compartment, and Jayden sat in silence, scanning the parking lot for signs of life. The woman double checked to make sure everything she needed was in the folders, and then she tied the accordion folder closed and stacked all the folders and files on her lap. She sighed and looked over at Jayden.

"I know that you might feel intimidated, having to move again so soon. You seem to be feeling guilty for something, and I want you to know that what happened was an accident, it wasn't anything you did," said the Social worker.

Jayden looked over at her blankly. "... I don't feel guilty, but thanks," he said quietly. The social worker tried to muster a smile, but Jayden didn't want any sympathy or support. It wasn't necessary. He could easily support himself in a culture like this. It was nothing compared to where he had been raised. He wasn't allowed to even attempt supporting himself though. Not until this strangely formal and amazingly peaceful culture deemed him to be 'old enough' to make rational and safe decisions. Jayden thought it foolish, but there was nothing he could do without becoming a target. Jayden much preferred the invisible route, so he never voiced his thoughts on the matter to anyone.

"Well, my boss wanted you to know that you should be extra careful, we had trouble finding someone who would take you in this time. It will only get harder the older you get and the worse your record gets. So please try to avoid having any accidents, as ridiculous as that sounds," said the social worker.

Jayden nodded slightly, and got out of the car. The social worker did as well, and together they liberated Jayden's satchel and suitcase from the trunk of the car. Jayden was fully aware of the young woman watching him. He was suspicious of her, but he decided not to act on the suspicions unless the girl made a movement of some sort. He looked directly at her when he had successfully freed his suitcase. He was slightly taken aback. She was absolutely gorgeous, there was simply no other word that could describe her. Her face was thin and her skin exceptionally unblemished and fair. She had long, straight honey-blonde hair that flowed down her shoulders to about her mid-back. Her frame was thin and well proportioned, and her eyes... Her eyes were penetrating and intelligent. Jayden felt chills run down his spine as their eyes locked. Jayden simply could not look away.

[CaptainTabatha]

The girl stiffened as the second car passenger stepped out of the vehicle. He was slightly taller than herself, with straight dark brown locks that fell to his ears. He was thin, but he didn't look weak, instead looking deceptively strong, lean, and agile. His green eyes had locked with her own. She regarded him for a moment....feeling a sort of grim understanding with the stranger. The girl couldn't put her finger on the reason why, but it was almost as if they had crossed paths before..

An uneasy tingle jolted through her, and with a quick spin on her toe, the girl flitted up the stairs and into her apartment, where her godfather was waiting for her. She didn't look back at the young man. Her godfather glanced up from the bonsai tree was pruning.

“What caused you to burst in all willy-nilly, Ellyon?”

“We have a new neighbor or something....” she replied, quickly acting like nothing had happened at all. Her guardian quirked a brow.

“That's hardly a reason to jump inside like a mouse being chased by a cat,” he said.

“I don't know, Tavel...it was...just odd I guess. I felt like we knew each other, but didn't, or like weird vibes that make my spine tingle,” she responded vaguely, waving her fingers for emphasis. Tavel rolled his eyes and went back to his tree.

“It's probably the foster child Mrs. Palmer said she was going to take in. nothing to be alarmed about, Ellyon.”

“Mmmph,” Ellyon shrugged, and headed towards her room, already putting the stranger out of mind.

[WandererJiyuren]

Jayden had initiated the unexpectedly electrifying staring contest he now shared with the girl, but girl, looking slightly flushed, was the one to break the connection. She spun around gracefully, her hair flowing across her back and around her shoulder fluidly. It was a sight to behold as she began her hurried walk up the stairs and into her apartment. Jayden stood still for a moment, regarding the strange encounter. And then Jayden noticed that the social worker was looking at him.

"Quite a lovely young neighbor you have," she said. Jayden ignored her. He heaved the satchel over his head and onto the opposite shoulder relative to where the actual bag rested, and began dragging his suitcase up the flight of stairs. His new home was apartment number 302. The girl had entered the first door on the landing, 301. As Jayden passed the door, he could hear mumbled voices. One seemed to be that of an adolescent female. He did not care to attempt to make out what the conversation was about.

Jayden stopped in front of 302 and released his satchel. He went to knock on the door, but found that just as his knuckles contacted the door, the door gave way as someone on the other side opened it. Before Jayden stood a small old lady with long white hair wrapped in a simple bun. she was so thin she could not have weighed more than eighty pounds, and her joints bulged as if she was underfed.

"Oh you must be Jayden! I am so glad to meet you!" said the little lady pulling Jayden into a hug with far more force than Jayden could have imagined she might possess. Jayden was taken aback by the gesture, and he neither reciprocated or acknowledged her affectionate greeting. "I'm Miss Palmer, but please call me anything you like! Oh I'm so glad you came when you did. I've been baking some cookies and brownies for your arrival, and the cookies are ready!" Miss Palmer turned around and began toward the kitchen rather spryly. Jayden stood still. Miss Palmer looked back to make sure he was following, and a stern look appeared on her face when she realized he was not. "Well don't just stand there! come in!" Jayden hesitantly followed, and the social worker was quick to join him. She brought his suitcase inside the apartment and closed the door. Miss Palmer led them to a room and opened the door for Jayden.

"This will be your room!" she said. Jayden walked in, and the social worker handed him his suitcase. He put them where they were not in the way and sat on the bed. "I will get you a cookie," said Miss Palmer happily. The social worker followed.

"Miss Palmer, I just have some last paperwork for you!" said the social worker digging through her folders. Jayden sat completely still and listened to the new environment around him. There was music playing on the other side of his wall. It sounded electronic. But there was a voice. In fact, Jayden knew this, it was Vocaloid music. although which Vocaloid it was he could not be sure. The music probably belonged to that girl he had seen, or her relative. It would make sense then to assume that the plan for this room was the same and mirrored to that of room 301.

Jayden got up and began unpacking what little he owned. when he was finished, he returned to the bed and laid down on it. Some time later, Miss Palmer came back a cookie, and Jayden heard the door close as the social worker left. Jayden took the cookie and began eating it slowly. Miss Palmer smiled at him. "You eat up now. I have some business to attend to, I'll be right back," said Miss Palmer as she left the room and then left the apartment. Jayden listened harder, and heard a knock on what must have been the door to the next apartment. Some minutes later, Miss Palmer returned. "We're attending our neighbor's house for dinner this evening, please be ready by 5.30," sung Miss Palmer, peaking her head back into Jayden's room. Jayden nodded. The woman was highly energetic, but she was sweet, and Jayden was much relieved.

[CaptainTabatha]

Ellyon threw her backpack in its designated spot by her bed. She went over to her dresser, pulling open her junk drawer and fishing out her speakers. Plugging her ipod into them, she let the electronic Japanese music with synthetic voices fill the air. Plopping down on her bed, she let herself zone out as she listened to the foreign music.

Her veg-out time and mental blankness was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. She cracked an eye open, only to close it again as she began to eavesdrop on Tavel as he answered the door. Ellyon couln't hear everything, due to her music, but she could tell it was Ms. Palmer from next door. The eccentric woman had moved in about a year ago. From the way the conversation was going, Ellyon could tell Ms. Palmer was laying it on thick this time. The woman had a thing for Tavel, much to the amusement of Ellyon and Cal, Tavel's adult son. She was always trying to get Tavel out of the house to get drinks, but to no avail.

The conversation ended and Ellyon heard Tavel's footsteps approaching her room. He opened her door and poked his head in.

“Ms. Palmer is coming over for dinner at about 5:30,” he informed her. She blinked up at him.

“What?!?” she asked, almost dumbfounded. Tavel rolled his eyes. “No, it's not that. She took in a foster child, and she wants him to meet you and Cal so he can try to make friends. So clean up your room, since you're probably gonna hang in here and do whatever.”

Ellyon's mind flashed back to the boy she had seen outside. It had be him. She nodded at Tavel, who went back down the hall. Wordlessly, she started to tidy her room, dancing slightly to her music as she did so, trying to get the image of piercing green eyes out of her mind...