Slow Morning

[Kalina Dashkova]

Kalina was having a very slow morning. Last night she was up late with a state dinner party.She slept in late enough where she knew she would not be late for school.After doing her morning absolutions she got dressed and did her hair and make up.Sure she was tired but she did need to look her best. She grabbed a coffee and a homemade doughnut and grabbed her stuff before getting in the back seat of the SUV.Her driver who is also her body guard was in the car a few moments later and they were off to school.

It did not take long to get to school, and by the time they were there she has finished off her coffee and doughnut both. "I will see you around" she said with a smile and opened the door and got out.She walked into the school and did a drop off and exchange of books and such at her locker.She was heading for her first class and was thinking about, more like hoping, that she would not fall asleep or look as tired as she felt.

When she walked around a cornor she about ran into someone. "Oh I am so very sorry" she said her russian accent. "I did not mean to almost... mow you over?Is that what you say?" she asked the person.She was sitll getting to know all this american slang and sayings.

[fryn]

It had taken Takumi a fair length of time to find sleep last night. Given how his evening had progressed that was in itself perfectly understandable. When he'd reached home he'd faced even more interrogation and this time at the hands (mouths?) of his parents. Finally they'd relented and allowed their exhausted son to head up to bed. One good thing came from it though... He'd been given permission to borrow his father's suit for the funeral... after promising not to cut it or add any unwanted embellishments. That wouldn't stop him from finding a bright tie... The outfit needed some sort of colour!

And so that morning he yawned his way through the school gates... and continued yawning as he headed for his locker. As luck would have it, the person coming towards him was in a similarly sleepy state. As such, the inevitable happened and both of them were mid-yawn, eyes closed when contact was made.

The girl was quick to apologise... as was Takumi. "Gomen ne," he said, frowning at her next comment. Mow? "Mow... like grass?" he asked with a confused look on his face. He lifted his shoulders. Maybe it meant something else in America? "I didn't see you," he tried to explain. "I was... aaaah... on a different planet. One that has school starting at noon instead of this early." He raked his fingers through his hair as he spoke, confusion now replaced by a certain wry expression. "You have dropped that?" he asked, gesturing at the pencil that had rolled between his feet. He bent down at the same time as the girl... and their heads smacked together.

"Kuso!" he swore as he rubbed at his head. "I see I have to apologise again! Gomen."

[Kalina Dashkova]

OCC:I am sorry I did not see your post till tonight.

Kalina smiled and laughed. She still was not use to american slang at all. "I am thinking that is what it means. I don't get the saying you mow people over" she said. "We are not grass nor are we lawn mowers" she shook her head. He was not american which was clear in the fact he spoke japanese and was from there, it was clear. "I must admit I am glad I am not the only one that is confused by things" she said to him honestly.

She rubbed her head and just laughed. "I am sorry again for bumping your head" she put the pencil in a slot in a folder so it would not fall out. "Thank you for helping me and not being upset that I bumped into you" she told him with a smile. "How long have you gone here?" she asked him. She was enjoying school in america and was making friends, but she did miss her friends back home in russian at the private acadmey she attended. She did not not much japanese just sorry the Gomen he said. If he spoke french or polish she would easily be able to converse with him in the native tounge.

She was taught many languages and learned about different cultures all because of her fathers job. "I am sorry to be rude again. My name is Kalina Dashkova."

[fryn]

(ooc: absolutely no worries - I've only just got back from a few days off at work so perfect timing! )

He held out his hand and grasped hers between both of his, shaking it enthusiastically. Takumi never did anything UNenthusiastically! "I am Yoshino Takumi," he stated. People seem to call me Taki. I think they find that easier. I am honoured to meet you, Kalina." Hopefully that wasn't her surname as in Japan last names were given first. It was always confusing for him when they were offered in the other order.

"I have been here....aaah..." He stared up at the ceiling as he thought back, mentally counting off the days. "Three weeks. My first day was Valentine's Day so it is easy to remember, hai? And you, Kalina-san... Have you been here for long?" He felt sure he would have remembered such a stunning face if so. "And you are not of America I think? You have an accent. Then again, I have been told that I also have an accent." He lifted his shoulders slightly in a wry shrug. "I can't hear that for myself but..." Takumi grinned. "Many people have said so and I have to believe them.

To him her name sounded foreign... Canadian maybe? He'd heard many of his fellow students refer to Canadians as foreign.

[Kalina Dashkova]

"It is nice to meet you Taki"Kalina smiled at him. She was glad to know that she was not the only non american born person here. She found comfort in that, that the school was so accepting of others.Of course she did not like everyone, espically that Jay, Trixie's brother. He was rude and mean and looked at her in a way he should not. She switched her books to her other arm.

Kalina knew that the japanese put last names first and it was your name and then san. "I moved her over the summer and still getting use to America.It is very different from home" she said to him. It was a much more relaxed country, and did not have the heriarcy that Russsia had nor the respect for higer ranking officals and their families like in Russia. "No I am not american" she said with a smile.She was very proud to be russian and her family history in russia.

"I do not hear my accent until I hear myself on a video or something.Then I can hear my own accent next to the american and other countries accents. I am from Russia" she told him.She knew that her accent was one of the things that made her appealing to listen to.

[fryn]

Takumi nodded as he listened to Kalina telling him how long she'd been in the area, interjecting with the odd 'hai' to let her know he was listening attentively. "Aaah so... Russia... Not Canada." Were those two accents even close to similar? He'd have to ask Izzy about that. "America is very different to where I am from too. Osaka in Japan. Life there is a lot slower and people are more... aaah... respectful and polite. Here in America that sdioesn't seem to be so important but in mky culture respect comes before anything else." He'd faced that hurdle only the previous evening and at Izzy's house at the hands of her Korean father. That hadn't been exactly an easy encounter.

"Your accent is strong," he concurred. "But your English is good. Far better than mine but..." he threw Kalina a wry grin, "... I am working hard to improve it. I will never understand slang, though. I mean, we have it in Nihongo but each country has different slang and differrent meanings. I am afraid I will never get it right. Like mow. I have not heard that before."

They fell into step at each other's sides and continued on inside the main building. "Have you been able to make many friends here, Kalina-san?" he asked, eyes cast down at the floor a foot or so ahead of his boots as he spoke. No wonder he was a constant collision in the making.

[Kalina Dashkova]

"Respect is improtant to Russians to. And yes it sound acrahic but my father is a diplomat, and so because of that he is showed respect, and my mother and I are because of who he is.While here it is not that way, men still look at me like I am some object that they have the right to do that to." She made a face as she thought of the american men she has met, and there is only one that she can stand talking to and that is DJ. And she was glad to have one friend, and hope she can have a friend in Trixie to as they get to know each other. "American men and women also can be very crude and rude" she said agreeing with him. It was so nice to talk to someone else that feels the way she does about some behaviors that have manifested in american boys, girls,mean, and women. "Back home life was always busy so I do not mind the fast pace" she told him. "I have no idea what is like for life to go slow. It is all about work, my fathers job and the obligations for the whole family that comes with it. We attend many balls, and state dinners, and well it is all about keeping yourself well put together and constantly o your best behavior no matter where you are or what you are doing." She lives life in tne public eye and has grown accostomed to always acting like a lady, and not acting like a common tramp.

"I learned english through my private school back home. They work with us on many languages, and make sure we sound fluet in it" she explained. Her school prided on it students being able to go to many different countrys and fit in with the locals and not have any issues communicating with those around her. "Some slangs are very crude and I never say them, I do not mind learning the ones that are tame" she said honestly. "I have made one good friend so far only, his name is DJ. Have you made any friends?"

[fryn]

Takumi nodded his head enthusiastically. "I have made many friends," he replied. "I am already dating one of them. Izzy Chen. Do you know her? I also am friends with.... hmmm..." He tilted his head back as he thought. The list was huge!

"Lia Juarez, Jett Chen - he is Izzy's brother. Then there is otouto-san... Little brother. Thad Cotton and his two sisters, Fallon and Sidra." He leaned close. "She is a vampire," he whispered. "I am also friends with Evan Hughes and Lace... We found a kittem together. Lace, not Evan. I am looking after it at home now. "And Dare. He is like my brother too."

He threw Kalina a wry smile. "I have only been here 3 weeks and already have made many good friends. Ezzie, Annie, Roxy, Jandro... Lia's brother... Most people I meet I call friend and now I can also say that about you, hai?" He threw Kalina a bright smile. It was almost impossible for the naturally bouyant Japanese boy to make enemies. "I have yet to meet DJ, though. I hope to do so soon as he must be nice to be your friend." Of course that didn't follow any train of logic but when did Yoshino Takumi ever bother with logic?

"I find it hard to think you don't make friends more easily, Kalina-san. You are a warm person. Your aura is welcoming."

[Kalina Dashkova]

Kalina listened to him speak and was amazed at how many friends he has made. "I just have not found it easy to relate to american's and what they say and do. It is like a whole different culture and I find it hard to fit in. I don't flirt the way american girls do and I do not enjoy the way american men ogle women and what they say as a way to hit on girls. I am seen as very dfferent, conservative as they call it in america. I am different" Kalina said honestly. She was found out she is much more proper and old school then american girls. Yes she dressed high end but she never dressed like a tramp, the way american girls seemed to, that thought it was attractive to dress that way.

"Yes DJ is very nice" she told him with a smile. "He is a nice american boy that my father even likes" she said honestly. "My father is very particular about who I associate with. I understand why, it reflects on the family. We are a upstanding family and have a repuation that is very good.And me nor my parents want that to change. I am proud of that reputation" she looked at him. "See how different me and my family are from american people and american families. Yes some care about their reputation but it seems many don't with the way they let their children act and dress. I am sorry if I sound critical I am not" she blushed. "I am just saying what it looks like to me."

"Yes I would like to call you a friend" she gave him a smile back. "You are a very nice guy" she said honesetly. "I think my father would like you, espically because you are not american" she giggled. "Any americans have to work to win over is approval if they want to spend time with me." She saw her classsrom and looked at him. "This is my stop as they say. It was very nice to meet you Taki, we should spend time together very soon. And I would love to meet you friends also." With a smile she turned and walked into her classroom and up to her seat and sat down.

(Wrapped :-) )