h a p p y | JULY [naoki/open]

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

"I woke up late!"

Buckmidster Roedor rushes, simple canvas backpack on his back;
plastic spatulas sticking out of it. He runs throughout the fields, feels
the grass tickle his bare feet, lets the wind rush through him. The
sky is a dull gray, and the sun has yet to come out. He understands
waking up this early is strange, but he does so almost-religiously;
and winces when he realizes that a few patches of color are
coming. Immediately, he takes out a spatula and a stake from his
pack, some rope as well; and sticks the stake in the middle of the
mound he is on - using the rope and the spatula to mark where
the sunlight first touches, and falls on his back when he realizes he
has made it on time. The field's empty and he feels his body get
wet with dew, lips curving up into a satisfied smile and figure
stretched like an eagle. His strange clothes only blend with his
surroundings, and as he closes his eyes, he feels serene today, and
doesn't want to get up. But he remembers today is July 26 (today
is July 26!), and tries to recall what it is he read in the fillers
in the daily newspaper today. When he does, he smiles and he
stands, and he runs across the field so he is facing the road
stretched towards town, cups his hands around his mouth and
shouts.

"HELLOOOOOO!"

He's not sure anyone will hear him, but he calls out and keeps
going until his lungs give out and he has to pant a little. He looks
back at his masterpiece, looks up at the sun in the sky, and cups
his hands around his mouth again, screaming another 'hello' and
waiting for whoever will come over.

"HELLOOOOOOOO!"

ooc;; short post is short ;;

[Naoki Ito]

It was cozy and warm. The sweet smell of chocolate, an elephant sipping tea. Naoki wondered how the chair the animal sat on managed not to break.

"Mrrowr..." What was that? Suddenly Naoki felt something heavy on his chest. He breathed in deep, and turned his head. The elephant looked at him questioningly, his monocle sparkling in the dim light from the fireplace. "Mrrrowr!!" There that sound was again. He felt something tickle his nose and turned his head the other way. The elephant turned away from him, adjusting his vest and gazing into the fireplace. "Mrrooooowr!!" Something soft touched his face, pointed somethings lightly pricking his cheeks. The elephant vanished, as well as the room and the smells. It was still cozy and warm, but it wasn't the same as before.

Naoki slowly opened his eyes, meeting a pair of deep green eyes and a whiskered face that glared down at him. Another meow and the man sat up, briefly, the cat hopping from his chest and onto the floor. Dolly purred as she ran to the bedroom door, looking back expectantly. Naoki looked at the cat and the door, then glanced to the clock. "You have to be kidding me." He fell back into his blankets and rolled himself up into his sheets, ducking his head beneath his duvet. It was too early, still. The cat had woke him up a second time that morning, this incident being the third. He didn't want to get up yet, but he couldn't let the kitty starve, could he? Dolly meowed again, as if impatient, and hopped back on top of the bed. She walked around on top of her master, her compact paws pressing down hard against Naoki's stomach and chest. "Alright.." He grumbled, the cat's feet hurting him. Dolly bounded toward the door again, triumphant, and Naoki rolled onto the floor with a thud.

The pair made it to the small apartment kitchen, Dolly weaving herself around her human's legs, happy that she got her way. Naoki shuffled along, yawning and stretching. He reached up into the cabinets, feeling around for Dolly's food. He could've given her dry food from the bag, but that required him to actually lift it up and pour carefully. Not feeling up to any of that nonsense, he grabbed a can and pulled the tab, opening it and just set it on the counter. The cat looked at him as if he was stupid. Really did the human really expect her to eat right from the can? Naoki sighed and picked up the can. So much for being lazy about it... He scraped the food from the can into the kitty's bowl and she ate from it, content.

Naoki made himself some coffee and plopped onto his sofa. He didn't have school that day, and he hadn't made any plans at all. For some reason he was feeling restless, though, and he didn't want to stay inside all day. Naoki looked around at the messy living room of his apartment. There was no way he was cleaning this up. Dolly wandered into the living room and laid on a pile of papers, purring. Naoki wondered about the temperature outside, maybe he should go for a walk? It sounded like a good idea. He got up, leaving his coffee on a table and slipped on his shoes, picking up his house keys and wallet. He blew a kiss to Dolly and left, skipping down the apartment stairs and wandering down the streets.

Naoki had wander quite a way from home, glancing at the buildings he passed, breathing in the fresh air. It wasn't too long before he thought about going back home. It wasn't that he hated the outdoors, it was just that he preferred the indoors better. He turned and looked back at the distance he'd walked, but then he heard a peculiar sound. Naoki stood still and furrowed his brow, trying to listen. "Hellooooooo!" It sounded a little far off and Naoki wandered toward it, the calls becoming louder as he approached. "Hellooooooooooo! ....?" He called back, unsure, still making his way closer to the sound. Maybe he was just hearing things.. "Helloooooo!" He called again, wondering how far off he was.

---

word count - 724
listening to - Decipher Reflections From Reality; PlayRadioPlay!
next up - Bucky! Though, the thread is open o xo!
some notes - Huge freaking post. I'm sorry D; I ramble.[/blockquote][/size][/color]

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

Buck thinks for a moment that this isn't going to work, no-one's going
to hear me. There's a small frown on his face as he thinks this, and is
corrected greatly - drastically - when he hears a voice matching the
word he has just shouted to the world. His throat is a bit strangled
from the shouting, but he grins cheerily at the mere notion that
someone has heard him - that he's not the only one who woke up
early this morning. The redhead's blue eyes sparkle as he makes his
way, bounding his bare feet towards the direction of whoever's
speaking - ears preened and trying their best to find the direction
of that voice. He winces a bit when his foot touches a pebble, or,
rather, gets stubbed by it - but continues as though it never
happened.

"I'm coming!"

His voice echoes throughout the place, and Buck speeds up,
picks up the pace and counts in his mind; backpack bouncing
behind him and hitting him ever so slightly. His amulet, as well, was
dancing around; and Buck is jealous of them for a moment, before
he remembers that he ought to hurry to meet the stranger who
heard his call. He continues to run, counts the seconds - hears
his feet brush against the grass and miraculously, not step on any
poor, helpless bug. There's a pineapple in his backpack, and he
finds that it makes it heavier. He tries to run faster, tries to get
there before the stranger he's contacted gives up waiting and
leaves. He's huffing and puffing and trying his best not to trip -
because every second counts.

And then he sees him.

"Good morning!" Buck calls, cheerily, almost as if today is not the first day
they've met, as if today's just another day for two good friends to
meet. The redhead takes his hair-tie off, re-fixes his ponytail and
looks through one visible eye. The other one is hidden beneath an
eyepatch made of leaves, and his bare feet scrape lightly against
the grass that tickles his flesh. He finishes his ponytail when he
finally reaches the other who'd answered his call, backpack nearly
slipping off his shoulders; and sweat dripping down the side of his
face. Sharp canines protrude from his lower set of teeth, and Buck
smiles, takes out his harmonica, closes his eyes and strikes a note.

"Just another day in July, a day where you met I~"

He says this as if it's the most normal thing in the
world, eyes closed and fingers outstretched; as if asking whether
his companion - without even knowing his name - wished to dance.
Buck's not sure what he's doing, but whenever is he? - and his
blue eyes hold no signs of trickery.

"Some people may die, on this day in July, but I'll remember
it as the day that you met I~"

Another smile, oh-so charming, oh-so very different from the
others, and the backpack that was formerly on his shoulders slips
and collides with the ground, exposing a bit of the pineapple's
leaves.

[Naoki Ito]

Naoki kept wandering in the direction he had heard the calls. He was becoming disheartened, he really thought he was just hearing things. "I'm coming!" Oh.. That was kind of frightening to hear. Naoki stopped walking toward the sound, letting whoever the other person was come to him. So he wasn't really hearing things, and the person who'd been calling was now coming after him. Naoki really didn't expect any sort of response like that. He began to wonder if maybe he should turn around and run away, but his feet felt cemented to the spot he was standing on. He was actually half-hoping that he was hearing things again, and that he should schedule an appointment with his nice lady therapist. Though, seeing someone approach, the thought was wiped from his mind.

He squinted at the approaching figure, using one hand to shield his eyes from the morning sun. It looked incredibly strange. It looked like a caveman running toward him... What? It seems that during his walk he had unknowingly wandered into a time portal and now it was the time of cavemen. " ...Good.. Morning.." Naoki responded kind of confused. That couldn't possibly be right, the person' he'd found.. well.. The person who'd found him was speaking clear english, and not simply grunting. And they were singing some little song, now. Naoki didn't think cavemen could sing.. but maybe they could..? Who knows, Naoki wasn't around during the cavepeople times, so he wouldn't know any better, would he?

Naoki studied the stranger. He seemed friendly enough, even in his odd... attire. Even with the eyepatch, he seemed completely harmless, and perhaps that was a mistake on Naoki's part. He didn't much care, and listened, amused, to the little song about meeting in July. Naoki politely turned down the stranger's hand, smiling gently. This person had to be mentally ill or something, but Naoki found it incredibly cute. He wondered vaguely if they wanted some breakfast somewhere, and opened his mouth to ask, only to be interrupted by another verse of the song and the thud of the backpack falling to the ground. He leaned around and looked at it, seeing pointy green leaves coming out of the top of it.

" ... Is that..a.." Naoki pointed to the bag, an eyebrow raised in slight confusion. "...Pineapple..?"

---

word count - 386, that's much better.
listening to - The TV
next up - Darling Buck and his lovely Pineapple.
some notes - Why am I awake? <3

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

Buck's happy. He knows he is. He keeps a mental note, to put a
crumpled piece of paper with the words 'meeting someone in July' in
his happy jar. And he's not at all offended when he hears the tone
the stranger uses, laughs at the raised eyebrow and the look of
uncertainty. Isn't it normal to find a pineapple in someone's backpack?
Well, it was normal to him; but possibly not to the rest of the human
race. Buck grins though, takes the pineapple from his bag - it has
two eyes with eyelashes to show feminine traits, and buck-teeth.
Buck thinks of it as a funny little pun on his name. Buck and his
buck-toothed pineapple. The pineapple has a goofy smile.

"Why yes, this is a pineapple," Buck says, holding the fruit in one arm and
tapping stranger's nose with his free hand. "What else could it be?"

The redhead pats the pineapple's leaves, so that it looks like
its hair, and then hands the pineapple over towards one he's only
met now. The pineapple's goofy smile is still on its face, and the
eyes are anything but beautiful; but Buck's smiling with it and
making up for what the pineapple lacks. The pineapple's a friendly
one, he reassures. The pineapple (or JM) won't eat you. It's a very
nice pineapple, and she keeps Buck company when Leon is too lazy
to get out of bed. "I trust her," the strange one says, smiling.

"I'd even trust her with my life, to be honest with you."

He places JM the Pineapple on the grass, laughs when said grass
tickles his skin again, and holds his harmonica one more time;
having put it in his pocket after getting JM out. He's almost going to
sing when he remembers that he doesn't know this stranger's
name. He can't sing properly until he does, and he sticks his hand
out - said hand covered in wounds from working and never
bothering to heal those cuts or cover them in band-aids. It's not
bleeding, though, because it was washed by the dew not too long
ago. His wounds won't bleed again until he strains them. He hopes
the straining won't come soon.

"The name's Buck!" the boy's grin stretches wider when he says this.
"Short for Buckmidster - " he makes a face at the mention of his full name, but continues, "Long for 'Bah'. You can call me Wheatburger, if you want.
I used to be Pocket Monster, though. I change my nickname a lot.
If you like, you don't need to tell me your name. But I'd much prefer
it, so I can be specific when I put our Happy July paper in my happy
jar."

He doesn't mind that he possibly sounds like a lunatic,
and that smile is still on his face - innocent and child-like, waiting
for the answer of someone he's met on a playground.

[/font]

[Naoki Ito]

Naoki watched patiently as the stranger fished the fruit from his backpack. "Oh.. I see.." He tilted his head a little, studying it. He liked the looks of it, despite how silly and unattractive it may have been to a normal person, Naoki liked it a lot. He continued to look the fruit over, noting its silly characteristics. He wasn't sure what made him smile more, the pineapple itself, or the stranger talking about it. It didn't really matter in the long run, really. Naoki continued to smile, he was happy. Happy that he'd met a friendly caveman in the early morning dew. " I think she's beautiful." Naoki smiled down at the pineapple that was now sitting on the ground. ".. Hmm.. I'd trust her, too... She has an honest face." Naoki nearly laughed, but held it in. He was serious about his statement, but it sounded so odd out loud. He meant to harm by it, at all.

The student leaned back slightly at the sudden movement toward him. He felt silly once he realized that it was just the stranger's hand. So Buck was his name? Naoki committed it to his memory and took Buck's hand warmly, giving it a gentle squeeze. The cuts and scratches he saw worried him, his smile faltering a bit. A glance back at Buck's face, however, and his smile reappeared. "My name is Ito Naoki, Naoki Ito." He continued to smile, his cheeks hurting slightly. He felt so bubbly inside, Naoki couldn't recall the last time he'd smiled so much. He couldn't recall the last time someone made him so happy. It was a sad thing to think that he didn't smile much, but the early summer morning made up for it. "You can just call me 'Nao' if you like." He tilted his head slightly, listening to the small history of Buck's nicknames. He certainly was an interesting character and Naoki adored him immediately.

Naoki's mind wandered back toward breakfast. He'd fed his cat that morning, and neglected to feed himself. "Are you hungry?" He asked his new friend without even thinking about it. He could easily pay for the two of them to go somewhere and eat, it was no problem at all. That is, if Buck accepted his offer. But perhaps Buck wasn't hungry at all? No matter... Naoki held his hands over his own stomach. He didn't really like breakfast foods very much, and there weren't any restaurant anywhere that would serve lunch so early in the morning. "Want to come home with me?" It was an innocent question, a question Naoki hoped wouldn't be taken the wrong way.

---

word count - 440
listening to - The fan in my room
next up - B-b-b-buck~
some notes - I want to take you home! <3

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

Naoki Ito.

His name is Naoki Ito.

Buck's noticed his grin is contagious, laughs and pinches his new
companion on the cheek, picking JM up and placing her in his backpack
before slinging that onto his shoulder. The harmonica's in his
pocket, and he blinks when he's invited to go someplace. He's not
exactly hungry (Buck doesn't mind being unable to eat - he feeds
on happiness and laughter, after all, and only eats when he
absolutely needs to), but he thinks it'll be polite to accept the
invitation, so he nods, and flushes a little when his tummy growls
at him.

"I think I should, if I don't want TumTum to get mad at me for not
giving him some presents again."

The redhead sticks his tongue out, looks back towards the one he'd
just met, and notices the way he holds his stomach. He fishes in
his backpack, takes out a bar of chocolate - and offers it. It smells
a bit like pineapple, but he hopes that it hasn't ruined the taste.
Then again, a pineapple-flavored chocolate would be interesting.
Buck thinks that if it would be pineapple-flavored, then Willy
Wonka would become one of his new best friends. Buck's looking
forward to meeting him. But his hand is outstretched, other one
holding onto the strap on his shoulder, and the chocolate bar rests
in it - the only source of sugar he'd taken, just in case he'd fall
asleep while doing his daunting little task. One blue eye shines, the
other one hidden and broken under an eyepatch made of leaves.
But Buck's smiling, and that's a good sign.

"MiMi, and that's the name of your tummy, if you don't mind me
christening him, would like it if you had something to give him before
he gets his big breakfast surprise, you know?" He doesn't count on his companion to
agree with him, because nobody else does, but he hopes that he'll
take the bar anyway. It'd go to waste, because Buck doesn't
exactly like chocolate very much, anyway. He only eats it when he
needs the sugar rush, which isn't very often, because the hormones
bouncing around him is good enough.

So much energy put into one kid is bad. Especially if that kid is
someone like Buckmidster Roedor. He realizes that he's behind
schedule - that he should be helping the newspaper boys deliver
their papers to the people right about now - but figures they'll let it
slide for today. It's not everyday that someone also believes in
Happy July, and the redhead doesn't want to miss this chance on
sharing it with someone he cares for.

[/font]

[Naoki Ito]

It had turned out to be quite a wonderful morning. Naoki couldn't believe that only moments ago he was thinking about just walking home by himself. He was glad that he didn't run off. He was glad that he had met Buck. Buck had to be the most adorable thing on the planet, and Naoki just wanted to pick him up and take him home. That would've probably been inappropriate, and possibly kidnapping, but the artist didn't really care about that. He didn't mind that his cheek was pinched, he simply rubbed his face, and watched as Buck packed up his tropical companion and slung his bag over his shoulders. He seemed like such a little kid, but he couldn't be much younger than Naoki, himself.

Naoki straightened his back, and stretched a little bit. A soft groan escaped from his throat, the artist still somewhat groggy and wanting to go back to sleep. He was kind of tempted just to lie down in the grass and take a nap, but that would've seemed awkward, wouldn't it? Naoki looked at the candy that was offered to him curiously, glancing between the bar and Buck's face in random intervals. "MiMi, huh? That's a fine name for my tummy." Honestly, he didn't think it was a great idea to eat chocolate so early in the morning, but he took it, anyway. "I think you're right.. I'm sure MiMi wouldn't mind a little something at all.." Naoki smiled and smelled the bar briefly before nibbling on the corner of it. It smelled strongly of pineapple, but he didn't mind. The taste was alright, it wouldn't have mattered much if it had tasted like the fruit. Naoki would've eaten it anyway. He was happy that he was offered anything at all.

"Mmmh, we should get going then, Bucky~" Naoki hoped that his friend wouldn't mind the affectionate twist of his name. He took the other boy's hand gingerly, recalling the cuts he'd seen before and led Buck to the sidewalk. He held the candy bar in his mouth as he walked, swinging his arms around. Naoki's apartment was quite a while away, and he wondered if maybe it would be quicker to ride the bus. It probably would have been, but he glanced to his new companion, and decided that walking would work out just fine. Buck didn't seem like the type to enjoy a ride on the city bus, and Naoki didn't want to make him do anything he didn't want to do. He glanced up and down the street and began to wander slowly toward his home, his hand still curled around Buck's. "Where do you live, Buck?" Naoki asked quietly, his speech muffled by the candy in his mouth. Then he pointed with his free hand. "I live waay down that way in a little apartment with Dolly." He explained, forgetting that not everyone knew who Dolly was.

---

word count - 485
listening to - nuffink!
next up - Buckyyy
some notes - om nom nom!

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

The boy feels his cheeks warm slightly at the nickname.

He smiles as if nothing's bothering him, however, when his hand is
grasped by Naoki's, and he returns the gesture by curling his fingers
around his companion's, in turn. Buck's only held Leon's hand in the
past, and it isn't as warm as a real human being's. He still treats
Leon like a human, though; even if his voice was better, and he
healed incredibly fast. The harmonica player finds that he's a little
bit jealous of the blond VOCALOID. He wishes that he can do that,
but remembers not to tamper with nature. He's fine the way he is,
with his happy jar and his stupid songs, and his little favors. While
they walk, Buck occasionally reaches into his pocket; taking out a
penny or a quarter or whatever spare change he has left - and
when nobody is looking, drops it onto the spaces he's walking on.
He's sure close to no-one notices, and smiles in the knowing that
someone will pick it up and have the money to buy some candy.

"Huh?" Buck is taken by surprise at the question, and he blinks his blue eye,
other one rendered useless under his green eyepatch. He taps his
chin, looks around the place; looks for a familiar name, as he's
not sure as to the name of his street. He only knows that he leaves
an orange slice occasionally along it, to attract mockingbirds. Once
they pass it, he instinctively makes an almost-loud cooing noise,
hoping he'd hear the reply of the bird he knows is waiting for him
at home. There's songs then, coming from the street, and he
laughs. This is the street, he's sure of it.

"There," Buck points, smiling and listening as the bird continues
to sing. "I live over there."

The street is one of those streets that break away
from the one the two are currently traveling on, and Buck purposely
picks it because not everyone bothers to go there, except for the
ones who already live in it. He doesn't like it when he's bothered in
his workshop by passing cars, doesn't like it when people shout at
each other and holler. His street is quiet, and that's how he likes it.
The redhead's lips curl upward in cheer. There's no place like home.

His eyes blink before he can stop him, he doesn't know this 'Dolly',
but he's interested as to who she (is Dolly a she, he wonders) is,
and does she get driven insane by Naoki, like Leon gets driven
insane by him? Or is it the other way around? The boy's not sure,
but his interest is sparked; and he knows there's no stop to him
when it is.

Buck sort of misses the grass tickling his feet.

"She must be lucky, having you around, and you, too, for having
her. Is she good company, I wonder?" Buck rubs his chin
in thought, the backpack on his shoulder sagging again because
there are no fingers holding it up, and JM peeking a bit from the gap
the flap and the bag created. There's still that goofy smile, smiling
whenever Buck can't - always, always. JM is lucky he can't cry.

The boy's grip on Naoki's hand tightens, almost unnoticeably.

[/font]

[Naoki Ito]

Is Dolly good company? Naoki thought bitterly about how the rotten cat had woke him up so early in the mornings. He would've really liked to get up on his own time, slowly and sluggishly. But then again, he thought, if she hadn't gotten him up to feed her, he would've never taken the walk. He would've never met Bucky. He would've continued on in his monotonous life, possibly never meeting someone he liked being around so much, ever. Chances were that he may have met him eventually, the circumstances different, but Naoki didn't much care. He liked things the way they were, now. Naoki made a mental note to thank Dolly for getting him up, and making it possible to meet Bucky. He adjusted his hand, interlocking his fingers between his companion's. It made him feel closer, though the distance between their bodies didn't change.

"...Dolly can be nice when she wants to be... Most of the time she's kind of a nag.. You can meet her once we get to the house, I'm sure she won't mind you at all." Naoki smiled, wondering how the cat would react to Buck coming into the house. She was a tolerant little kitty, Naoki was sure she wouldn't mind at all. Though, it wasn't everyday that Naoki brought someone home with him. She's not used to strangers coming in and out of the house all the time. The apartments Naoki lived in were quiet all the time. Most of the inhabitants were older folks, and almost none of them had children or grandchildren running around all the time. He grew a little worried thinking about Dolly. He really hoped that she wouldn't react badly toward his new friend. The cat was a laid-back lazy thing.. Naoki still hoped she wouldn't mind.

Naoki walked in silence for a little while, the apartments growing ever closer. He sucked on his bottom lip, it had gotten kind of awkward between the two of them, he thought. It made him unhappy, and the silence was uncomfortable. He glanced at Buck and his backpack, catching small glimpses of the pineapple's leaves. Naoki wondered how long Buck had carried the fruit around. It couldn't have been too long, right? After all, fruit doesn't stay fresh forever. How devastating that would be.. Having to throw away your pineapple friend. Naoki wondered if someone replaced the fruit periodically, so that it seemingly never aged. How cruel that would seem. Poor Buck.. getting close to something that didn't last forever..

The artists remained silent until they had reached the apartment building. He didn't want to talk about Dolly, or JM, or anything, really. The chocolate bar had melted in his mouth as they walked, the air getting warmer as the sun rose over the Earth. It was half-gone by the time they had made it. Naoki hoped that Buck wasn't upset. He didn't exactly know what he would be upset about, but Naoki just hoped that, anyway. He paused and took in a deep breath. "Well.. Here we are.. kinda.." Naoki looked up at the colorless apartments. He hated them, honestly. They were so bland and depressing. He leaned against Buck, resting his chin lightly on the boy's shoulder. The chocolate that Buck had given him had kept him from feeling too terribly hungry, but he still wanted some real food in his stomach. "Up we go, then.."

Naoki tentatively let go of Buck's hand and led the way up the flights of stairs, opening his apartment door as he reached it. He peeked in for Dolly who was still sitting in the same spot on the pile of papers and Naoki scooped her into his arms. "Sorry it's such a mess.. This is Dolly, by the way..." Naoki wiggled one of the cat's paws, who just glanced around languidly with her green eyes. So..what do you think?" The apartment itself wasn't very impressive, but it was home.

---

word count - 674
listening to - Someone washing dishes
next up - Bucky!
some notes - again with the rambling.. sorry. D;

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

"Aah! It's so colorless!" Buck's taken by surprise at how the apartment looks,
blue eye shimmering in wonder at how plain it looked outside. He's
hoping that it looks different inside Naoki's room, and he looks side
to side, finding that most of the buildings were the same color, and
sticks his tongue out. It's so boring here, he thinks, and then feels
his eyes widen against and his mouth almost hang agape when
additional weight is added on his shoulder. He's hoping the staining
red color on his cheeks isn't noticeable, and that his quickening
heartbeat is something that everyone goes through. It's strange,
he thinks, this feeling. Leon's done this a lot, but this never
happens. Then again, Naoki's different from Leon. Naoki doesn't
mind the singing and the dancing and JM the pineapple, and he
doesn't mind that Buck's a hyperactive young man, who doesn't
act his age - or close to it, for that matter. Or maybe it's because
Naoki is forbidden territory. Leon is like a brother - he knows
everything about him. But Naoki's a minefield, and Buck's not sure
whether he'll be able to figure out the answers soon.

He's interrupted when his hand loses warmth from his companion's,
and very quickly, he follows him up the flights of stairs. He laughs
as he goes up, not so loud to wake up the others, but enough to
let the world know that there's someone full of color in the place.
Buck spreads his arms as he goes up, pretends to be an airplane -
zooms through the steps and through the hallway - and even
making a little break noise as he stops in front of the door.

Buck's breath is taken away by the inside.

"You completely killed all the straight lines, Nao!" he
exclaims, blue eyes wide in surprise and happy little grin on his face.
"Look! No more straight lines, not being boxed in, and-- oh!
Is that Dolly? She's so pretty. Hello, hello! Do you want to meet JM?
She's one of my best friends, and she's a pineapple. I think both of
you will make very good friends, since you're both so cute. Don't
you think so, Nao?" Buck looks towards his companion with a happy
smile, eyes closing and curving upward to match it. He's never been
in a place other than his that gets rid of the straight lines of the
world - and he's grateful that someone else has done it. Straight
lines make him bothered, and restrains him from being free. Come
to think of it, so did clocks. But that didn't matter right now.

He nuzzles his nose against Dolly's, not minding whether the cat
would scratch his face off and destroy his other eye, and kisses the
tip affectionately; before standing and placing his hands on his hips,
backpack being placed on the floor.

"I think it's great. JM does, too. Don't you, JM?"

Almost on cue, the lid to the backpack slides open, and JM's goofy
smile is shown to the world. He's happy, too, and Buck grins
charmingly.

[/font]

[Naoki Ito]

Dolly blinked at the strange person chattering in her face. The cat let out a soft meow and jerked backward at being kissed. The odd person was very unsettling to Dolly and the little cat didn't really know what to do. She pawed at the stranger's face, and then the air as he leaned away from her, then began to wriggle in her human's arms. Naoki had certainly brought home something strange and the cat wasn't exactly excited about it.

Naoki turned around and let the cat hop from his arms onto the floor. Dolly went straight for the dropped bag and the pineapple, sniffling at it curiously. It made him happy to think that Buck liked his apartment. He wasn't quite sure what Buck meant when he'd said that Naoki 'killed all the straight lines'. It didn't matter, though. As long as he was comfortable in his home. Naoki slipped off his shoes and almost walked back into his room. It was a habit that he had. As soon as he got home from wherever, he usually went back there to lie down and be lazy for a while. He stopped in his tracks and quickly swiveled into the doorway of the kitchen. He turned back out, facing Buck. "My room's down that way at the end of the hall, the bathroom's down there, too...My room's really messy, though.. and the bathroom floor is covered in clothes.." Naoki hoped that Buck wouldn't wander around too much. His house was a wreck and he had all sorts of unfinished paintings and art supplies laying everywhere. It was kind of embarrassing having all his work just laying around. The odd pictures didn't look right when incomplete, and Naoki didn't like people seeing things when they were still in progress. It was too late to go and hide them away, now, though..

Naoki turned back into the kitchen, he was there to eat, not nap. Though, a nap sounded really nice. He wondered if Buck would nap with him, but that was probably a weird thing to ask, especially when you were asking someone you'd just met. He opened the fridge, wondering if there were any leftovers he could just heat up and eat. Pulling a few things from the fridge, he set them on the counter and began looking at the contents. There was soup from yesterday, and a little fish from the night before. Dolly had lost interest in the pineapple and wandered into the kitchen, weaving her way around Naoki's ankles. Naoki opened another container, not recognizing what was inside, he smelled it, then coughed. Whatever it was, it would probably kill whoever ate it. He threw it away and started tossing things into the microwave. "Bucky~" He called for his friend, "..Is there anything you want to eat? You can have anything you want in here.. If you find something you want I can make it.. if you like.."

---

word count - 489
listening to - the fan
next up - Bucky~
Some notes - om noms!

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

The redhead blinks at the statement Naoki gives, and laughs
when he sees Dolly sniffing JM. He nods, committing the places and
their directions to memory - and remembering that they were messy,
too. He decides to sit in the middle of the floor, drawing imaginary
circles on it, a soft tune being hummed under his breath. It is either
ABC, Twinkle Twinkle, or Baa Baa Black Sheep. Buck claps his hands
and begins to outright sing, though not as loud as normal. He knows
the neighbors are sleeping, and isn't entirely excited in disturbing
them, and getting Naoki blamed for it.

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Dolly dear~ JM's here, no need to fear~ She'll be
near, and she'll appear~ When your happiness disappears~
Because we love you so sincere, we'll be here, no need to fear!"

Buck burst out laughing, then, back colliding with the floor, and
eye closed in complete joy. A hand rested on his midsection, and as
he attempts to compose himself, he spots Dolly walking away. Did
he scare her, perhaps? The boy pouts, crawls after her in some sort
of predatory manner - certainly keen on making friends with a
supposed housecat. As he crawls, he spots some unfinished things
tucked away, clearly interested as to what they held - but then
remembering that he had something important to do. The redhead
blows some stray bangs away from his face, affixing his eyepatch
so that it isn't sagging and showing the horrid scar beneath. Just as
he enters the kitchen, however, he hears the question; making a
small squeaking sound and looking up towards the one who'd
asked the thing in the first place. He blinks, not exactly sure
what he plans on eating, before sitting on the floor again -
palms pressed in-between his legs; which were, in turn, letting
his feet face away from his body. His knees are bent, and he looks
up at his companion, blinks again.

"I don't know," he answers, tilting his head to the side,
certainly unsure as to what it is that his stomach wants in it.
"But.. I do know that I want to eat whatever you make,
because it's specially for me, right?" There's that smile again on his
face, innocent and child-like; his hands still firmly pressed on the
kitchen floor, body still sitting like he's some sort of little girl. Then
he remembers the task at hand, and begins crawling again, before
stopping in front of where the cat was affectionately purring and
entwining with her master's legs - and offering his hand. His eyes
are wide and bright and inquisitive - just like a little boy's - and his
breath is held as he awaits her response. Certainly, she'll scratch
me, the boy thinks to himself, but waits patiently and hopes that
she won't think him too terrifying. He doesn't resemble a dog,
does he? Maybe a caveman, but not a dog. Well, he'll be one if
someone asks him to.

"Do you wanna play, Dolly?"

[/font]

[Naoki Ito]

Dolly watched the intruder from the kitchen, her green eyes sparkling with interest. What did this strange man think he was doing stalking about her home? She flinched and glanced up as Naoki clattered something or other, and stepped over her. Dolly rolled onto her back and pawed at her owner's feet. How dare he ignore her? She swiveled her ears around, listening for the other person in the house and purred as the stranger entered the kitchen. She watched him upside-down, her eyes wide and staring. "Mrrowr?" She questioned in the only way she could.

Naoki had jumped, startled. He didn't know that Buck was sitting right there on the kitchen floor. He moved his way around Dolly again, who must've really wanted him to trip and die, or something. The cat was always horribly obstructive when he was in the kitchen. Giving up, and not really caring, Naoki just started microwaving whatever he could find. He didn't care if the food made much sense as a whole. It was all edible and that's all that really mattered. Sure, the artist knew how to cook, and he was pretty good at it, but cooking required work and time, and Naoki didn't want to stay in the kitchen longer than he needed to. Especially with that damn cat wrapping itself around his feet like some sort of fuzzy snake. Though.. He didn't mind Buck being in the kitchen. It was taking quite a bit of effort to keep himself from turning around and just squishing Buck to death. He was so adorable, sitting on the floor like a good little puppy. And everything that Bucky said was just downright adorable. His little songs that he made up on the spot, the way he answered Naoki's questions.. It was all just made of cute. Naoki bit his lip, and avoided looking at Buck too much. Chances were that if he did, his brain would just melt and come out of his ears.. and that was unsightly.

Dolly continued to roll around the kitchen floor, purring and batting at invisible flecks of dust in the air. Her body froze when the strange hand approached, but he chest still purred like a little motorbike. She mewed and sniffed, wriggling her way toward the stranger and rubbing her head and neck against the hand. She loved attention, and if her human wasn't going to pay attention to her, she'll find it elsewhere. He mewed again, rubbing her face and body against the odd boy, not caring that he was abnormal to other humans. She was a cat, and didn't care how he dressed, or that he sang, or kept company with a pineapple with an odd face.

Naoki sighed once the cat had left his feet. He was glad that she was now leaving him alone, and it made him happy that Dolly liked Buck. He was just about finished warming things up, and began to carry things to the table. The foods were horribly mismatched, but it didn't matter to Naoki, and he was sure that Buck wouldn't mind the variety. There wasn't a need for plates, they could just eat from the containers that the food was sitting in. It made for easy clean-up. "Food's ready.." Naoki sat at the table and yawned. Now that he was actually sitting there, ready to eat, he wasn't feeling very hungry anymore.

---

word count - 580
listening to - Nothin'
next up - Bucky
some notes - Dolly lieks you~ <3

[/color]

[BUCK ROEDOR]

BUCKMIDSTER ROEDOR
"I will fly to the future on mystery's wings."

Buck laughs when Dolly rubs her head and neck against his hand,
finding the fur ticklish and something he hasn't felt, ever. He attempts
to pick her up, gently holding her and once more kissing her nose. The
animal's so cute - no, she's not an animal, she's family - and
the singer knows that she probably enjoys the attention. He places
her on his lap, scratches under her neck and listens to her purr. The
sound is very nice and very soothing, and he wants to treat the cat
he's holding like some kind of baby, feeding her from a bottle and
watching her grow through a single, fond blue eye. He tickles her
tummy, scratches behind her ear, and is oh-so affectionate with her,
knowing that this moment will probably not last forever. He's happy,
though, that she's come to accept him, and finds that perhaps the
cat isn't at all afraid of him. Perhaps she just thought he smelled
bad, which was strange, because Buck certainly showered before
leaving this morning. But he's still playing with her and cooing and
showing his love, because it's not everyday you makes friends with
two living creatures. And he's happy, knowing his happy jar
will be filled once more.

"Already?" Buck blinks, lifts his head and looks towards
his companion, sees him sitting at the table and gives Dolly one
more little scratch before he stands again and makes his way over
to where the sink was; washing his hands and hissing a little at the
way the water stung his cuts. He pays no heed, however, and then
as though it never happened - walks towards the table and sits
across from Naoki, looking at the variety with surprised blue eyes.
There's certainly different kinds, and as he looks sheepishly towards
the other, taking a spoon (he's never learned how to use those
confounded chopsticks - and so didn't) and scooping up some of the
soup, placing it in his mouth and tasting it.

...!

".. This is good. Even if it isn't fresh, this is really good! Whoa!"
Buck's eyes widen a tad at the taste, and then, compulsively, he
puts some on top of a region of rice and scoops that up, and feels
his face flush. Rice makes everything taste better, and Buck can't
remember the last time he ate something other than instant
noodles. His one visible eye sparkles in glee as he tries mixing and
matching the different varieties, letting out a soft 'ah!' or 'wehh!'
whenever he finds something that tastes incredibly delicious - and
still eating the spoonful of the terrible-tasting ones, because the
food wants him to. He doesn't really eat a lot, only using that one
spoon for mixing by dipping things and scooping them up, and then
he remembers he has a companion, and leans over the table, spoon
hovering in front of Naoki's mouth.

"Say 'ahh'," Buck says with another one of those
smiles, one hand resting lightly on the edge of the table, the other
holding the spoon up. He waits, blinking.

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