Starling Academy

[Eliza]

Dressed in old jeans and a faded tie-dye t-shirt, Anna sat cross-legged on the living room floor, biting on the end of her paintbrush as she studied the painting in front of her. It was missing something, she knew it, but she was having a hard time deciding what it was. Her face scrunched in concentration and she took the paint brush from her mouth, instead tapping her lip with the end of it.“What do you think Adrian? What does it need?” she tipped her head back as she asked, looking at the young man sitting on a beanbag behind her.

Adrian chuckled, leaning forward to take a look at the watercolor painting taking shape in front of him. It was so... Organic looking... It looked like some kind of machine made out of sticks and flowers, not exactly practical looking, but pretty. “Erm... I'm not even sure what that is, or what it does. Looks like some kind of crazy waffle iron.” That comment got him a playful slap on his lounge pant clad leg and an obviously fake glare.

“It's a water filter, you dork. You pour the water in up here,” she pointed to what looked like a cone made out of bark, “and it flows through the main part of it which has a fine charcoal filter, and drains out the bottom.” She pouted a bit and huffed, looking more like she was trying to not laugh than offended. “It's not my fault you can't see it, what with all your practical electrical science hoopla. I have to make something to help improve the world for a class project. I don't even know if this'll work yet” She leaned forward again, once more scrutinizing the paper in front of her.

He stuck out his tongue and resumed his previous task of brushing and braiding his roommates hair, sitting in comfortable thought for a moment, his ears perking as he remembered something. “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you that we got a reply back on that ad you posted. She emailed me about coming by to see the place today, so I made sure that room was spotless.” It had housed a previous roommate, but she had left to move in with her fiance a month or so before, leaving the third bedroom empty. “I hope you don't mind. It just slipped my mind until now.”

Anna was suddenly all ears, tilting her head back to look up at him expectantly. “Really? What's she like? Did you talk to her? Is she pretty? Is she nice? What can she do?” By that point she had turned around, bouncing excitedly at the thought of a new roommate, the braid coming mostly undone. It was strange not having a person in the third beddrom, and she hadn't expected to find anyone who would want to move in in the middle of the semester, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear someone wanted to come take a look. She still remembered when they had first moved in, so far from home. If it hadn't been for her friend she would have been horribly homesick and likely wouldn't have stayed long. She smiled fondly, glad she had Adrian with her to keep her company, he was her best friend after all, more like a brother than a friend.

They had at first been using the third room for storage, but had quickly found homes for everything in there and rented the room out. Rented was a loose term, though, the house had been paid for by Anna's parents, leaving just the utilities and groceries, which Adrian was adamant about paying with his salary, since he had already finished school and gotten a job. All they really asked was that whoever lived there kept their room cleaned, and payed for some of the groceries, aside from that, everything else was already covered.

Adrian laughed, holding up his hands in defense. “Hey, I don't know anything, we just exchanged a few emails. She needs a new place to live, we have a room, she's female, and that's about all I know.” He was used to the twenty questions game at this point, having known Anna for so long. She got so excited about things that she was practically bursting at the seems sometimes. He patted the top of her head and stood, walking to the kitchen. “You keep trying to fix your monstrosity, I'm going to make lunch for you and Stella. Have fun with your waffle maker.” He chuckled and ducked into the kitchen, narrowly dodging the wad of tissue Anna threw at him.

He padded over the fridge, ignoring her complaints about needing more information as he perused the contents. He wondered if he should cook extra for the girl coming over later? She was supposed to be there soon, wasn't she? Adrian shrugged to himself, pulling out a few types of cheese and various vegetables along with a pack of chicken. A chicken panini with basil, spinach, and mozzarella cheese should be a pretty safe bet, he mused, tying an apron on over his gray shirt and getting started. He certainly hoped that Anna and this girl got along, she wasn't always the most agreeable, she either instantly liked you, or didn't. He wondered if he would get to meet her before he took Stella her lunch, then shrugged, knowing he would hear all about it from Anna as soon as he got back. He smiled fondly as he thought about the young lady he had waiting for him, then grinned when he thought about what had come in the mail that day, and the plans he had for that evening. He peeked back into the living room, “By the way, I'm taking Stella out for dinner. I already placed an order for sushi and teriyaki to be delivered at six. There will be enough for the girl coming to look at the house as well, should she decide to stay.” a nod was the response he was given before he went back to his cooking.

[Shuboni]

There was a crash from the other room. "I'm okay!" Stella was still in Adrian's room, finishing up some homework. She was a little annoyed that the stack of books next to her essay had fallen over. She muttered a not-very-nice word before pulling the books back onto Adrians desk before scurrying out of the room. She was going to surreptitiously sneak into the living room but, by the looks on Adrian and Anna's face, she had done no such thing. "Er... what was that about getting a new roommate? I heard something about her being pretty and something?" She looked rather chagrined as she looked at Adrian. "Oh, are you making something for lunch?"

The girl with blue tipped bangs and white hair stepped off of the bus. She had fox ears and a fluffy tail, carrying a messenger bag with a paper cat head popped out of the top. She read the note she was carrying, shook her head, folded the paper into a bird and blew on it. The bird shuddered and looked up at its creator. "Could you show me the way?" The bird hopped once before flying into the air, off towards the address it had inside. Shiven followed the bird, looking at the neighboring houses. The ad that she responded too was almost too good to be true. In fact, it still looked too good to be true.

Shiven found the house, the little bird flapping in place in front of it. She held her hand out, the bird landing on her palm. "You can rest." The bird unfolded itself back into the note she had written earlier. Shiven looked up at the house, feeling queasy. It had been a long time since she was able to trust anyone. Now she was trusting this? "On second thought, please wake up." The bird re-folded itself happily, bouncing a bit. "If I give you the signal, go back to Baba's place. She'll understand if you just show her the address." The bird let out a chirp that could only be described as a bird's but with the distinct sound of crumpling paper accompanying it. The bird hopped off of her hand and stood on the sidewalk, watching the house.

Shiven sighed, walked up to the house, and rang the doorbell. As the chime went off and she waited, she couldn't help but adjust her plaid shirt, shifting from one leg to the other. What if they're the kind of kidnappers that sell people? I don't want to be anybody's slave. No, Shiven, think about it. There are plenty of witnesses around. This would be a really stupid spot to set up a kidnapping ring.

[Eliza]

Adrian heard the crash and was already making his way towards his bedroom when Stella's voice cut in and he relaxed. "Don't scare me like that! I'm going to have a heart attack because of one of you, I swear..." He smiled fondly as he said it, showing that he wasn't the least bit upset before he walked back into the kitchen. He heard the question and chuckled a bit, looking in Stella's direction. "Anna asked if she was pretty, and the new roommate is for her, so she doesn't get lonely and go crazy, so we don't come home to a bunch of living plants just running around the house." He looked pointedly at Anna as he said that, an eyebrow raised.

Anna held up her hands in defense, "That was one time! And they didn't even break that many things!" She pouted a little, crossing her arms and flopping down on the bean bag chair Adrian had occupied before, the water filter she had been working on sitting completed on the coffee table. As soon as the doorbell rang, however, she bolted from her seat and bounded to the door, almost tripping in her haste to reach it. She pulled the door open and stared at the girl in front of her for a few minutes before practically tackling her, arms thrown around her waist. "You're so pretty! We have to keep you!"

Adrian had walked out to the living room just in time to witness the display, a look of horror crossing his features at what Anna had said. He could see how uncomfortable the fox eared girl was and immediately crossed over to where they were and pried Anna away, swinging her up onto his shoulder as he offered an apologetic smile. "I am so sorry Miss Svedsen, please excuse her behavior, she gets... Hyper..." as he said the last word he set Anna on her feet, giving her a hard stare before leaning in to whisper "She probably thinks you're crazy now. Go sit on the couch and think about what you've done." the response he got was her sticking her tongue out and sulking again before she slunk away to plop on the couch. "So, let's try this again. My name is Adrian Steele, that bubblegum wad of pure energy is Annabelle Walker, and that beautiful young woman over there, is my girlfriend, Stella Vasilescu. It's a pleasure to meet you, and if you aren't terrified that we're a bunch of crazed weirdos, I would love to show you the house."

[Shuboni]

The 'We have to keep her' comment almost... almost... made Shiven signal her bird to go get help. Though, the adorable cat girl hugging her and burying her face into Shiven's breasts was a nice change. She was wary all the same. She slowly stepped in, looking around. "Mister Steele... miss Walker... miss Vasilescu..." She nodded towards each in turn. "You can just call me Shiven." She hefted the bag, the paper cat coming out just a bit, making it more visible. "I'm pretty surprised, actually. I got here, saw the neighborhood, and had to question why people who have such a luxurious house are only asking for help with food." She looked back at the girl with the pink hair curiously. Something told her that the other two were together more than just friends or roommates and this one must have history to still be with them.

A voice cut into her thoughts. "Wait, I know you. Yes, I see you in the library at the University!" The girl with the bows in her hair walked over to her. Images of this girl surrounded by medical text books flashed through her mind. Shiven nodded. "Magical Theory, if I remember right. Your stacks are nearly as big as mine." The girl gave a polite, but uncomfortable, giggle. Shiven knew she was exaggerating.

"I would very much appreciate a tour, if someone is available to show me around." Shiven was looking at Adrian now. He seemed to be the leader of the bunch.

Stella brightened. "Adrian, since Anna will be the one here the most, why doesn't she show miss Svedsen around the house and maybe some of the neighborhood? It looks like Anna could take a break from her project, anyways." Stella gave Anna a bright smile, showing she wasn't trying to do any harm. "And, if you'd like, miss Svedsen, you could leave your bag in the room you would be staying in. That is, if you accept the offer." Stella furrowed her brow. "N-Not that I mean you can't leave your bag there unless you do, just that... it's not yet your room until... well... you know..." Stella flushed, feeling awkward again. Shiven nodded her understanding, which made Stella feel a little better.

[Eliza]

Adrian was relieved that she didn't run frantically from the house, which was what he expected. "Alright, Shiven it is, and you can call me Adrian." he chuckled and rubbed his chin, looking a bit sheepish. "Honestly, it isn't that we need help, it's more that we thought it would be too odd to just ask someone to live with us. You see, Anna gets lonely, and I work a lot, and Stella is busy with school. We did have another roommate, but she finished school and moved out, so we have an extra room again." he shrugged a little and closed the door behind her.

Anna was still pouting a little on the couch. She was not hyper. Just energetic. And she might have drank an iced coffee with five shots of espresso on her way back from her morning run. She looked over at the girl and tilted her head a little. She had seen her a few times, but never spoken with her, and didn't think they shared any classes. The thought of getting to show Shiven around made her perk up again and she nodded eagerly. "I would love to! I can even show her that coffee shop near here!" she was bustling with excitement at the thought. "No more coffee, Anna." Anna stuck her tongue out again before jumping up from the couch and walking over to bounce in front of Shiven. "So where do you want to start?"

"I think that's a good idea." Adrian smiled and left a quick kiss on Stella's lips, holding her chin between his thumb and index finger, a sly smile on his face. "And since they'll be occupied, you can come help me in the kitchen." He took the distraction of the other two to lean in and whisper, "Life is uncertain, after all, so you should eat dessert first." with that said, he leaned away then sauntered into the kitchen.

[Shuboni]

Shiven was a bit skeptical now, but wouldn't question it until she had more evidence that there was something wrong. The girl gets lonely? Wants company? And that's why you're going to let me live here practically rent free? Again, she wouldn't question it until there was hard evidence to the contrary. As The pink haired girl- Shiven couldn't deny that she was rather adorable- bounded up to her, Shiven gave her a look with a raised eyebrow. "Where do I want to start? Well... I'd like to see the house. Maybe show me the room for... 'rent' first? Then, I don't know... Do you have a project room? I noticed that you're working on something." Shiven leaned to look into the room where the painting was. "If not, that's fine. My talent doesn't need too much space and isn't particularly messy. Well, nothing that a vacuum wouldn't clean up, anyways."

Stella was rather proud of herself, making a suggestion that seemed to fit well with everyone. On top of that, nobody said anything about her awkward behavior just a moment ago. She was feeling pretty confident when Adrian kissed her. Not expecting it, her cheeks flushed rather suddenly. "Y-Yeah..." She shook her head and gave an angry, pouting look at the back of Adrian's head. "Hey, don't do things like that then just leave!" Stella looked over and saw Shiven holding back what she could only assume was some kind of amused grin. "He's so mean to me." Stella was amazed that she didn't feel more shy around this girl. It might be because Adrian and Anna were there to break whatever ice she was creating. She was grateful for the help.

"I can tell." Shiven looked back at Anna. "While we're on this tour, want to tell me more about the house's occupants? Just things I should know so that I don't overstep my boundaries or say something that might be offensive. I have a habit of running my mouth when I'm not paying attention." Which was actually code for she could be snarky and rude if she was put on the spot.

[Eliza]

Anna smiled and nodded, rocking back on her heels with her hands clasped in front of her. The too large t-shirt she was wearing had slipped off of one shoulder but she didn't seem to notice or be bothered by the fact that you could see the tiny cartoon cats printed all over the strap. "Alright. Right now it's a little bare, we figured we would refurnish and repaint once we had a roommate lined up. It has a bed, a dresser, a desk with a computer, a TV, a comfy reading chair, and some bedside tables, with light blue walls. We can change that to whatever you would like. I can do a mural on them, if you want. My room has grassy fields and a farm." As she spoke, she lead the way into the room she was speaking of. When she said it was bare, she meant only about half the space was occupied. "As for a work room, there's an office that we've been using, but you can also just set up shop where ever. Right now I'm using the living room so I don't have to sit alone in there. Oh, and all of the bedrooms have bathrooms with extra deep garden tubs." As she said that she opened the door to a bathroom that looked like it could be a small bedroom. At that point, she paused for breath, having been talking just a little faster than what was normal, and still obviously full of excited energy. Having caught her breath, she decided to answer the next question. "Adrian is like my older brother, we've known each other for more than ten years. He's really nice, and he cooks the food. I'm no good at cooking, I always get distracted a d burn things. He works a lot, traveling here and there, and it's hard to offend him, but easy to make him blush. Stella is his girlfriend, they've been dating for a few years now, and she's really sweet, until she gets comfortable around you, then she's still sweet, and pretty adorable with her awkwardness, but she has a wild side, too. I had the bedrooms all soundproofed because of her wild side, so don't worry about hearing them. I'm impossible to offend or anger. It's more fun to make people feel bad for hurting my feelings, or piss them off by taking it as a compliment. Oh, and I have a twisted sense of humor, and make an innuendo out of just about anything. I think it freaks Adrian out when Stella and I get out of hand and just make a bunch of really lewd jokes. Oh, and I get sick a lot. I only have one kidney since my mom stabbed me as a child, so you might want to keep that in mind and double up on the vitamin C." Her enthusiasm never changed as she spoke and she looked up at Shiven, noting she was several inches taller than herself.

Adrian grinned and poked his head around the corner. "Oh sweetheart, I don't think you want me to do what I want to do to you in front of others. That's why I told you to come in the kitchen~" He retreated back into the kitchen and began grilling the thinly sliced chicken breast while the panini maker heated and he got out the bread. "Oh, I already told Anna, I'm taking you out to dinner tonight, so I had your dress dry cleaned. It's hanging in the closet." he secretly felt proud of himself that he could get her to wear a dress, but she could wear a flour sack and still be the most beautiful girl in the world.

[Shuboni]

Shiven was astonished at how much the girl could talk. She kept quiet the whole time, just listening and taking in whatever she needed to know. Can paint the walls, but Shiven liked plain walls. Besides, with paper craft, it was almost as good as the painter's craft that Anna seemed to have going on. The office sounded nice. A computer, she could use to look up new origami. Maybe she wouldn't need to use the office, if that was the case. Hearing that Adrian and Stella had been dating a while was rather nice to hear. Stella, the awkward medical student, had a wild side? Interesting. Having someone who liked to cook was nice, but Shiven wondered what a man who worked for a living was doing cooking all the time. Wasn't it the job of those not cooking to do that sort of work? Then again, Stella must work more than he does, and Anna burned things. If Shiven could fold a few servants... if she used paper from cook books, she might be able to make helpers for Adrian. They wouldn't be able to do more than get things for him or alert him when something was ready to be taken off some heat, but it still might be nice. A timer was only as good as the cook, but something sentient that had cooking for brains that could tell you was that much better. She would experiment with her birds. The comment about how Anna got sick a lot was both sad and noteworthy. Shiven didn't have any worries that she would get sick herself, but would make sure to keep herself healthy as to not make Anna sick. "That's all very interesting..." Spying the bed, her paper cat leapt out of her bag and walked over to it. Shiven didn't even look at Meow Zedong as he inspected what he heard was going to be their new home. "From how you talk about painting, I can only assume that your talent is based around that? Am I mistaken?"

Stella shifted uncomfortably after the other two left on the tour and Adrian had retreated back to the kitchen. She shuffled into the kitchen after Adrian, hearing Anna babble on about this, that, and the other. "I had no idea what it was you were planning on doing in the first place..." Which was a lie. Stella had an idea. "Really? I... did it slip my mind? Where are we going? And when did you take my dress?" Stella's coursework had not been very forgiving as of late. She leaned her head on Adrian's shoulder as he cooked, not pushing too hard. "I'm so sorry..."

[Eliza]

Anna tapped her chin in thought, trying to decide if there was anything else she should mention. "Oh! one more thing! House rules! No parties unless you get the consent of everyone else living here, and it's fine to bring girls or boys over, but if they're staying for dinner give us a heads up because we eat a lot of sushi. And when I say a lot I mean a lot, so we'll need to know how much to order. For rent payments, we ask for two hundred and fifty dollars between the first and the tenth, any day in that time frame is fine, and that is approximately one-fifth of the grocery bill. There will be only four of us here, but I pay two-fifths of it." As soon as the paper cat popped out Anna was interested and she walked over, dropping to her hands and knees before pressing her chest to the ground, her bottom sticking up in the air and tail swaying back and forth. Her ear swiveled towards the sound, "Mhmm. I paint things then bring them to life. In the living room is my latest school project. I had to make something to try and solve a problem in the world. It's a water filter made of entirely organic materials. Of course my painting can't do it, it would melt, but it can be taken apart so someone can make an actual water filter from the design. Based on this little kitty here, I would say yours is paper craft?" She looked over her shoulder then, tail still swaying.

Adrian raised an eyebrow and looked over at Stella. "Really, you had no idea, hmm?" he shook his head before turning and enveloping her in a warm hug, kissing her forehead. "You didn't forget anything, love. I know how busy you've been, and since it's the weekend I decided to take you somewhere nice. It's good to get out, sweetheart." He reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smiled, "Now, I guess I have to educate you on what it was that I wanted to do." He tilted her chin up slightly and planted a soft, slow kiss on her lips.

[Shuboni]

No parties? I haven't even been to a party, let alone hosted one. Shiven listened on, nodding attentively. When mention of having people over for the night, Shiven could only think Anna was meaning in a romantic way, which made her stomach go queasy. "I... I won't be having people stay the night anytime soon. Unless you count Meow Zedong, and he doesn't eat anyways." The paper cat flicked his tail. If Shiven didn't find something to distract herself with, she was going to get sick right then and there. She kind of missed what Anna said next but her attention was brought back when the girl got on all fours, looking at Meow Zedong. Shiven couldn't take her eyes off of the girls rear. Nice butt... That's enough to distract anyone. Back to what she had said, the price. $250 a month is what she said? Plus groceries? Not even all the groceries, just a fifth. Hell, the budget she got for cost of living from her scholarships and other student aid was more than enough to cover that. "Yes... I do paper craft. I'm almost master level, according to some of my teachers. Lot of good that does, ever since the internet-no... ever since the telegraph, paper craft has been losing usefulness." She heard people talk about how paper craft was only ever good for entertainment and as an oddity. You could hardly make a career out of it, it would only ever be an aid in someone's career.

Shiven watched as Meow Zedong left the room. She assumed he wanted to see the rest of the house. Probably find a good place to hide and bat someone's leg or arm or something. She didn't worry. Even if he was stepped on, he could reform himself without her help. The only things that he would need her help with is if he got wet or burnt. Shiven gave Anna a skeptical look. "Now, what's this about it only being $250 a month? No offense, it's just hard to believe such a great thing could happen. You're offering this room that's bigger than the whole of my last apartment, my own private bathroom with a tub big enough to have a party in, and home cooked meals for a fourth of my living budget? The only stipulation anyone has said was that I would have to keep this cute pink haired kitty lady company." Shiven raised an eyebrow. "So far, it seems like you guys want to basically give me the world. So, what's the catch? Will you ask me to do the cleaning around here? Will I have to do everyone's homework? Because I still look at it like I'm getting the better part of the deal." Nothing this good ever happens to me. Not without some really tight strings attached. She didn't believe Baba either when the old couple offered her their spare room for the couple of months that they did.

Stella squeaked and giggled a little as she returned the hug with enthusiasm, nestling against Adrian's shoulder. "No, no idea at all." She smiled warmly, holding onto Adrian tightly. He sure was going out of his way for her. First the dinner, dry cleaning her dress, even finding something for Anna so that there would be no interruptions during their night out. How long had he been planning this? Or was it just serendipity that it all fell in place like this? Stella was following this line of thought when she was suddenly pulled away from it, a hand on her chin and lips pressed against hers, soft and warm. All outside thoughts melted as she returned the kiss, clutching Adrian's shirt. After a moment of enjoying it, she pulled back a little. "Yes, I guess you do have to educate me on that subject, Mister Steele." She smirked playfully.

[Eliza]

Anna looked back again and tilted her head a little after having listened to Shiven. She smiled, thinking to herself that she could see where Shiven was coming from. She stood back up, shaking her head. "Alright, I guess I should explain a little bit. This house was my graduation present, I let Adrian and Stella live here, so Adrian pays all of the bills except my share of groceries, and pay for the internet. I'm picky, and I want fast internet, and I have a monster of a computer. I get lonely and caught up in things and cause trouble, my adoptive mother thinks it was because I was always left alone as a child, but I don't remember any of that. We don't expect you to do anything, but, if it makes you feel better, the cost of renting a single room, plus utilities in this neighborhood is around six-hundred dollars. I would want you to feel comfortable here, and if that makes you feel more comfortable, so be it." What Anna had just said would have most likely sounded more serious had she not been slowly rocking from her heels to her toes with a friendly smile on her face. It was rather hard to get her down, she was the ever enthusiastic person in any group, always trying to make peace with everyone and enjoy herself.

Hearing what Shiven said about her gift puzzled her and she quickly shook her head, dismissing the idea that it was no longer useful. "Nonsense! I think it's a beautiful talent! Papa does something similar, he writes and the paper turns into whatever it is he has written down, he just has to describe it. You can just fold things and they're amazing! You just need to find a new way to implement them. Think of what they could do? After an earthquake or a tornado, they could search through the rubble much faster than people could, and reach places no one else could either! They could save so many lives just being telling search and rescue where to look!" She was back to bouncing as she said it, getting excited over the prospect of another persons success. Her smile was bright and she obviously looked like she wanted to hug Shiven again but she stopped herself, not wanting to make her uncomfortable again. She hadn't meant any harm earlier, it just captivated her how pretty she was, and she found she couldn't help herself. Anna hoped she would accept the offer and move in, she was already thinking of all of the neat things she would try to get Shiven to make. What if she could get them to bring her art supplies when she needed them, or sharpen her watercolor pencils? And they would all be so cute!

Adrian tightened his arm around her waist ever so slightly and grinned, peppering her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose with tiny kisses after she leaned away. "I intend to. And later, after we get back home, I have a surprise for you, and I plan to further your education even more." He rubbed slow circles on her back and nuzzled her cheek, gazing into her eyes fondly. Stella's eyes were beautiful, he felt like he could see forever in them, and they never failed to captivate him and pull in his entire focus. He leaned in and kissed her again, this one a little firmer, with more longing behind it and he let himself slip into it, not thinking about anything else for a few blissful moments.

[Shuboni]

Shiven shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that. I just... I have issues. Maybe I'll tell you about them some time." She sighed a little. Nothing had happened to even hint that these were bad people. The little budgie outside was getting rather bored, Shiven could feel it. "It's just something I'll have to get used to." She had been looking away, but took the opportunity to look back at Anna. "From what I've seen so far, I doubt there could be much of anything you could do that would make me not want to take the room. I'm... kind of in a predicament as it is. Baba-er... The couple I'm living with currently, they told me when I moved in with them that I only had a couple of months to get my affairs in order. I put them on the spot when I moved in with them, so I wouldn't want to encroach on their kindness." Now she looked kind of ashamed.

Hearing Anna talk up her talent did a little to pull her out of the stupor she kept digging herself into. "Yeah... It probably doesn't help that I fold out of habit... And all the notes I've taken in my classes..." She opened the bag she was carrying all the way, a bunch of small paper birds, frogs, rabbits, elephants, and other assorted paper animals climbed or hopped out of the bag. "If it's all the same to Anna here, I guess this is our new home." She smiled a little sheepishly, still looking kind of sad. "Unless you don't want me to be here. They'll come back if I tell them to."

Stella was utterly mesmerized by Adrian. She hung onto every word he said. "A surprise...?" She cocked her head to one side. "What kind of surprise?" But the thought was interrupted again by the affection he was showing her. It was easy to get lost in it, especially the kissing. She pressed against him, pressing her lips just as firmly against his as he was. It was wonderful, the best kind of distraction from her assignments that lay almost done in the other room. "You shouldn't tease me like that... It's not very nice." Especially when there were others in the house. Including someone they didn't know that well.

[Eliza]

Anna offered a warm comforting smile and nodded. "If you ever do want to talk, even if you decide not to move in, I'll be happy to listen. I can give you my cell number, or we could meet up at school." She tilted her head to the side, curious about the family that was letting Shiven stay with them, they sounded like nice people, so Anna was already fond of them, and thought she would like to meet them someday. "They sound nice. I'm glad they helped you. You shouldn't look so ashamed of it, it makes it sound like they were forced, and it dicredits their kindness." Her smile was practically beaming when she spoke and she only grew more excited when the paper animals ventured from the bag. She crouched down on the floor and stared with wide-eyed wonder at the little paper creatures.

"You have a beautiful talent, if you plan to live here you'll need to get used to hearing that all the time. I won't let my friends down themselves, and I won't let anyone else do it either." She looked determined as she said it, showing just how much she meant what she said. She never told lies, even if it would keep her out of trouble to do so. Everything she did she gave it her all, always doing more than was expected of her, she loved and hated equally, because for every beauty of the world there was something savage, often they were two sides of the same coin. If you confided in her she would never tell another soul, and would go to the ends of the earth to help a friend. Seeing Shiven there looking down made up her mind for her and she hugged her. Gently this time, and it was a loose hug so she could pull away if she wanted to. "You're beautiful, and your art is beautiful. I will tell that to you every day."

Adrian gave her another soft kiss before slowly pulling away, stroking Stella's cheek affectionatly. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you what it was." he chuckled and turned back to the chicken, pulling it off the grill and onto a plate. "If you're worried, I could just have my way with you on the kitchen counter, and give you a reason to worry." He smirked as he said it, raising an eyebrow suggestively. He wouldn't do that of course, but he liked the reactions he got from his teasing, and he did have plans to do some very distracting things later that evening.

[Shuboni]

Shiven nodded, making a mental note that Anna would be there for her. It lifted her spirits just a
little more. Thinking back on Baba and how she helped in Shiven's time of need made her smile a tiny bit. "It wasn't the best circumstances that made it so I had to move in with them. But I am glad they took me in."

Shiven watched Anna look at her little creations. Friends? Well, that was nice of her. The hug was surprising, again, but welcome. Shiven hugged back, holding back a shudder of emotion. It had been a long time since anyone praised her talent so sincerely. Even her ex had told her that it was a useless talent. "Th... Thank you... It means a lot that you really think that." She pulled away, the only way she could hold back everything. "Now, what about the rest of the house?"

Stella huffed as Adrian pulled away like that. She was enjoying herself! "Maybe I prefer to know over having it be a surprise." Stella stuck her tongue out while Adrian was putting the food together. His comment about having his way with her right then and there made her cheeks flush a dark red. She definitely was not expecting that. If it weren't for the other's in that he house, she might even take the offer. She might even take it now. It'd be so hot, the danger of being seen by Anna or Shiven. Or would she even care if they saw? Stella tried to steel herself to say that they should do it but something held her back and, instead, she just shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. She couldn't get herself to say anything.

[Eliza]

Anna nodded and released her from the hug, glad that this one was excepted and returned. She felt warm from how awkwardly Shiven accepted the compliment, and clasped her hands behind her back once more before looking around the room, her gaze stopping at the little paper animals again. She tilted her head to the side a little and giggled. "They really are lovely."

Having said that, she looked back to Shiven and offered her hand to her. "There is still the office, the kitchen, the dinning room, and the living room. Plus my room, if you would like to see it. Trust me when I tell you not to go into Adrian and Stella's room." she shuddered at an almost forgotten memory from the last time she was in there. "After that, we can take a look around the neighborhood, and I can show you all the cool places to hang out, and if you promise not to tell Adrian, we can go by the coffee shop."

Once the chicken was safe from burning, he turned back to Stella with a mischievous smile on his face. Swiftly, he wrapped Stella in a hug and spun around with her so her back was to the counter before lifting her to sit on it. He wanted to use the element of surprise to catch her off guard. He pressed against her between her legs and nipped her neck softly, the same gleam in his eyes. "Then again, maybe I don't want to wait for tonight. I can read your silence well, my love." his voice was low and he nuzzled against her neck as he spoke.