Just another Fucked up monday

[Dare Madison]

Dare sat in the cafeteria on top of one of the tables and played his guitar. It was way too crowded to try to get to class besides he really needed more coffee. It was white and sweet as hell but that was the only way he liked it. He sipped it as he worked on a song that had been bugging him for a couple of weeks. He wasn't ready for lyric's yet, but he wordlessly sang a melody line. He felt kind of disconnected. He figured he was failing at what his father had really wanted for him. The chance to make friends and live kind of a normal life. He had met a few people, but none of them really seemed to like him enough to want to have another encounter let alone become friends.

Dare decided he was only going to give this experiment until Easter and if it wasn't working he would lay it on the line with his dad. School sucked and he wasn't going to do this for two and a half years, not when he could be getting on with his career and experiencing life. He drained his coffee and played some harsh chords to vent his feelings. If any one had known him well, which no one did, they would have realized he was seriously down, for the normally sunny smile was gone and he seemed even smaller than normal like he had shrunken in on himself.

[Phil Lim]

Phil was not thrilled to see the start of a new school day. He’d argued with all two of his friends, hadn’t shown up to the club meeting on Saturday because of this, and had enjoyed Church the day before less than usual as he was too busy worrying over how to repair his friendships to actually listen to the sermon. And now he was so distraught he hadn’t even bothered to dress with the neo-Victorian flair that had so defined his closet, instead going boringly mundane in his distressed tee and boot cut denims.

The first answer to the problem that presented itself was that he should apologize, but that happened to be a difficult course of action. Or rather, he had yet to formulate a way to apologize that didn’t involve acknowledging the reason behind their argument, for the friendship between him and Maggy and Mew was really more fragile than any of them cared to admit, and they were all willfully ignoring the weaknesses, afraid that to do so would result in an irreparable split.

The Korean boy knew that neither of his friends would be in the cafeteria, which was why he had decided to go there, to read and to consider his choices. At least, he hoped he’d be able to read, because that sometimes lead to ideas, but this particular morning he simply stared at the words of his book, unable to focus. And it didn’t help that there was someone nearby playing guitar, and looking almost as miserable as he felt. So Phil did the only thing that made sense; he decided to comment on the other’s turmoil in the hopes that he could forget his own.

“What’s the matter, don’t like Monday?” He commented, picking up and moving over to the long-haired guitar player. He didn't have the will to converse in a more eloquent manner today; he wasn't dashing time-traveling professor Augustus Darlington, he was simply Philip Lim, screw-up extraordinaire. "Or is that a new genre of music I'm unaware of." Hell, maybe the guy liked noise rock or whatever it was called.

[Dare Madison]

Dare looked up in surprise as for the first time since he returned to L.A. someone spoke to him first. Reflexively he smiled, for that came natural to him. "Mondays are all right... I just want to be in Baltimore with my Dad I guess. That is just Dare in a bad mood music, do you think it will catch on?" he asked already beginning to cheer up. When he was on the road with his dad he was always surrounded by people who enjoyed his company, he was just not used to being alone all the time.

"What are you reading?" Dare asked seeing the book in the attractive boy's hands. "I'm really sorry if my musical temper tantrum disturbed you, I didn't realize I wasn't alone anymore," he said smiling. "Can I get you some coffee, tea or juice to make it up to you?" He wished they had real cinnamon rolls rather than the ones in the vending machines. He was addicted to the ones at Cinnabon. They were amazing.

"Oh... I am Dare Madison by the way, I just came back after a six month sabbatical," he said figuring that term was the closest he was going to find to why he had really left L.A. for so long. "I has only been here for a few weeks before that though, so if you don't recognize me there is a good reason for it.

[Phil Lim]

Dare's revelation that he was in a bad mood (though it had been rather obvious) made Phil feel less miserable and alone for one fleeting moment until guilt crushed him back to Earth. It really wasn't at all fair to be happy that someone else was also unhappy. "You never know, it could be the next big thing," He suggested, deciding that there was no accounting for taste. People liked all sorts of things he thought were rubbish, so it wouldn't surprise him if discordant music created from an ill temper caught on in the mainstream.

At the other boy's inquiry he flashed the cover of his book, an old and battered copy of The Kalevala, "Not many people have read it, but it's quite good." He explained, "If you like epic poetry, with magical songs and tragic lovers and all that sort of thing." He knew that some people greatly disliked anything that smacked of fantasy, insisted that if it hadn't been proven it couldn't be real and was therefore boring, though he'd found most people were rather vague about just what counted as proof. Even if it wasn't real (he certainly didn't believe that Joukahainen and Vainamoinen had ever done song battles), it was still fascinating, and gave insight into the people who had crafted the myths in the first place.

"You aren't disturbing me, I couldn't concentrate anyway." Phil admitted with a shrug, "And I'm fine, but thank you." He couldn't say that he recognized the other boy, actually, but if he'd been gone for six months that wasn't too surprising -- was it? He couldn't feel too bad about not recognizing everyone who had ever attended school with him, could he?

"I'm Phil," He offered, "Phil Lim." He didn't feel like explaining his alter-ego today, so for once he introduced himself solely by his real name. "I'm a Senior," He added, "What grade are you in?" If Dare wasn't a Senior, then he would feel much less poorly about not knowing who he was. It wasn't as though he routinely hung out with lower classmen, except Levi, but that was only some of the time, and he was a fellow nerd of the highest order, and his impression of the blonde musician was not that of nerd.

"So, Dare, why are you here if your dad is in Baltimore?" As someone who had to live with his own parents and their brittle peace, he had difficulty at times understanding why anyone would seek out their parents' company. But then, both his best friends came from close-knit families. Maybe his was just unusual.

[Dare Madison]

Dare chuckled. “I somehow doubt that my occasional temper tantrums could spawn a new trend in music. Although I would have been surprised at a whole culture devoted to teenage angst too if I hadn’t been born into it,” he said referring to the Emo movement which he alternately enjoyed and despised depending upon his own wavering emotions.
“Your book sounds awesome. I will have to see if I can find a copy of it. I love mythology and fantasy. I adore Lord of the Rings though the books are so much better than the movies. I guess that is usually true though. You can show so much more of the characters and their thought processes and growth in a book,” Dare gave his own theory on the book over movie controversy. “Kalevala, yeah that sounds cool.”
Flipping his long hair back, Dar grinned. “I am only a Junior, I had to take placement tests to figure where to place me because I have been tutored up till now. Which…. Is also the reason I am here while my dad is in Baltimore. He is a musician and is on tour at the moment. Up until last Wednesday I was on tour as well. But he decided I need socialization. Some busy body told him it wasn’t healthy that the only friends I had were twice as old as I am and stoners so I have been banished to Los Angeles for a year and a half so I can graduate with kids my age.”

[Dare Madison]

(ooc: sorry it seems to have removed my paragraph stops when i copy pasted)

[Phil Lim]

"Yeah, it's really interesting," Phil found his mood lifting as he explained his current reading material, "This guy, he went around and wrote down all the folk songs in Finland and then strung them into one story. So he changed some of the characters around to make it fit, but it's still such a fascinating concept. And poetry can make any story seem more epic." He added. He didn't comment on The Lord of the Rings; he had read it, back when he was in Elementary school, and while he'd liked it (he was a fan of mythology, after all, and Tolkien was an expert mythologist), his reading preferences slanted largely to works published pre-Tolkien, to the Classics and the Romantics and the Aesthetes.

"A band, really? What band?" He knew that some of the other kids had celebrity parents, but they weren't any of the (admittedly very few) people he hung around. He happened to agree that it wasn't healthy to hang around stoners, a position that was perhaps a tad hypocrital considering his own nicotine addiction. "It's not really a banishment, is it? There are plenty of people here..." he noted, though he supposed if he were that close to his own father he might feel the same at seperation. And plenty of people did not necessarily equal fun. But then, things that were unhealthy could be fun, so maybe that wasn't an appropriate mental example. "Los Angeles is okay." He'd never lived anywhere else, so he had no comparisons. But it wasn't terrible; the only problems he had were self-created, so he figured it wouldn't have mattered where he lived.

"So what do you think of Gould so far?"

[Dare Madison]

Dare decided that he was definitely going to have to find a copy of that book. “I wish I could read it in the original language to get the real feel for the poetry and music,” he said wondering if there was a cyber course in Finnish he could take. “I love poetry, it is so close to music.

“My dad drums for Toxic Religion. a metal band. In fact I substituted for their lead guitarist for the last six months. We toured in Europe. But the regular guy is all healed up so that’s why I am back here,” Dare said looking around the cafeteria as if it was a dungeon holding him captive. “Yeah there are lots of people here, but I don’t really fit… it’s like I come from a different planet or something. I have tried to make friends, but no one really seemed that interested… You’re the first person that really talked. I really appreciate that.”

Dare picked up his coffee cup and then realized it was empty so set it down again. “Gould seems okay. Lots of creative people which is cool. So what else besides Mythology are you into? Are there other people here that like that? I would join a club that did that kind of stuff,” he asked, the only other club he had found at all interesting was the environmental club, but he hadn’t attended a meeting yet.

[Phil Lim]

Phil decided he should introduce Dare to Mew, the two would probably take to one another since they shared an interest in poetry. He always felt so inadequate when there was only one person quipping bits of poems at him, it would be far worse with two.

He gaped at the blonde when he named his father’s band. “Woah, Toxic Religion? I love them!” He admitted. They were a little heavier than most of the rest of his music collection, but they were still excellent. Magdalena had introduced him to them, and while he was usually rather ambivalent about any music she liked, this had been one he had one hundred percent agreed on.

“Sure, there are others,” He grinned, wondering why on Earth nobody would talk to someone who seemed so friendly (even when he was in a poor mood). “We roleplay. All the time, actually. I don’t usually dress like this,” He motioned to his mundane outfit, which had so delighted his parents that morning. “If you’ve seen someone around school in a top hat, it was probably me. Umm. I collect guns, they’re really fun as long as you aren’t actually shooting them at people, at least, I haven’t tried that yet, really hoping not to ever have to. And I just started up a club. So far it’s mostly me and my friends, and I’m pretty sure they’re only it to be nice. But Melodee did join on the understanding she’s considered co-founder. If you don’t know Melodee, I assure you that you at least know her mother, Ginger Ryker, the food goddess.” He was almost beginning to wish he had dressed up, now; it was so awkward talking to someone as a mundane. He wasn’t sure how to act, or what to say, and he wasn’t quite confident enough as himself to admit what his club was. If he were the professor it wouldn’t be a problem.

“We could meet after school, and I’ll introduce you,” He offered. He would find the pair and apologize, first, otherwise trying to arrange a meeting could be awkward. “There’s Magdalena, she’s kinda shy, but she’s cool, we do youth group together. And Mew, he likes poetry, too. He's a big anime fan, don't tell him it's just cartoons, he might get mad at you. And Levi, he’s a freshman at Silver but he and his friend Danny hang around sometimes, they’re pretty hilarious. I guess since Silver is here we'll see them around."

He paused, then added, "So, other than music, what are YOU into?"

[Dare Madison]

“Cool I will tell my dad you like them. He is always worried that their music isn’t relevant to the new generation. He says I am prejudiced when I reassure him that they are. They are coming back into town this weekend to sign some contracts. They will probably jam on Saturday if you would like to come hangout,” Dare offered, for he really liked Phil and thought it would be fun to have a friend there. “You could eat with us if you don’t mind vegetarian.”

“I have never roleplayed, though I met some people in England that did. They dressed up in Regency clothing and had balls and such. Is that the way you do it here? I don’t think I would be a very good dancer. I have only done thrash. Oh… yes I have seen Ginger Ryker on TV. I don’t watch her a lot since I only do vegetarian, but she seemed to know what she was doing. Do you dress up all the time? That would be pretty cool, but I don’t really have much beyond ripped jeans and tee shirts. I guess I could go to some vintage stores though. I think I would like swords more than guns, but hunting bothers me. I think if I were going to hunt I would rather do it with a bow… it seems more sporting. I still wouldn’t do it, but if I did. I don’t think I could ever get into the whole NRA thing like Ted Nugent does. I mean he has a rational argument, but still… killing.” Dare ended his rant with a deep shudder.

He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry sometimes I just go off and babble. I would like to meet your friends. I don’t know enough about anime to offer an opinion, but I wouldn’t mind learning. I like history especially of music and I am into the environment. I spent a week planting trees in the rain forest at Christmas time. I am also really into the United Nations and Global politics.”