Topic names are Overrated [Closed]

The weekends were something that Keirsta still found herself almost dreading as each week passed. Even if her schedule for classes had slimmed down quite a bit with her senior year, she still found herself rather busy throughout the week. Whether it be sports, gift mastery, her side-job or helping out at the daycare most evenings the autumn had something on her schedule. But once the weekend hit, it was free for her choosing. Well, give the cafe shift she took on Saturdays. But the free time was something she almost loathed, she needed the distractions in her life. Proof that time was still going on for her and the world around her.

Life was something that had still gone on whether she felt like it to or not, and with the good and bad it seemed to bring, sitting around and doing nothing was something that Keirsta could no stand. Always on the move, always doing something. A busy-body. She had to once more become the energizer bunny she had been before leaving the school, and it had been a surprisingly steady climb. Old habits found themselves upon her shoulders once more, save for a few bad ones that she had done her best to rid herself of. While she could simply live with the relaxation time that weekends brought her, it simply wasn’t something she could take. Any moment of rest left her alone with her thoughts, something she just simply couldn’t bring herself to confront.

What she was doing was something that she knew most wouldn’t be too happy with her for doing. Once more running away from her fears instead of facing them head on as she had grown to be known for. But long gone was the name of a proud face and strong hands - and had been replaced with the dead-beat mother who left her child in the father's’ care after disappearing. But no one could blame her, could they? Very few had ever been in her place before that event had happened. For all she knew, that was the first time such an event had happened within Beata Academy’s walls. And she had set it off.

Yet, the pink-haired woman could no longer allow her life to be defined by the negativity. Time had passed, and she still had a rather full life ahead of her. Even if the thoughts still found their way into her head, even if those who knew what happened threw the needles her way. She had a son she wanted to love and be there for as much as she would be allowed, and she understood every bit of Leo’s desire for her limitations. It was something they were supposed to have been in there for together and she had abandoned him.

Such thoughts still found themselves penetrating her mind as the cool air flit around her, the steady tempo of a jog carrying her throughout Rosebury. It begged the question why her thoughts always flew back to that. Of course, she knew part of the answer. It was a weight on her shoulders that held a note of guilt she would never be able to finish singing. Every sound of her steps hitting the pavement pulled her mind further and further from such thoughts, morphing them into a more light-hearted mindset. Focusing more on the world around her she saw shop windows blurred past with Halloween decorations, the thought occurred to her that she had no idea what she was going to do for the holiday at all.

One only had so much energy though, her jog gently slowing its tempo to a walk sa she grew tired. In the perfect world she would have simply continued her run until she near passed out, but, the sweet aroma carrying itself from the nearby restaurant was simply too tempting. Hunger suddenly gnarled at her stomach at a degree she simply couldn’t ignore, and her mind determined she could use the refuel to further power her run. Of course, just the simple break would even give her a bit of power, but who would turn down food?

Following her nose, the moment Keirsta opened up the door she was welcomed with an even stronger wave of the smell of delicious foods. Her mouth watered instantly, an unavoidable smile coming to play itself upon her lips as she went to go find a seat. The welcoming air of the place enveloped her instantly as she took her place at a table for two, finding the menu nestled perfectly along the center. A quick glance and it wasn’t all that hard to find what she had wanted, the decision being made swiftly as she turned to signal down the next waiter passing by.

He tapped the end of his cigarette down, letting the ashes scatter away with the wind and gently dragging out the last of its bitter-sweet smoke. His sister wanted him to stop with the pack already, he knew, and it wasn't a habit he was particularly proud of - but when you were away from home as long and often as he was, there were certainly worse things he could keep around himself for company. That's what he told himself, anyways.

Aster shrugged up the ends of his coat, crushing his old friend under his heel and making down the street, finally succumbing to the pains in his stomach. He was only here on some routine visit. Report on the black-wearing assholes, confirm the Andrews girl was still alive and well, for whatever that was worth, and get some bickering from the folks before he'd set out again. It just wasn't in him to stay in one place for so long. It left him feeling stifled, breathless for air, but even after all the formalities - there was one pleasure he had yet to treat himself to before he made his grand escape.

He nudged the restaurants door open with his elbow, some waitress giving him a knowing smile as he stepped inside. The dirty blonde nodded back, slipping the gloves off his fingers and shoving them into his pocket, he'd set off mechanically towards his favorite table - keeping his warm eyes glued to the floor up until the very last moment, when he's realized his seat was already taken. A cascade of soft, pink hair took his vision, and he had to step around to get a better look at the girl who very well might have just ruined his evening.

"So, you've stolen the best seat in the house..." He mused away with a tilt of his head, a mere hint of a tease riding on his words.

Her signal had indeed been noted by whom she had intended, a gaze of illuminating blue finding themselves glancing at a petite waitress. An epitome of beauty standards for the region: a curvaceous hourglass figure which was gravely emphasized by the cliche uniform she adorned, long locks of a vibrant sun-kissed blonde curled into beach-waves that flawlessly rested upon her shoulders without a strand out of place, and to top it all off, pale skin slightly tanned with a softly glowing pink undertone. If Keirsta had to guess it had to be part of a gift of hers. It was rather unlikely for such a flawless perception of standards to reside in Beata’s own little town of Rosebury, but she left the option up in the air for her to be incorrect. Her mind hoped for her bet to be true, though. An instinctive jealousy and desire to have such features panged at the back of her thoughts, only to be dismissed by yet another deep rumble of her stomach.

Interruptive as it was, the cue was crucial to snap the young woman out of her thoughts. With a friendly smile plastered upon a gentle face her order was recited, a grilled chicken salad with avocado and cheddar jack cheese topped with ranch dressing. Sure, it was probably perceived she didn’t wish to order something fattening, but it was an honest lifestyle Keirsta led. A healthy diet accompanied by an athletic lifestyle. The distraction and chances to destress it offered her was something she would never be able to pass up and never would pass up again. A pearly-white grin flashed her way as the signal that her order had been transcribed, the menu placed in front of her being taken as a signal to the others that her order had been received.

As the sound of heels clicking against the restaurant’s silver tile floor faded in the distance as the waitress returned to the kitchen, the Autumn was once more left with her thoughts. Slim fingers aimlessly twirled the ice in the glass of water in front of her, the condensation on the outside of the glass brushing against her free hand as the droplets of clear liquid formed into beads too heavy to reside in their place. A chaotic rhythm of the solid cubes chimed against the glass, the sound not even being registered as she thought.

Simple mindless things found their way into her mind. Where to run next, what classes she had homework for. What she needed to still do to prepare for the looming graduation only days away, whether or not she had submitted her graduation forum yet. Things pertaining to her life inside of the Academy walls that would later become a thing of the past only to have future thoughts take priority. Memories were something that she would have time to reflect upon later, such as the experience of the quaint little restaurant she had experienced only a few times.

Not much sooner the glass she had been stirring paused its arrhythmic display of sound as her brainless actions came to a pause. Whatever was on her mind soon vanished as she took a swig of the drink, the cold liquid making its presence known even as she gulped it down. It found its way back to the table with a soft clink, a soft push volleying it between her hands.

Her attention was pulled as the frame of a young man - to her estimate, probably early 20’s - passed into her field of view. A free hand absent-mindedly brushing her long pink locks over her shoulder as he spoke his business. The dialect was quickly processed in her mind, a soft chuckle surfacing as what could almost be an instinctual reaction to a trained bubbly personality to newcomers. “Ah, my sincerest apologies. I hope you don’t mind sharing it with someone else for a few?” Part of her almost wanted to get up and leave, but submission wasn’t exactly something that came by her naturally. A leader at heart, she’d find her way to compromise without having to completely bend to the will of someone else.

Once more twirling the glass between her hands, staring at its movements, Keirsta once more flashed her gaze upwards. ”Of course I don’t mind moving if you’d prefer.” A hand stretched out in accompaniment to her words, an offering she wouldn’t mind extending. After all, if he was a regular, surely the staff wouldn’t struggle to pinpoint her down if she didn’t move too far away. It wasn’t like her salad would be ready anytime soon, to her recollection.

The slightest waver in her smile, the delicate way she'd flicked her palm out, it all seemed to have a certain practice to it. That guarded, polite facade he'd seen a million times before. The young man was heavily used to having to go along with this old song and dance when he was with the rest of his family, or around his mother in particular, but he didn't see the need to be so prim and proper now - not when this woman had the audacity, the sheer gull to park her rear where her his name was only there in spirit. "I guess company wouldn't hurt," he said and, with a great exaggerated heave, took the seat across from her.

"The usual?"

The glowing waitress had noticed him slip in from the back of the room. He'd nodded with a nice enough smile and she disappeared again with an upturn of her thumb.

So. Hers was a pretty face he found vaguely familiar. A few times he'd wandered the halls of Beata, passing by portraits and photos, show-cases teachers, guardians, graduates, special honors, prefects... all the like. And he could have sworn he'd recognized those ghostly blue eyes. Ever the gentleman, he'd given her the pleasure of offering his hand first, open palm. "Aspen," he said with a light twitch in the corner of his lips.

Asshat. His sister liked to tease him often. He'd hated his own name, and the way her voice chimed in every time he'd said it, but it wasn't as if it were something he could change.

Aspen brushed past the thought. "You're a student here?"

His exaggerated heave brought a certain amount of humor to it, as if pushing further the sarcastic acceptance of her presence. But he wasn't actually shoving her away, right? Her frame tensed, ready to move away, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case. She was safe planted right where she was, for now.

The gentle gaze watched as the waitress slipped by, asking for his order. So it did truly seem as if he came here often. It was a bit of a shame she didn't see him come by more, he seemed to be decent enough company. Curiosity prickled at the back of her neck to end up seeing what "the usual" was, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be too long before she found out.

Keirsta watched as he extended his hand, her mind almost momentarily forgetting the custom that accompanied the maneuver. Although as if on instinct her own reached out to firmly shake it, the corner still refusing to ebb from her lips. "Keirsta."

It was a name that she hadn't ever seen really pop up before, and was always shown to be incorrect on anything she ever typed on. Always correcting to Kristin or even Airstrike. Something to bring up a chuckle of her own but never acknowledged out loud.

"Just graduated, actually. You yourself are a guardian, or just a resident?" Her head inclined with that slight tilt, her long vibrant locks swaying alongside the motion. It was rather obvious to her he wasn't a student, considering she herself had made it a mission to know most of if not all of the student population of upperclassmen.

Autocorrect to names. Yeah, he knew the feeling. You wouldn't believe how many times he had to deal with someone thinking he was just straight up named after a tree. No. His parents were straight up cornier than that. He was named after a flower, luckily one that most people hadn't heard of. It was unique, he supposed. Aster slid his hand back out of her grasp with a small nod. "Keirsta," he repeated, as not to forget it. "Do you always act so stiff?" He cracked the slightest grin at his own humor, and to hopefully put his new companion a tad more at ease.

The waitress had made a short reappearance, only to drop off a cup of black coffee before making her disappearance again.

"Guardian. Can't say I ever went to this school," he mused. He never needed any special education. His parents taught him well enough and he saw nothing wrong with graduating at some other place, a normal joint. When his sister packed her bags to move to Beata, the rest of the family had filed after eventually. He didn't mind. Guardianship was usually easy work for good pay. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do anyways. "Are you our newest recruit then?"

His name wouldn't be too hard to forget, she mused. Considering how few people she truly interacted with these days, and if this was his regular spot she was bound to see him often. Not to mention, he was a guardian. The looming threat of the People in Black -- a name she really thought wasn't even the slightest bit creative, it sounded a bit like a child's gang to her -- was bound to bring the forces together at some point.

The smell of bitter coffee caught her attention as the waitress slipped by, the question directed at her this time not missing her ears. "Well, if I'm an intruder I've got to be ready for when I'm caught and have to make my retreat, no~? Suppose the first half of that is done." A smile of her own naturally came in response, her elbows coming to rest and fold upon the edge of the table.

Beata Academy to her wasn't so much a special education as it was just an easier time. She had gone through both. "I'm one of them, quite a few other graduates this year decided to take the Guardian route as well." Leaning against the comfort of the seat behind her, an eyebrow raised with curiosity. "Haven't seen you around here in Rosebury though. What brings you back?"

The corner of his lips twisted into a smile at her witty remark. If this was sort of power struggle between them, at least she was polite about it. This girl didn't strike him as the confrontational type, but clearly wasn't about to just back down either. Cautious. Calculating. If only more people were like that. Instead of bothering to answer, he hid his words away behind his coffee cup, taking in a deep sit as she spoke on.

He didn't make it home in time for the graduation, but he couldn't have imagined that many had chosen the path that they did. Who on Earth wanted to deal with psychos for a living, even in a town like theirs? He set his mug nimbly back down against the table. "I need more work," he said in a low, simple tone. "I was working protection for former students before this, but my services were no longer required so..." The dirty blonde shrugged. "Maybe I'll get to take some of the new recruits out for a spin."

A simple nod was all she could give in response to his explanations. She couldn't blame him. "Could always get send out to Sophia. Heard there's a mission heading there." Although, if he typically worked in private security the Headmaster may keep him out in such a field. But when dealing with Argona... All the experienced help would likely be appreciated. "Of course, I already put in my reservations not to go.
Would like to train just a little bit more." She spoke with a lightened tone, glancing up to offer a wink.

Stretching back with the satisfactory pop of a couple joints, Keirsta seemed to pop back with a little bit more life to her. She was rather fidgety, of course her original intention had been to go out on a run. Naturally her body seemed aching to go, to keep enjoying the crisp air. But she'd need to learn to relax and stop once and awhile. Now just happened to be a perfect opportunity. "You said your sister went to this school, mind if I ask who?"

Aster shrugged, leaning back further into the booth cushions. "Not my cup of tea," he mumbled. "Big armies, big explosions, tag teams - not my forte." It was trouble enough having to be on the front lines, but having to have a bunch of others depend on you on top of that? One or two people, he could work with, but an all-out, high-stakes, rescue mission? It was too much of a bother. There were so many other things to do, often with underappreciated, but that was how he liked it. "You can train all you want, but it'll be nothing compared to once you're actually on the field. No better experience than that."

Did she even know his sister? Would she care? "Brailynn Moore."

He definitely made a good point. "Yes, that's true." A glass of ice water was deposited in front of her, and out of pure habit her fingers grasped the straw to start swirling the ice. "Field experience gives the best form of training. But considering I won't be sent out anytime soon, if you're still around mind showing me a few tricks?" It was rather forward, hell, a lot forward, but they'd probably get to know each other pretty well. "Could always use a sparring partner at least."

The moment he said the name it drew her in like a leash. She knew exactly who his sister was. Heck, she even fought her in the past. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed." Taking the time to study him, the air of slight familiarity made sense. The resemblance was very, very faint but it was there. "Never would have guessed you were also a Moore. Although, the name Aster makes a lot of sense now."

She got a smirk out of the man, his hazel eyes looking her over curiously. "Are we that famous?" His mother was the gifted instructor, yes, but he hadn't expected his own sister to carry a reputation to her - who had only ever started coming to the school on a friend's good word to the Headmaster. And his father was, well, his father; aloof in almost everything. He had his trophies but he didn't expect anyone else to notice them. "I guess Aster isn't a common name, is it?"

He drummed his fingers against his mug. A sparring partner? That sounded pretty fun to him, if he were completely honest with himself. Growing up in Mugglesville, it wasn't as he had a whole other people to practice with, there were summer tournaments back in the Bronx. "I think I'll take you up on that," he said, a full-on smile escaping him. But while she was stuck in town, he didn't expect much time left hanging around. "Have anything else planned for the evening?"

The smirk suited him. With a gentle shrug, she figured she might as well explain her familiarity. "Aside from your mother being a teacher, I saw your sister from time to time. Names usually stick with me." Giving an innocent chuckle, she added, "Faces on the other hand... not usually."

It took her a bit by surprise when he agreed to her proposal. Her head snapped into place, looking at the beaming smile looking back at her. "Wait really?" It was hard not to smile back, although it was more of a social habit. "Not that I'm aware of." Shepard would be with his father for this weekend per his request, something she didn't mind complying with. After all, she had agreed it would be mostly Leo's say where Shep got to be. The idea of once more getting to truly spar with another person brought chills, excitement almost as if she were a child on Christmas building.

Seeing her light up the way that she did was, admittedly, adorable in it's own way. Most of the school's residents thought the idea of fighting at all was insane on it's own, much less think it was exciting to ever want to practice. "Now you do," Aster mused. And just like that, he had her stolen for the afternoon. "In times like these, it'd be stupid not to practice and spar, especially when you know what's out there." The dirty blonde fell back into the cushion. "I'll try not to ruin that pretty face of yours."

Light up was almost an understatement. Fighting was a passion of hers that she had come to enjoy wholeheartedly, so the chance to spar again was something she would jump at. Of course, it was likely she would be out of practice, but muscle memory would have her back. She nodded in response, a soft tch coming at his comment. "No need to worry about that." Of course, he was a guardian so her expectations were high. There would be no doubt he would be able to hold his own weight in battle. "When do you want to start?"