Location: Modern day Connecticut
Kenneth and Jade
Kenneth (or rather Kenny) and Jade have a complicated relationship going on...they're a mixture of frenemies, best friends, and couple--they just don't know it yet! As children, they used to play together all the time; he often took care of her while her parents went out to eat or attended meetings. However, they were separated at a young age and soon they forgot about each other.
When they grew older, Kenneth was living in Connecticut, and unwittingly, Jade moves there as well, hoping to have some peace and quiet to focus on writing her creative stuff (she's on break between high school and college). They meet again at an Hmart...and that begins their crazy journey.
When they grew older, Kenneth was living in Connecticut, and unwittingly, Jade moves there as well, hoping to have some peace and quiet to focus on writing her creative stuff (she's on break between high school and college). They meet again at an Hmart...and that begins their crazy journey.
Kenneth Landon Blaine
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Jade Lucia Kato
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Profile and Features
Age: 22
Gender: Male Height: 6'1" Background/Ethnicity: Australian Skin: Tanned Eyes: Hazel Hair: Dirty Blond, longish (covers neck): Like THIS Face: Handsome/defined jawline Body: Fit, muscled Typical clothing: Military casual, punk Tattoos: N/A yet!!! |
Age: 18
Gender: Female Height: 5'1" Background/Ethnicity: American/Japanese Skin: Pale Eyes: Large Green/Emerald Hair: Black hair, wavy, generally in a thick braid over her left shoulder, with wisps framing parts of her face Face: Delicate Asian features, but with large eyes Body: N/A Typical clothing: Mid-thigh dress and lace cardigan thing |
Personality and Information
Kenneth (or Kenny) is a hacker who goes by the code name of _______ He is a mixture of many things...he's rather lazy at times, and irresponsible when it comes to handing in his projects or work in time. He has only one last class in college, and it just so happens that a certain short girl also decided to take that class for fun. He's extremely stubborn and sarcastic--and will always stand his ground. He is painfully blunt to most people, and also emotionally inept--often insults people (No one is sure if it's on purpose or by accident).
Kenny is ridiculously smart--he's a genius, and he's good at what he does. He is clever and witty around everyone...except her. >>>> Around her, >>>> he often winds up sounding pretty stupid.... Due to having a bad throat infection when he was young (which he got thanks to Jade), his throat is husky sounding all the time. He can't sing any sort of song, not just because of his throat, because he's tone-deaf. He also drinks way too much coffee, and stays up at all ungodly hours of the day (and night) in order to work on his code--he's constantly making new things. No one is allowed to touch his computer/baby, which he has fondly named Codi. Kenny sleeps (or pretends to) anywhere and everywhere: in class, on a bench, etc. Kenneth gets sick on any type of transportation (besides walking and bicycles)...so most of the time, he walks around. Or he races about on his bicycle. The one time Jade convinced him to get on a Ferris Wheel...or roller coaster...ahem, it was not a pretty sight. He uses her middle name Lucia when he is annoyed or wants to annoy her. He teases Jade constantly about her height (or lack of...) |
Jade is a creative writer who is currently taking a gap year right between high school and college. She is currently taking a class in college for fun (extra credits) and was rather disturbed to find a blond mass of hair snoring on the table next to her.
Stubborn and sarcastic, she often butts heads with him <<<< She can be quite fierce at times, and can be quite scary when her temper is provoked. Most of the time though, Jade remains playful and positive, always energetic and willing to give everything a chance. She IS a perfectionist...
She's not the genius type, but she works hard and is decidedly above average. Jade is a hopeless romantic, and always dreams of some prince coming to her, often jabbing at Kenneth's ego unintentionally. She is depressingly dense when it comes to her own romantic life however. Jade sings nearly all the time...and she has a weird quirk of rubbing her cheek on other people's faces when she is excited or happy. She is fiercely protective and loyal of her friends (and him <<<< as a result) and will occasionally go to extremes when protecting them. She loves hats of all shapes and sizes! She sometimes thinks of him <<<< as a lost puppy of sorts...especially because he acts rather stupid around her--and she teases him a lot. Jade really loves kittens and fluffy cute things, often wearing earrings, etc. Jade loves studying people--and how they interact with other people. She's rather interested in studying psychology someday (just for fun!) When she's annoyed at him, she smacks him a lot on his biceps. |
Likes and Dislikes
Kenneth likes:
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Jade likes:
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Glimpses at Kenneth and Jade
Class started at 10:00 AM sharp, so Jade was always sure to get there at 9:50, ten minutes early. Besides the fact that she hated to be late, and arriving early took away the stress of worrying that some delay might make her so, she enjoyed the chance to settle in and get everything just so before the rest of the students filed in and class began. The fact that it ensured she could always get the seat next to Kenneth had absolutely nothing to do with it. No, she certainly didn't go to any extra effort to sit next to him, but that seat just happened to be exactly where she preferred sitting. And besides, despite the fact that he was an expert slacker, he always managed to get to class before her.....somehow. She half-suspected he slept in the building sometimes. One of these days, she would definitely get there first!
Today, however, just was not that day. As usual, she saw with a little... stab of annoyance at his graceful figure, slumped across the table, dead asleep as usual. Or was he asleep??? Messily scrawled notes were scattered and crumpled all across the table around him; whether they were for this class or something completely different she couldn't even tell. His backpack sat half-open in a slumped heap by his feet, a truly enormous coffee cup from the local coffee shop sat next to him, and his head was lovingly pillowed on his laptop, which even in his sleep he had cradled in his arms protectively. Jade hid a smile, even though no one was around to see it. He was obsessed with that thing....the one time someone touched it.....she didn't want to think about it. He was almost cute like that...almost.
She quickly looked away from him (was he even asleep??) and quickly sat down next to him. Aggravated by the terrible conditions of the paper sheets before her eyes, she swiftly but surely pushed all his notes away from her side of the table and back onto his, delineating a line as straight as a ruler. She pulled out her notebook and set it down, spine parallel to her textbook sitting next to it. Pencil, extra pencil, highlighter, eraser, all were set down in a neat orderly row. Pulling her thermos out of its special pocket on her backpack, she set it on the table and neatly slid her backpack under her chair. There. Now she was ready. She rewarded herself with a drink from the steaming thermos. Genmaicha tea, of course. The green tea made her feel calm and alert, and she loved the added flavor of the roasted rice. Next to her, Kenneth finally started stirring.
“What time is it? Aw man I'm gonna be late for class.”
“You're already in class,” she pointed out, rolling her eyes and elbowing his ribs, hard. “You fell asleep on the desk. Again. Why did you even get that coffee if you're just going to fall asleep anyway?”
“Oh yeah, triple espresso, I forgot about that.” He blinked at her a few times, looking exhausted. Stretching and yawning like a cat, he then shoved his tousled blond hair out of his eyes and took a long drink from his coffee cup. When he set it down, Jade was rather peeved to notice he didn't look any better than before. But there was no time to snap at him... as other students were beginning to file in around them. Kenneth was poking lightly at the immaculate line down the center of the table...he was staring at his papers that went all the way down the desk. She smacked his hand away.
“Why don't you just draw a chalk line down the middle while you're at it?” he scowled at her.
“I wouldn't have to if you'd keep your things on your side of the desk,” she informed him. “Shh, class is starting.” Indeed, the teacher had powered on his projector, and begun to explain the information on the first slide of the day. She picked up her pencil dutifully to take notes. But after a while it became clear that he was only reviewing the same information as yesterday, and her mind began to wander...
She was walking back from class, a brisk breeze playing with her hair, when it suddenly seized her notes, sending them flying away. She ran after them in dismay but they'd gotten so far ahead....suddenly a handsome young man darted forward and snatched them! She stopped, trying to catch her breath, as he gallantly handed them back to her, complimenting her perfect handwriting. And then, he offered to walk her home, carrying her things to be sure none of them would be lost again, and-
She was startled out of her daydream as something hit her hand. A folded up piece of paper? Could it be a romantic note from someone with a crush on her? Her mind still full of thoughts of being wooed by a handsome suitor, her heart pounded as she unfolded it, and then did an odd little leap as she recognized Kenneth's untidy scrawl. W-why would he send her a love note? Did he have feelings for her? Maybe... maybe she could...
Jade, why'd you even come to class if you're just going to daydream? Get out....
She scowled at the note and hastily scribbled a reply.
I wasn't daydreaming! I was thinking about important things! P.S. Your handwriting is HORRID!
She flicked the note back to him, staring straight ahead at the teacher determinedly. But she couldn't help glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, and watching for his reaction as he read it. When he wrote a reply and pushed it back to her, she sniffed and continued staring stonily ahead.....THEN, she made the mistake of glancing over at him, and seeing the ridiculous puppy dog face he was making at her. With a sigh, she opened it.
Aw come on, shorty, don't you have a sense of humor? ;)
If you want to apologize, you'll have to do better than that! How dare you call me short! I am not!
Fine...whatever helps you sleep at night......So what were you thinking about anyways?
She hesitated, unwilling to divulge that particular daydream.
I was thinking about when class is going to end. And the weather.
Yeah, I totally believe you....and btw, it's supposed to rain after class.
She frowned in consternation at the note.
What? The weather report today said it was going to be clear!
After all this time....and you still doubt my word??? When have I ever been wrong?
You have such a big ego....*stabs* Ugh...I wish I knew! I'm gonna get soaked.
Jade sighed softly with a huff....she hated getting all wet...she always checked the weather carefully before going out. She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when she felt someone touch her hand. Kenneth, having finally got her attention, slid the note right into it, giving her hand a little squeeze.
Hey, I brought an extra umbrella that you can borrow.
Her hand still felt warm from where he'd touched it. And... had he been thinking of her, when he packed that extra umbrella? Did he maybe have a secret gallant side she'd never seen before?
Awww, Kennyyyy!!! Did you bring that along just for me? :D
He had a devilish grin on his face as he wrote his reply and tossed it back at her. She unfolded it eagerly.
Nah, I brought it for Codi. Can't let my poor baby get wet! It'd be murder on the circuits! I'd be sued for being a horrible parent....
Jade frowned and smacked him on the arm, eliciting a small yelp from him.
“Ow, hey, what was that for?”
“Ahem, if everyone would please settle down?” the professor asked, looking over at the two and tapping his foot impatiently. Jade ducked her head in embarrassment, Kenneth just settled back in his seat. Within minutes, the professor was teaching again and Kenneth was fast asleep. But Jade noticed that he'd somehow written an additional note before he fell asleep.
Tell me if you want that umbrella, Shorty. I'll even walk you home after class.
With a small smile, and just to make sure the professor didn't find any evidence of them passing notes, Jade tucked it into her pocket. At least, that was what she hoped her reasoning was....
~Mirrorstone
Today, however, just was not that day. As usual, she saw with a little... stab of annoyance at his graceful figure, slumped across the table, dead asleep as usual. Or was he asleep??? Messily scrawled notes were scattered and crumpled all across the table around him; whether they were for this class or something completely different she couldn't even tell. His backpack sat half-open in a slumped heap by his feet, a truly enormous coffee cup from the local coffee shop sat next to him, and his head was lovingly pillowed on his laptop, which even in his sleep he had cradled in his arms protectively. Jade hid a smile, even though no one was around to see it. He was obsessed with that thing....the one time someone touched it.....she didn't want to think about it. He was almost cute like that...almost.
She quickly looked away from him (was he even asleep??) and quickly sat down next to him. Aggravated by the terrible conditions of the paper sheets before her eyes, she swiftly but surely pushed all his notes away from her side of the table and back onto his, delineating a line as straight as a ruler. She pulled out her notebook and set it down, spine parallel to her textbook sitting next to it. Pencil, extra pencil, highlighter, eraser, all were set down in a neat orderly row. Pulling her thermos out of its special pocket on her backpack, she set it on the table and neatly slid her backpack under her chair. There. Now she was ready. She rewarded herself with a drink from the steaming thermos. Genmaicha tea, of course. The green tea made her feel calm and alert, and she loved the added flavor of the roasted rice. Next to her, Kenneth finally started stirring.
“What time is it? Aw man I'm gonna be late for class.”
“You're already in class,” she pointed out, rolling her eyes and elbowing his ribs, hard. “You fell asleep on the desk. Again. Why did you even get that coffee if you're just going to fall asleep anyway?”
“Oh yeah, triple espresso, I forgot about that.” He blinked at her a few times, looking exhausted. Stretching and yawning like a cat, he then shoved his tousled blond hair out of his eyes and took a long drink from his coffee cup. When he set it down, Jade was rather peeved to notice he didn't look any better than before. But there was no time to snap at him... as other students were beginning to file in around them. Kenneth was poking lightly at the immaculate line down the center of the table...he was staring at his papers that went all the way down the desk. She smacked his hand away.
“Why don't you just draw a chalk line down the middle while you're at it?” he scowled at her.
“I wouldn't have to if you'd keep your things on your side of the desk,” she informed him. “Shh, class is starting.” Indeed, the teacher had powered on his projector, and begun to explain the information on the first slide of the day. She picked up her pencil dutifully to take notes. But after a while it became clear that he was only reviewing the same information as yesterday, and her mind began to wander...
She was walking back from class, a brisk breeze playing with her hair, when it suddenly seized her notes, sending them flying away. She ran after them in dismay but they'd gotten so far ahead....suddenly a handsome young man darted forward and snatched them! She stopped, trying to catch her breath, as he gallantly handed them back to her, complimenting her perfect handwriting. And then, he offered to walk her home, carrying her things to be sure none of them would be lost again, and-
She was startled out of her daydream as something hit her hand. A folded up piece of paper? Could it be a romantic note from someone with a crush on her? Her mind still full of thoughts of being wooed by a handsome suitor, her heart pounded as she unfolded it, and then did an odd little leap as she recognized Kenneth's untidy scrawl. W-why would he send her a love note? Did he have feelings for her? Maybe... maybe she could...
Jade, why'd you even come to class if you're just going to daydream? Get out....
She scowled at the note and hastily scribbled a reply.
I wasn't daydreaming! I was thinking about important things! P.S. Your handwriting is HORRID!
She flicked the note back to him, staring straight ahead at the teacher determinedly. But she couldn't help glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, and watching for his reaction as he read it. When he wrote a reply and pushed it back to her, she sniffed and continued staring stonily ahead.....THEN, she made the mistake of glancing over at him, and seeing the ridiculous puppy dog face he was making at her. With a sigh, she opened it.
Aw come on, shorty, don't you have a sense of humor? ;)
If you want to apologize, you'll have to do better than that! How dare you call me short! I am not!
Fine...whatever helps you sleep at night......So what were you thinking about anyways?
She hesitated, unwilling to divulge that particular daydream.
I was thinking about when class is going to end. And the weather.
Yeah, I totally believe you....and btw, it's supposed to rain after class.
She frowned in consternation at the note.
What? The weather report today said it was going to be clear!
After all this time....and you still doubt my word??? When have I ever been wrong?
You have such a big ego....*stabs* Ugh...I wish I knew! I'm gonna get soaked.
Jade sighed softly with a huff....she hated getting all wet...she always checked the weather carefully before going out. She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when she felt someone touch her hand. Kenneth, having finally got her attention, slid the note right into it, giving her hand a little squeeze.
Hey, I brought an extra umbrella that you can borrow.
Her hand still felt warm from where he'd touched it. And... had he been thinking of her, when he packed that extra umbrella? Did he maybe have a secret gallant side she'd never seen before?
Awww, Kennyyyy!!! Did you bring that along just for me? :D
He had a devilish grin on his face as he wrote his reply and tossed it back at her. She unfolded it eagerly.
Nah, I brought it for Codi. Can't let my poor baby get wet! It'd be murder on the circuits! I'd be sued for being a horrible parent....
Jade frowned and smacked him on the arm, eliciting a small yelp from him.
“Ow, hey, what was that for?”
“Ahem, if everyone would please settle down?” the professor asked, looking over at the two and tapping his foot impatiently. Jade ducked her head in embarrassment, Kenneth just settled back in his seat. Within minutes, the professor was teaching again and Kenneth was fast asleep. But Jade noticed that he'd somehow written an additional note before he fell asleep.
Tell me if you want that umbrella, Shorty. I'll even walk you home after class.
With a small smile, and just to make sure the professor didn't find any evidence of them passing notes, Jade tucked it into her pocket. At least, that was what she hoped her reasoning was....
~Mirrorstone
“Jade. Hey. Jade.” The Jade in question lifted her chin a little higher and walked straight forward as though she was going to ignore the lanky young man following her out of the classroom. However, it didn't dissuade him in the slightest, as he merely jogged along next to her. “Jade. Jaaaaade. Earth to Lade. Lucia.”
“What? What do you want? Spit it out already instead of buzzing around my ear like a mosquito!” she snapped, whirling around and whacking him on on the arm. Nothing annoyed her more than when he used her middle name. How did he even know it?
“So you are conscious, I thought that you'd fallen asleep in class and sleepwalked out. Anyway, I need your notes.”
“I would never sleep in class! Unlike you! How dare you say that! And no!” She clutched her notebook to her chest protectively. “I thought you were actually taking notes, for once! You spent all class typing away like a madman on your laptop, so what were you-” She stopped dead, making him almost run into her, and smacked him hard on the arm again. Twice. “Kenneth Landon Blaine! Were you even paying attention at all?!”
“Ow. Ow! I was programming, I was struck with an idea and I didn't want to forget it,” he protested. “Come on, let me borrow your notes, and I'll make you lunch.”
“Oh fine,” she agreed, rolling her eyes. Not that she particularly wanted to have lunch with him or anything, but everything on campus was so expensive if you didn't have a meal plan. Which she didn't. If he wanted to treat her, she was being responsible with her money by agreeing. It had nothing to do with the fact that him making her lunch was, well, maybe a little romantic...
And then they got back to his place, and she regretted ever having agreed to it.
“Here you go, instant noodles,” he said, spreading the packages on the counter with a smug grin. “Take your pick.”
“You said lunch,” she informed him acidly. His grin only widened.
“This IS lunch...it's edible....I've got chicken, beef, and pork, what more do you want?”
“Actual nutrition maybe? This is not lunch, this is a solid square of poor nutrition.”
“What do you mean? I eat these all the time and I'm fine," he gestured at himself....
“Why did I know this was going to happen?” Jade groaned.
“Don't ask me, aren't you supposed to be psychic?” She rolled her eyes and turned around to rummage through the sad contents of his cupboard.
“So I suppose now that you've tricked me into coming here you want me to cook lunch, huh? I see how it is. Is this all you eat? You have an entire shelf devoted to coffee. You're going to get scurvy one of these days, and I'm going to laugh,” she informed him.
"Puh-lease, woman, I eat seaweed....I'm not going to get scurvy...."
She ignored his comment as she kept searching, “Tell me you at least have rice.”
“Not that again-” he groaned.
“It's versatile, it's healthy, it's fast and easy to cook, it's cheap enough for a student's budget, you could do worse. In fact, you are. And...beggars can't be choosy!"
"I'm not a beggar!" He made a face, "This IS my house you know..."
"And I'm the cook! Which makes you a beggar...and you can't afford to be picky if you want to eat anything.....NO MORE EATING RAMEN. Give me the rice. NOW." She held out her hand with a stern expression, one hand on her waist, apron tied on already.
“Ugh....fine.....This?” he winced, pulling a bag of rice out of the cupboard he was leaning on.
“Aww Kenny, did you buy that hoping I would visit?” she asked, with a little sarcastic smirk at her lips. “Were you really going to cook lunch for me?” Wait, did she even want that? If he cooked her a meal, just the two of them, that would be almost like.... a date....she quickly wiped that thought away. No way.
“Sheesh, I already know I can't cook, rub it in why don't you,” he snorted, tossing her the bag carelessly and slumping against the cupboard, an irritated/sulky expression on his face. She scrambled to catch it.
“Maybe you should learn to cook then,” she retorted. “Please tell me you at least have a pot. You've heard of those, right? They're round and you cook in them?”
“Gee, I don't know,” he said with a sarcastic shrug as she did indeed manage to locate a pot, and set the rice on to boil. “Tell me you're not just making plain rice!!! Just how boring can you get.....”
“If you think I'm boring I can leave now and you won't be able to borrow my notes or have lunch,” she grinned at him, going through his cupboard again. She thought she'd seen one lonely can of tuna sitting by itself in the back. And a very LARGE package of dried seaweed, thanks to Kenneth's taste for it. “Maybe I should write you a shopping list too, since you obviously don't know that the stores sell stuff besides coffee and seaweed.” Jade rolled her eyes....
By the time the rice had cooked, she'd mixed the tuna with mayonnaise in a bowl, and cut some of the seaweed into strips.
“Rice and tuna salad?” Kenneth asked dubiously.
“No, we're making onigiri, rice balls, derp! And I did say we,” she said, rinsing her hands at the sink, “so don't try to sneak off.” With the ease of long practice, she set a generous spoonful of rice onto the plate, pushed a little indent in with her thumb, spooned some of the tuna in, then covered the little hole with another spoonful of rice. She picked it up gently, patting it into a triangular shape, and wrapped a strip of seaweed around it with a little flourish before setting it down, perfectly formed. The whole process had only taken her a minute or so. “Your turn.”
When Kenneth tried it, it took him significantly longer. The rice stuck to his spoon. The rice stuck to the plate. The rice stuck to his hands. He set down a misshapen, vaguely spherical lump, with tuna leaking out of it, and looked in bewilderment at his messy hands.
“Oh, did I forget to mention, you're supposed to get your hands wet first to keep the rice from sticking?” Jade, who had forgotten no such thing, asked innocently. Kenneth groaned and flicked water at her while he rinsed his hands off. “Hey! Don't splash water at me! You're so immature....”
“No, you are....” he said, drying his hands off. “You have to eat that one, since it's your fault. And it's so ugly....I don't even understand how you just did it....”
Jade smirked at him, "As long as you know it's ugly....remember that...." She picked it up and popped it into her mouth. It wasn't that she thought it was cute he'd given her the very first one he'd made or anything, she just had to get that monstrosity off the plate to make room for better ones. It was, despite it's sad shape, surprisingly good.
“It's terrible,” she said with a smirk. “Come back over here and maybe, after some of my expert tutoring, you'll manage to work your way up to okay. Maybe."
~Mirrorstone
“What? What do you want? Spit it out already instead of buzzing around my ear like a mosquito!” she snapped, whirling around and whacking him on on the arm. Nothing annoyed her more than when he used her middle name. How did he even know it?
“So you are conscious, I thought that you'd fallen asleep in class and sleepwalked out. Anyway, I need your notes.”
“I would never sleep in class! Unlike you! How dare you say that! And no!” She clutched her notebook to her chest protectively. “I thought you were actually taking notes, for once! You spent all class typing away like a madman on your laptop, so what were you-” She stopped dead, making him almost run into her, and smacked him hard on the arm again. Twice. “Kenneth Landon Blaine! Were you even paying attention at all?!”
“Ow. Ow! I was programming, I was struck with an idea and I didn't want to forget it,” he protested. “Come on, let me borrow your notes, and I'll make you lunch.”
“Oh fine,” she agreed, rolling her eyes. Not that she particularly wanted to have lunch with him or anything, but everything on campus was so expensive if you didn't have a meal plan. Which she didn't. If he wanted to treat her, she was being responsible with her money by agreeing. It had nothing to do with the fact that him making her lunch was, well, maybe a little romantic...
And then they got back to his place, and she regretted ever having agreed to it.
“Here you go, instant noodles,” he said, spreading the packages on the counter with a smug grin. “Take your pick.”
“You said lunch,” she informed him acidly. His grin only widened.
“This IS lunch...it's edible....I've got chicken, beef, and pork, what more do you want?”
“Actual nutrition maybe? This is not lunch, this is a solid square of poor nutrition.”
“What do you mean? I eat these all the time and I'm fine," he gestured at himself....
“Why did I know this was going to happen?” Jade groaned.
“Don't ask me, aren't you supposed to be psychic?” She rolled her eyes and turned around to rummage through the sad contents of his cupboard.
“So I suppose now that you've tricked me into coming here you want me to cook lunch, huh? I see how it is. Is this all you eat? You have an entire shelf devoted to coffee. You're going to get scurvy one of these days, and I'm going to laugh,” she informed him.
"Puh-lease, woman, I eat seaweed....I'm not going to get scurvy...."
She ignored his comment as she kept searching, “Tell me you at least have rice.”
“Not that again-” he groaned.
“It's versatile, it's healthy, it's fast and easy to cook, it's cheap enough for a student's budget, you could do worse. In fact, you are. And...beggars can't be choosy!"
"I'm not a beggar!" He made a face, "This IS my house you know..."
"And I'm the cook! Which makes you a beggar...and you can't afford to be picky if you want to eat anything.....NO MORE EATING RAMEN. Give me the rice. NOW." She held out her hand with a stern expression, one hand on her waist, apron tied on already.
“Ugh....fine.....This?” he winced, pulling a bag of rice out of the cupboard he was leaning on.
“Aww Kenny, did you buy that hoping I would visit?” she asked, with a little sarcastic smirk at her lips. “Were you really going to cook lunch for me?” Wait, did she even want that? If he cooked her a meal, just the two of them, that would be almost like.... a date....she quickly wiped that thought away. No way.
“Sheesh, I already know I can't cook, rub it in why don't you,” he snorted, tossing her the bag carelessly and slumping against the cupboard, an irritated/sulky expression on his face. She scrambled to catch it.
“Maybe you should learn to cook then,” she retorted. “Please tell me you at least have a pot. You've heard of those, right? They're round and you cook in them?”
“Gee, I don't know,” he said with a sarcastic shrug as she did indeed manage to locate a pot, and set the rice on to boil. “Tell me you're not just making plain rice!!! Just how boring can you get.....”
“If you think I'm boring I can leave now and you won't be able to borrow my notes or have lunch,” she grinned at him, going through his cupboard again. She thought she'd seen one lonely can of tuna sitting by itself in the back. And a very LARGE package of dried seaweed, thanks to Kenneth's taste for it. “Maybe I should write you a shopping list too, since you obviously don't know that the stores sell stuff besides coffee and seaweed.” Jade rolled her eyes....
By the time the rice had cooked, she'd mixed the tuna with mayonnaise in a bowl, and cut some of the seaweed into strips.
“Rice and tuna salad?” Kenneth asked dubiously.
“No, we're making onigiri, rice balls, derp! And I did say we,” she said, rinsing her hands at the sink, “so don't try to sneak off.” With the ease of long practice, she set a generous spoonful of rice onto the plate, pushed a little indent in with her thumb, spooned some of the tuna in, then covered the little hole with another spoonful of rice. She picked it up gently, patting it into a triangular shape, and wrapped a strip of seaweed around it with a little flourish before setting it down, perfectly formed. The whole process had only taken her a minute or so. “Your turn.”
When Kenneth tried it, it took him significantly longer. The rice stuck to his spoon. The rice stuck to the plate. The rice stuck to his hands. He set down a misshapen, vaguely spherical lump, with tuna leaking out of it, and looked in bewilderment at his messy hands.
“Oh, did I forget to mention, you're supposed to get your hands wet first to keep the rice from sticking?” Jade, who had forgotten no such thing, asked innocently. Kenneth groaned and flicked water at her while he rinsed his hands off. “Hey! Don't splash water at me! You're so immature....”
“No, you are....” he said, drying his hands off. “You have to eat that one, since it's your fault. And it's so ugly....I don't even understand how you just did it....”
Jade smirked at him, "As long as you know it's ugly....remember that...." She picked it up and popped it into her mouth. It wasn't that she thought it was cute he'd given her the very first one he'd made or anything, she just had to get that monstrosity off the plate to make room for better ones. It was, despite it's sad shape, surprisingly good.
“It's terrible,” she said with a smirk. “Come back over here and maybe, after some of my expert tutoring, you'll manage to work your way up to okay. Maybe."
~Mirrorstone
Jade looked at her watch and gave a deep sigh of annoyance. Any day now... she and Kenneth had to make it across town and to a theater by three. It was two. It took thirty minutes to get there, plus an extra ten to get food and drink and then find nice seats. To be clear, this was not a date. It was two friends going out to see the same movie and going with someone was better than going alone, yet all of Jade's classmates swore up and down the two were dating. That was so not true. She looked at her watch again and gave a louder sigh, hoping Kenneth heard her. He didn't. With impatience and growing annoyance, Jade looked around the man's apartment. It wasn't really dirty, but it could have been better. A few decorations here and there, less boring stuff like blankets spread all over the place and empty Starbucks coffee cups sitting on the table... ugh, how has he not died of caffeine overdose? Was that even possible?
"We're going to be late!" she said, a little louder than she meant. She darted towards the bedroom door and banged on it. "Late, late, late! Hurry up! I don't want to miss the previews!"
An incomprehensible grumble came from the other side, along with a series of thumps. What? She put her ear to the door, leaning against the wood, hoping to hear what he was saying.
"What?" she said, hearing the same sound again. "I can't hear- ah!"
The door swung open and she almost fell through, catching herself on the edge of the door-frame. She pushed herself back and rocked on her heels, steadying out, before glaring up at Kenneth. He did that on purpose, she knows he did.
"I said, don't worry. Its only two ten! We'll get there in plenty of time." He tried to get past her, but Jade stuck her arms out and kept glaring at him. "What?"
"Say sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"You know what! Almost making me fall into you!"
He stared at her, before a large grin broke across his face. Swooping down, he picked her up by her waist and carried her across the room like she was a rag-doll, not even noticing the hits to his arms and chest. Kenneth put her down in the kitchen, and grabbed an old Starbucks cup, rinsing it out before he filled it with some coffee made fresh at two that morning.
"We don't have time!" Jade whined. She knew she shouldn't be rushing him. They would make it there in time, but the way he was just loafing around was really starting to bug her. "I really want to see the previews!"
Kenneth waved his hand toward the door. "After you."
Jade rushed down the sidewalk, having to stop at every crosswalk to wait for Kenneth to catch up. By the time he reached every crossing, the light had changed and they had to wait. Two fifteen. They had only just left the apartment, and Kenneth was still nursing his coffee. Not only that, but this was the longest light. At least no one else was waiting with them. Jade peered up at him from under the rim of her new favorite hat. This one had a kitten on the outside, with a colorful ribbon that trailed behind her.
"Is it true you made Susie cry yesterday?" Jade suddenly asked, making Kenneth coke on his coffee. He coughed and sputtered, looking at the drops on the ground like he had just lost the last bit of water in a never ending desert. With a defeated sigh, he sipped at the remainder of his drink and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.
"I make a lot of people cry."
"That isn't a good thing!"
Kenneth closed his eyes and gave another sigh. Why now? "Look, she was being annoying and I called her out after class. Big whoop. Its her problem if she takes it offensively."
"That's not what I heard."
"Well that's the gist of what I said." The light turned and they started to cross. Finally. Two twenty. Jade walked faster than Kenneth again, but began to slow down the closer they got. Maybe she was rushing a bit too much. It wouldn't be three by the time they got there. They had plenty of time.
"Told you," Kenneth hummed, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.
"Shut up," Jade said, smiling. "So did you study for the quiz tomorrow?"
Kenneth stared straight ahead, blinking a few times. "We have a quiz?"
"Its on that list!"
"What list?"
"The list we got at the beginning of the semester! Don't tell me you lost it already?"
"We never got a list!"
Jade reached into her bag and took out her binder, something she always carried just in case she had time to work on an assignment. Also, to keep Kenneth on track with what was going on in the class. She pulled out the piece of paper and shoved it at him. He stared at it with a look of shock and horror before shrugging and handing it back.
"Oh yeah, I remember that. I used it as a coaster."
"How do you use paper as a coaster?"
"You fold it, dum-dum."
"Hey! I'm not the one that forgets my homework! Or quizzes!" Jade laughed, happy to see a smile come from Kenneth.
"Eh, I pass them all anyway."
Finally! The theater!
They got their tickets and snacks, sitting down in their seats at two forty. Plenty of time to chat before the previews started. Jade took a sip of her drink and looked over at Kenneth, finding him leaning back a little too far in his chair, eyes closed like he was sleeping.
"Didn't get enough coffee in your system?" she joked, getting a lot 'shh' from Kenneth. He seemed to be focusing with his eyes shut.
"I sense a presence of a very short, very annoying girl."
"You mean yourself?"
His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, his mouth agape with surprise, looking genuinely hurt. "So not nice! I'm way taller than you!"
Jade laughed, drawing the attention of the other early arrivals. She tried to pipe down, sipping on her drink instead. Kenneth slumped back in his chair, leaning his head back again and closing his eyes. He was tired. Well, not sleepy tired, but the kind of tired people got when they really just needed a quick nap, or a cup of coffee. Or a vacation. Yeah, that sounded about right. A nice vacation.
"Hey! The previews are starting!" Jade said, tugging on Kenneth's sleeve. He opened his eyes and sat up straight. At least the movie would be a nice break from working with Codi, the computer had been being difficult with a new code recently.
~by Dew
"We're going to be late!" she said, a little louder than she meant. She darted towards the bedroom door and banged on it. "Late, late, late! Hurry up! I don't want to miss the previews!"
An incomprehensible grumble came from the other side, along with a series of thumps. What? She put her ear to the door, leaning against the wood, hoping to hear what he was saying.
"What?" she said, hearing the same sound again. "I can't hear- ah!"
The door swung open and she almost fell through, catching herself on the edge of the door-frame. She pushed herself back and rocked on her heels, steadying out, before glaring up at Kenneth. He did that on purpose, she knows he did.
"I said, don't worry. Its only two ten! We'll get there in plenty of time." He tried to get past her, but Jade stuck her arms out and kept glaring at him. "What?"
"Say sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"You know what! Almost making me fall into you!"
He stared at her, before a large grin broke across his face. Swooping down, he picked her up by her waist and carried her across the room like she was a rag-doll, not even noticing the hits to his arms and chest. Kenneth put her down in the kitchen, and grabbed an old Starbucks cup, rinsing it out before he filled it with some coffee made fresh at two that morning.
"We don't have time!" Jade whined. She knew she shouldn't be rushing him. They would make it there in time, but the way he was just loafing around was really starting to bug her. "I really want to see the previews!"
Kenneth waved his hand toward the door. "After you."
Jade rushed down the sidewalk, having to stop at every crosswalk to wait for Kenneth to catch up. By the time he reached every crossing, the light had changed and they had to wait. Two fifteen. They had only just left the apartment, and Kenneth was still nursing his coffee. Not only that, but this was the longest light. At least no one else was waiting with them. Jade peered up at him from under the rim of her new favorite hat. This one had a kitten on the outside, with a colorful ribbon that trailed behind her.
"Is it true you made Susie cry yesterday?" Jade suddenly asked, making Kenneth coke on his coffee. He coughed and sputtered, looking at the drops on the ground like he had just lost the last bit of water in a never ending desert. With a defeated sigh, he sipped at the remainder of his drink and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.
"I make a lot of people cry."
"That isn't a good thing!"
Kenneth closed his eyes and gave another sigh. Why now? "Look, she was being annoying and I called her out after class. Big whoop. Its her problem if she takes it offensively."
"That's not what I heard."
"Well that's the gist of what I said." The light turned and they started to cross. Finally. Two twenty. Jade walked faster than Kenneth again, but began to slow down the closer they got. Maybe she was rushing a bit too much. It wouldn't be three by the time they got there. They had plenty of time.
"Told you," Kenneth hummed, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.
"Shut up," Jade said, smiling. "So did you study for the quiz tomorrow?"
Kenneth stared straight ahead, blinking a few times. "We have a quiz?"
"Its on that list!"
"What list?"
"The list we got at the beginning of the semester! Don't tell me you lost it already?"
"We never got a list!"
Jade reached into her bag and took out her binder, something she always carried just in case she had time to work on an assignment. Also, to keep Kenneth on track with what was going on in the class. She pulled out the piece of paper and shoved it at him. He stared at it with a look of shock and horror before shrugging and handing it back.
"Oh yeah, I remember that. I used it as a coaster."
"How do you use paper as a coaster?"
"You fold it, dum-dum."
"Hey! I'm not the one that forgets my homework! Or quizzes!" Jade laughed, happy to see a smile come from Kenneth.
"Eh, I pass them all anyway."
Finally! The theater!
They got their tickets and snacks, sitting down in their seats at two forty. Plenty of time to chat before the previews started. Jade took a sip of her drink and looked over at Kenneth, finding him leaning back a little too far in his chair, eyes closed like he was sleeping.
"Didn't get enough coffee in your system?" she joked, getting a lot 'shh' from Kenneth. He seemed to be focusing with his eyes shut.
"I sense a presence of a very short, very annoying girl."
"You mean yourself?"
His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, his mouth agape with surprise, looking genuinely hurt. "So not nice! I'm way taller than you!"
Jade laughed, drawing the attention of the other early arrivals. She tried to pipe down, sipping on her drink instead. Kenneth slumped back in his chair, leaning his head back again and closing his eyes. He was tired. Well, not sleepy tired, but the kind of tired people got when they really just needed a quick nap, or a cup of coffee. Or a vacation. Yeah, that sounded about right. A nice vacation.
"Hey! The previews are starting!" Jade said, tugging on Kenneth's sleeve. He opened his eyes and sat up straight. At least the movie would be a nice break from working with Codi, the computer had been being difficult with a new code recently.
~by Dew
Jade ran into her apartment, heart still pounding. She glanced into the mirror and saw her face was completely red. Maybe he noticed…? No. Kenneth may have been a genius programmer, but when it came to people, he could not be any more dense. Still… did he notice anything…off? She thought back on what had happened.
~
It had been a fairly average afternoon. She was sitting in a nearby café, typing to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The calm was soon shattered by the screeching of a chai dragging against the floor tiles. She looked up to see Kenneth set a chair next to her and plop down into it, looking at her with a beatific smile.
“Hi there, Jade,” he said happily, “fancy seeing you here.”
“I come here after lunch every single day to write, Kenneth. You know that,” she sighed. He rolled his eyes and leaned on the table, watching her closely.
“Hey, I’ve already got my coffee, and you work too hard. How’s about you close up shop for today and take a walk with me? It’s a beautiful night.” He smiled at her skeptical look. “C’mon, I’m bored. No ulterior motives.” Jade thought for a moment, then hesitantly closed her laptop.
“If I do it, will you let me write in peace for the next week?”
“Cross my heart,” he said, crossing himself and grinning down at her. She still looked suspicious, but slipped her laptop into her bag and stood.
“You better not make me regret this.”
It was a gorgeous evening, just dipping into night. The sun was about to set and the dim blues of the sky were shifting to darker shades. In the middle of the town square, the fountain united the scene in picturesque serenity. And yet, for some reason, Jade mostly just watched Kenneth. She told herself she was watching for him to slip up and tell her why he really asked her on this walk. Did he want to borrow her notes? She knew he slept through the last class, and they had a big test coming up, so that must have been it… right?
I’m not giving you my notes, so don’t ask again,” she snapped, breaking the silence between them. Kenneth looked down at her for a moment, then laughed.
“Ah, well, I didn’t want them? Geez, you got real defensive real quick.” He rested his elbow on her head and smirked at her. “Your temper is almost as short as you are.” Jade made an affronted noise and shoved his arm off her head.
“You better be careful with that lazy attitude, or you’ll grow just as wide as you are long, you insufferable beanpole,” she huffed, walking ahead of him. Kenneth frowned.
“Hey, Jade,” he said, running astride her. “I didn’t actually upset you, did I?” She petulantly avoided his gaze, opting instead to watch the fountain. “Jade…” he said again, and grabbed one of her hands and holding it in his own.
"Kenneth, let go," she started, then turned to look at him. His face was inches from hers, and he was grinning as if trying not to laugh at her. For some reason, rather than thinking it was insufferable to watch be amused by her anger, she thought his smile was kind of…endearing. Kind of cute, actually. After a long pause, his expression morphed from entertained to baffled. “Uh, Jade? You alright there? Still with me?”
Jade snapped her hands back to her sides. “I’m…fine,” she said stiffly. “I need to go home.”
~
Back in her apartment, Jade sunk to the floor. There was no way he couldn’t have noticed something was weird. What was with her reaction, anyways? Getting all flustered and flushed just from a second of looking at someone. She put her head in her hands. It didn’t matter what it meant, she thought. Things would be back to normal by tomorrow. There was no choice but to forget about it.
~by ResplendentChaos
~
It had been a fairly average afternoon. She was sitting in a nearby café, typing to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The calm was soon shattered by the screeching of a chai dragging against the floor tiles. She looked up to see Kenneth set a chair next to her and plop down into it, looking at her with a beatific smile.
“Hi there, Jade,” he said happily, “fancy seeing you here.”
“I come here after lunch every single day to write, Kenneth. You know that,” she sighed. He rolled his eyes and leaned on the table, watching her closely.
“Hey, I’ve already got my coffee, and you work too hard. How’s about you close up shop for today and take a walk with me? It’s a beautiful night.” He smiled at her skeptical look. “C’mon, I’m bored. No ulterior motives.” Jade thought for a moment, then hesitantly closed her laptop.
“If I do it, will you let me write in peace for the next week?”
“Cross my heart,” he said, crossing himself and grinning down at her. She still looked suspicious, but slipped her laptop into her bag and stood.
“You better not make me regret this.”
It was a gorgeous evening, just dipping into night. The sun was about to set and the dim blues of the sky were shifting to darker shades. In the middle of the town square, the fountain united the scene in picturesque serenity. And yet, for some reason, Jade mostly just watched Kenneth. She told herself she was watching for him to slip up and tell her why he really asked her on this walk. Did he want to borrow her notes? She knew he slept through the last class, and they had a big test coming up, so that must have been it… right?
I’m not giving you my notes, so don’t ask again,” she snapped, breaking the silence between them. Kenneth looked down at her for a moment, then laughed.
“Ah, well, I didn’t want them? Geez, you got real defensive real quick.” He rested his elbow on her head and smirked at her. “Your temper is almost as short as you are.” Jade made an affronted noise and shoved his arm off her head.
“You better be careful with that lazy attitude, or you’ll grow just as wide as you are long, you insufferable beanpole,” she huffed, walking ahead of him. Kenneth frowned.
“Hey, Jade,” he said, running astride her. “I didn’t actually upset you, did I?” She petulantly avoided his gaze, opting instead to watch the fountain. “Jade…” he said again, and grabbed one of her hands and holding it in his own.
"Kenneth, let go," she started, then turned to look at him. His face was inches from hers, and he was grinning as if trying not to laugh at her. For some reason, rather than thinking it was insufferable to watch be amused by her anger, she thought his smile was kind of…endearing. Kind of cute, actually. After a long pause, his expression morphed from entertained to baffled. “Uh, Jade? You alright there? Still with me?”
Jade snapped her hands back to her sides. “I’m…fine,” she said stiffly. “I need to go home.”
~
Back in her apartment, Jade sunk to the floor. There was no way he couldn’t have noticed something was weird. What was with her reaction, anyways? Getting all flustered and flushed just from a second of looking at someone. She put her head in her hands. It didn’t matter what it meant, she thought. Things would be back to normal by tomorrow. There was no choice but to forget about it.
~by ResplendentChaos