Dualism

[Liddo-kun]

Were all my friends THAT faceless and forgettable?  I began to wonder if there might be something wrong with me, which made a knot of worry tighten in the pit of my stomach.

I shook my head, vowing to explore this mystery further at some later point.  Just... not right now.

With some regret, I turned the spray of hot water off and stepped out of the bath.  After wrapping a towel around myself, I walked over to the fogged up mirror and wiped clean a spot to make sure there are no further surprises waiting for her.

[Carthrat]

Well, you look as you remember you do... maybe a little bit older since the last time you checked. Grown another inch? You're still young, it's not impossible.

Still pretty damn good-lookin', if you say so yourself.

[Liddo-kun]

I sighed in relief.  A single tattoo on the shoulder, albeit one I couldn't remember ever getting, was still manageable.  That it was an innocuous plant motif and not something that screamed "open 24/7, full service station, and 1 million customers served" to anyone who might see it was a definite plus.

With that worry aside, I give my reflection a nod of approval before going off to get changed and ready for breakfast and the new position orientation at 8.

[Carthrat]

When you open your wardrobe to get changed, you're faced with quite the berwildering array of styles, colours, shapes and sizes. It's like someone forgot who was staying here, so they just packed it full of every kind possible.

It's all classy and neatly pressed, though- hell, some of the shirts still have shopping tags on.

[Liddo-kun]

What, oh what, was a girl to wear? I mentally asked myself.  It was obvious that the selection choice was as wide as the closet that contained them all.

I shrugged.  Might as well err on the side of caution and go conservative, being the first day and all.  I selected a simple knee length skirt, white button shirt and jacket combo.  Stockings and modest pumps completed the attire, and I declared myself fit for combat.

A last minute check that things were well in order is the last hurdle before I zip out the door with purse in hand.

[Carthrat]

Teroro yowls after you as you leave, and you can hear him scampering around as you shut the door.

You find yourself in a spacious corridor; well-lit, and with windows at either end. Tall ferns reside in ports between the doors into other apartments- of which there are only a few. Polished wooden walls, luxurious carpet- this whole place screams eloquence.

A quick trip to the elevator has you down in the foyer of the apartment complex- laid out in marble and black stone, it's just as rich-looking at the top. A cafe is to one side, serving coffee, cakes and breakfast. It looks delicious, and even a little extravagant. Giant, glass revolving doors stand at either side of the foyer- your elevator came down in a shaft through the middle of the complex.

There aren't many people here- it is kind of early. Still, there's a couple sipping coffee and chatting over a newspaper- kind of striking, really. One has deep, spiky red hair, and likes that colour for his blazer and pants, too. Maybe a student. You can hear him from the second you step off the elevator, loud, chattery, and cheerful. He's drinking a steaming cup of coffee, and seems entirely too happy for this early in the morning.

"...Fuh..."

His friend is almost his complete opposite. Her hair is a pale blue, and it flows down her back. She's wearing a long, silky, casual dress. Her responses to her friend are soft and melodic, and she's drinking a milkshake.

"...wo Sui..."

.

The cafe vendor is a young, chirpy woman, busily arranging cakes and making coffee for a pair of

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"..black hats and mirrorshades.."

businessmen, wearing almost identicle pressed black suits, and carrying very similar briefcases.

[Liddo-kun]

While a bit of a distraction to the ears and the eyes, it wasn't something that bothered me enough to derail my quest to attain some much needed food stuff - nor the required caffine injection to the system.

"Red" - as she was tagging in her mind - was a bit hard on the eyes, though I did take note of how aptly "Blue" played the part of contrast.  As long as they left me in peace to nurse my java, they could dance on the tabletop for all she cared.

I parked myself in line and waited to be served next.  My eyes travel over to the businessmen and I found myself wondering why they were wearing mirrorshades and hats inside a cafe, before it moved on to more important matters.

Hmm.  Vanilla capuccino, mocha, caramel....

[Carthrat]

"Hi there. What would you like?"

The chirpy waitress speaks in rapid-fire english. You're fairly used to speaking in the langauge, though you can never shake a slight accent.

You can see a menu on the counter. Woah, talk about pricey coffee. Then again, it's not like you can't afford it, and then some.

[Liddo-kun]

I blinked a few times, buying time for my brain to catch all of that.

"Yes, um, I'd like to get that breakfast sandwich there," I point out the item behind the glass next to the register.  "And a cup of..."  Mocha!  No, wait, caramel!  Vanilla capuccino?? "...caramel macchiato."

Gah.  I hate making beverage choices...

[Carthrat]

"Coming right up," replies the waitress, and you shortly find yourself equipped with a suitable breakfast.

As you sit down to eat it, the flashy couple start to leave, and you catch a thread of conversation.

"..yes, work does call for us all. Same time tomorrow?" This from the one you dubbed 'blue'.

"Can't we meet an hour later? Getting up at six is hell, I tell you. Hell!" Red, with typical loudness.

"The discipline. It's good for you..."

They continue to chatter until they reach the exit, whereupon Red leaves, and Blue heads to the elevator. She glances around the room for a bit, and you think her eyes drag a little as they play over you.

[Liddo-kun]

Despite my efforts, I find myself sporting a tiny smile, which I tried to hide with a small nibble on the sandwich.  For some reason Blue preaching to Red about the need to exercise discipline was amusing in its probable futility.

It was mean, I admit, but I think I hit it dead on in assessment.

On catching the look though, I blink, wondering what warranted the attention.  I return in kind with a short study of my own, for curiosity's sake.

[Carthrat]

There's an element of curiosity in her expression, and her cocked eyebrow indicates a little surprise.

It could be your white hair.. of course, her hair is no less strange, really. She soon vanishes into the elevator, and you're left pretty much by yourself.

A wallclock states proudly that the time is 7:20. It'll take about half an hour to get to your workplace, assuming you don't miss the train.

[Liddo-kun]

I digested Blue's expression, along with the last bite of my sandwich, thoughtfully.  I pinch some of my forelock and dangle the white strands in front of my eyes.

It's not THAT weird... I try to assure myself.  Then again gradeschool did give me six years worth of interesting remarks about my 'granny' hair.  A brush back with the hands and a puff of air see to the end of that musing.

Noticing the time, I get up and dispose of the sandwich wrapper.  With drink in hand, I leave to bravely face the first day of work grind, while fighting down the jitters.

[Carthrat]

An old calming exercise comes over you, taught to you by.. somebody.. in your younger days. It's all about controlling your breathing- steady, large breaths, and pushing the air all throughout your body, or at least imagining it like that.

You shortly head outside, into the brightly-shining sun. You vaugely recall something about a hole in the ozone layer in this part of Australia. It certainly feels like the sun is attacking you, even this early in the morning.

Brisbane is like that, though. Situated near the coast, it's considered a holiday resort by those living further south, and is warm almost all year round. Looking back at your apartment building as you walk away, it looks suitably impressive- a giant white tower, filled with sqauare windows. It sort of reminds you of a cheese-grater.

You're living close to the inner city- it's just a short train trip away. It's not a long walk to the station, either. The streets aren't busy with many cars this early, and with the ridiculous price of petrol these days, most people are catching public transport, anyway.

You reach the station in short order, and as you head onto the platform, you accidentally bump into 'Red', who was just pacing up and down himself, looking at his watch and cursing.

"Man! Watch where you're going!" he shouts, on reflex, before looking at you- and alarmingly, his expression softens immedietly.

"Aha! Er, sorry about that," he says, sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with a hand before sticking it inside a blazer pocket.

[Liddo-kun]

"Ah!  Oh, er, don't worry about it!" I tell him, just barely holding back from shouting out "Red" on seeing him once again.

I scolded myself for my inattentiveness.  It was probably from thinking about the cheese grater apartment and this heat....

"It was my fault for not paying attention," I reassure, before making a move to get around him to catch the train.