The Run In ( Phoenix/Open )

[Astrid Sudeki]

Astrid was making her way through school. She had gone to every class today and was in a hurry to actually get out of here. She had been working her ass off in class the past couple days, to catch up for all the skipping she found she had been doing with Guy. Heh.

So yeah, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to her body, stopping just above her midsection, showing off her belly button piercing, and her trim, toned stomach......She slung her bag onto her shoulder, put her head down and headed down the hallway.

Of course, nothing ever went as planned...the plan being to leave the school as fast as possible and escape her secret hiding area...She needed to think and yeah, that was the best place...but the actual event that took place was not her escaping but her running right into what she guessed at first to be a brick wall...

Her small body stumbling back and flat onto her ass as she whimpered out slightly in pain. Fuck that floor was hard. Her blond locks falling down into her face and covering up her line of sight for a moment.

Soon enough however she had recovered, using her small hand to push back her hair out of the way so that her oceanic blue eyes could cast a glance upward, noting that what she ran into was really a very big who.....

Oh gods....Some muscle bound jock no doubt.

It was enough to make her let out a little pained sound which could easily be taken as an after effect of falling backwards....

With her hands planted against the cold tiled floor, she sighed and shook her head. If not for the fact that she knew it was her fault, she would have been bitchy, or mean, or just walked away...Not wanting to get her ass chewed on for accidentally bumping into the guy.

Though it was clear that the worse end of the deal was on her end. Given she was the one on the floor, not his big ass. Heh...

"I...am sorry....though, technically you should be sorry for being so fucking big that you knocked my ass to the ground..."

Yeaaahhh that was an apology..........Bout as good as this guy was gonna get.....Her small hand reaching out to grab her bag which had skidded across the floor as she waited to get her butt chewed out...

[Phoenix]

Phoenix was slowly walking through the corridors of his new school. For once he wasn’t hugging the walls and delving into the shadows, and instead, Phoenix was walking almost directly down the middle of the corridor whilst enjoying the wide berth that a majority of the other students gave him. Seemingly, the news that Phoenix had fought with the Varsity Captain, Jack O’Connor, and walked away with him virtually unharmed, had spread quickly.

Phoenix casually placed one foot in front of the other, barely paying any attention to the outside world, instead, Phoenix was deep in thought, contemplating his next few strategic moves through the school and wondering just what kind of fun he could have. Phoenix hated being bored, more than anything else in the world, and as such, he would do almost anything to entertain himself.

Feeling a small object collide with his back, Phoenix would raise his amethyst eyes, which had previously been downcast, and slowly turn around to look straight ahead in an attempt to see who had thrown a projectile at him. Momentarily confused, Phoenix would glance around at all of the students nearby, none of which seemed either to know what was going on or to have any of the courage required to throw something at him.

Phoenix looked down. Instead of finding a small projectile, like he had anticipated, Phoenix found himself staring at an attractive girl who must have ran into Phoenix and been knocked over by his size and solidness. Phoenix almost laughed as she apologised and then immediately berated him for being taller than the average male.

“You want me to apologise for something I have no control over?”

Allowing a smile to manifest itself on his features, Phoenix would reach down towards the female and offer her his right hand. If she accepted, Phoenix would promptly pull her up but not so quickly as to surprise or cause unnecessary harm to her.

“An entertaining idea and because of it I feel significantly less bored. For that, I thank you. If you don’t mind me asking, where were you in such a rush too?”

[Astrid Sudeki]

She eyed his hand a bit suspiciously, her eyes going from his hand to his face and back again....Then, finally, she would reach out, taking his hand with her own much smaller one and allowing him to help her up...

As he did, she reached back with her free hand and rubbed her now sore butt.

Did she expect him to say he was sorry actually....she hated being small compared to the giants that roamed these halls....But he never did and she just figured it was the jock in him or whatever...Men....

Shaking her head she just tucked her hands in her back pockets she shrugged to his question.

"Out of this festering hell hole they call a school. Where are you going lumbering around like a big ox?"

She half ass started to grin as she spoke the words with a hint of teasing a hint of seriousness......Not sure if she was really ready to be nice to the guy or not...even though he had been much nicer already than she expected.

Her blond hair fell down into her face in soft waves here and there, just a few stray locks but enough to lightly cover her eyes, but not enough to look creepy or anything like that.

Now she waited for her answer. He had asked her, so she figured why the hell could she not ask him? All was fair in these halls right? Well she figured so.

Not really thinking much else than wanting an answer to her question and maybe getting by without getting her head bit off for one freaking day.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix felt a small twang of sadness as the unknown female gazed at him in a suspicious and hesitating manner. Almost instantly this small feeling was swept away before the gargantuan ocean of thoughts that constantly assaulted his mind and occupied his senses. Phoenix found himself still in good humour, an odd occurrence considering that Phoenix didn’t tend to warm to new people so quickly.

Phoenix relinquished the hand of the female after she had used it to right herself and placed it within one of the pockets in his pants. Phoenix had decided to dress very colloquially for his first few days at school, not wanting to stand out from the crowds that he loved to hide within. He wore a simple, slim fitting t-shirt that accentuated his lean body form and a casual pair of dark denim jeans with a skate belt to help hold them up over his thin form.

As this girl spoke to Phoenix, he struggled to keep a smile in check as she referred to him as a big ox. Clearly, thought Phoenix, an inept simile. Phoenix was amused at the thought of an 80 kilogram 17 yr old being compared to a clumsy and unintelligent ox.

“Well I was actually about to leave, apparently I wasn’t as much of a rush as you. Also, while we’re on the subject of me, my name’s Phoenix.”

[Astrid Sudeki]

Yes well she found that most of the men in this school who were of the size and stature of this guy, were indeed big oxes. Her shoulders rolling once more, she cast her blue eyes up to him as she smiled a little and shook her head.

"Astrid....Nice to run into you .... well not literally...but yeah..."

She laughed a bit softly and shook her head. She was trying to learn to give people the benefit of the doubt here. Sure, she had no real interest in people in general, but yeah, she figured it would not hurt to TRY and make a few friends...or acquaintances at least.

As she shifted out of the way of a few students she found herself leaned up against a set of lockers, her eyes looking at him as she thought over his words.

"Lemme guess...Football, or something along those lines?"

She motioned her head toward him, indicating she was speaking about him. Yeaaaah he looked the part of jock so she would have to guess either jock oooooor......

"Or fighter?"

He had to be one or both. She was sure of that. Just a matter of seeing if he admitted it or tried to play it off as nothing.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix looked down at the girl he now knew to be Astrid, allowing his amethyst eyes to show at least some form of happy emotion, he wasn’t sure what it was, he didn’t really use emotions like this very often. Astrid, thought Phoenix, an interesting name. From Phoenix’s vast eidetic memory banks he would think back to the time when he had been extremely interested in etymology and languages, if he was right, which he almost always was, then Astrid was the modern form of ÁSTRÍÐR that meant beautiful god in ancient Scandinavian. Phoenix doubted that this girls parents had known that but it seemed that they had gotten at least half of the name right.

Astrid moved out of the main area of the corridor and leant against some of the lockers that lined the corridor, Phoenix decided that he would follow as he wasn’t in a rush to leave the school and that he was always on the lookout for potential allies.

Phoenix actually laughed as she listed a sport and an activity in an attempt to find out more about himself and how he acquired his physique. Her directness in asking whether or not Phoenix was a fighter threw Phoenix a little bit, however, he saw no immediate threat that could be produced by this girl and decided that the information wasn’t going to be exactly top secret anyway.

“I’m more of a basketballer actually, however, I stopped playing when I was 13 because of some… circumstances. As for the other assumption, I’m guilty as charged.”

Phoenix took no pride in his education as a martial artist, he was more interested into the thought processes and intelligence that lay behind the actual fighting skills, however, Jack had taught him the value of knowing how to protect himself and those that he loved. In his mind there was no point denying it though as it was bound to come out as truth in due time regardless.

[Astrid Sudeki]

And there it was, she nodded, grinning slightly as she placed her hands behind her back and cast her eyes up to his face.

"Yeah, you struck me as the fighter type, and the jock. Heh...Though you dont act like the gernal meat head population. At least you dont seem to act like them."

She shrugged and cast her eyes over him, a little sigh passing her lips as she tilted her head slightly.

She was not sure what the hell he was up to, playing this game of being the nice guy. But then, yeah he was a guy they always had ulterior motives.

Finally she pushed off the lockers, eyes looking at him curiously, her mind working over several things. Well why the hell was she standing here confused....Just ask.....

Her hand going to the wrist of her other hand and brushing over the black headband wrapped there.

A few soft brushes against it, drawing on it for her inner strength, just as her father used the band for, and she drew in a deep breath...

"Why are you being nice to me? No jock is ever nice unless he has some hidden motive or some shit..."

She spoke the words very matter of factly, figuring the worst he could do it hit her or yell at her or by some miracle answer her. Heh. Worth a shot.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix cast his amethyst eyes down to meet hers as she glanced up at him; the differences in their stature obvious as Phoenix listened to her speak. Phoenix was quite sure how she managed to pick him for a fighter but he had developed his martial art skills over the years and not doubt this had affected his personality and movements.

“I wouldn’t call myself a jock.”

Phoenix inwardly shuddered at the thought of being compared to a group who were stereotypically unintelligent and crude. He would never be a part of the general population, although he could copy them and outwardly resemble them, within himself Phoenix knew that he had always been different.

Phoenix watched Astrid, as she seemed to be working up the courage to ask him something. Whilst time past slowly by, Phoenix would steal a glance away from her blue eyes, which were strangely reminiscent of the ocean, to analyse his surroundings and see what was going on around him. As Astrid’s voice once again filed the air, Phoenix would return his eyes back to hers and concentrate on what she was saying.

Phoenix chuckled to himself upon hearing what she had been trying to work up the courage to say. It was such a simple question, thought Phoenix, why would she hesitate to ask? Phoenix then remembered where he was, he remembered that he was in one of the most violent schools in San Diego, CA, and that asking simple questions could sometimes be an invitation for a beating.

“Simply put, I believe in common courtesy, also, there isn’t much point in trying to hurt you for something so insignificant and accidental. As I mentioned just before, I’m not a jock, however, as for ulterior motives… Who knows?

Allowing a sinister half smile to creep across his face, Phoenix would edge an inch or two closer two Astrid, trying to see how she would react.

[Astrid Sudeki]

As he inched closer, his words still filling her mind she could not help but raise a brow slightly...Feeling herself shift softly back into the locker more fully now. Not like she had a lot of option to go with there.

"Well, it is nice to see that there are some who can play sports and still have some form of intelligence in them. Though get knocked around a bit more and I am sure it will start to fade."

Astrid fought....when she had to, but that did not mean she enjoyed it..nor did she enjoy men who thought they had to all the time. She hated the guys of this school, with their muscles and their bad attitudes and their arrogance. It was sickening and she was the one girl that did not go for the muscle....In her mind it was what laid inside, the inner strength that made the man...

Not how much he could bench press or how fast he could run....

As her mind wandered a bit she tilted her head lightly to the side, trying to focus on him as she struggled to figure him out.

"So, no other reason for being nice to me other than you felt the need to? Because honestly....I dont buy it...You are a big guy, and you are in highschool........yeaaah....Whatcha want?"

So maybe she was not the most trusting of girls...But trust got you into trouble. Every damn time....Hence why she trusted nobody.....Well except for Guy..but he didnt count.....

[Phoenix]

Phoenix was intrigued to see that Astrid shifted her weight back into the locker, almost as if she was trying to maintain a certain distance between the two of them. Phoenix accepted the compliment with sincerity and didn’t let her second comment phase him. No amount of knocks could remove his natural genius and intelligence that he had enhanced through various games of chess and mind puzzles.

Phoenix saw Astrid tilt her head to the side and noticed that her gaze upon him intensified slightly. Phoenix silently chuckled to himself. It was almost as if she was trying to gain some insight into what he was thinking. Phoenix knew well that his body language gave away no information about himself other than the fact that he was practiced in martial arts, he also knew that he never really gave away any expression on his face, preferring to keep it in a stoic state.

“No, no other reason. Being rude is so… ugly and unrefined. Big as in tall? Possibly. However, big as in muscled? I think not.”

As Phoenix smoothed down his t-shirt, a habit he had developed to maintain his appearance subconsciously, his hands passed over his meager upper body, almost proving to himself that his strength lay not in his muscles but from within his mind and with his inner strength.

“I don’t want anything. You’re the one that ran into me, remember?”

Phoenix would speak with a smile playing on his lips.

[Astrid Sudeki]

Astrid noted the way he ran his hand over his stomach, noted that he was not like all the bigger guys here, but that did not mean she for one second doubted the kind of guy he most likely REALLY was.....

Trust issues...yeaaaah

"Well, yeah....Fair enough."

Finally, as though she had decided in her mind that she could not prove him a big oaf right now, she stuck her hand out, the one with the headband tied around it, and shrugged....

"Well then, its nice to meet you Phoenix."

Sooo maybe it was a little late, but she was not about to say it was nice to meet him right away...not til she learned what he was like.

Now, that she had some base understanding, she figured he was not alll bad.....He at least had the ability to pretend to be something more. Which hey! Most guys didnt even have that.

If he shook her hand cool..If not then fuck him....Either way she would keep herself from getting too close to him...more out of habit than anything else.

Lightly she reached up, brushing back a few locks of hair and keeping those eyes fixed on him. Not very many talked to her, and those that did, generally did not like her that much.....She was......off-putting.......she guessed......

[Phoenix]

“Nice to meet you too, Astrid.”

Phoenix reached out and shook her hand, his grip was strong, but not overwhelmingly so, just enough to be firm. Retracting his hand, he saw her reach up and brush a few locks of hair from her face. As she did so, Phoenix wondered why she would wear a headband on her arm, resigning himself to guessing that it was a talisman that possessed some form of sentimental value, Phoenix would place both of his hands in his jean pockets and emit a confident yet casual demeanour.

“So, you still haven’t told me, where you rushing off to? It can’t have been that important if you’ve stopped for this long to talk with an almost completed stranger.”

Phoenix liked knowledge, after all it was the key to being powerful, the more knowledge that Phoenix possessed the stronger he would become. Despite the relative insignificance of this knowledge it could prove to be interesting, particularly because Phoenix had nothing to do that afternoon and he was growing bored with remaining at school.

[Astrid Sudeki]

Astrid drew back her hand, stuffing it into her pocket as she thought about what to tell this guy. Honestly she didnt know if she should be honest or lie.......

Fuck it...honesty was always easier to maintain...

"Well I was headed back to my dorm for pizza, then movies, and then a walk through the woods when that got old...Maybe hit up my friend to chill with me for a bit."

Yeah so she didnt talk like the little miss prim and proper that she had been raised to be, or like the rest of the female population seemed to be, but she really didnt care. She was ....herself..and though that self was masking the girl she could be, it was what made her happy.

"I hate this place....The farther away I am the better. Cant stand the stupid ass fighting or the bullshit comments people throw your way for breathing in their fucking air."

She really was not talking to him..more just thinking out loud, though she really had not made a distinction in the two by her actions soooo yeah...more than likely he would assume she had been saying it to him.....

Whatever, she could handle that....

Casting her eyes away from him she looked about the hallway, a little sigh passing her lips as she rocked back and forth against the lockers.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix listened to Astrid’s voice as she outlined what her plan were for the rest of the afternoon, although Phoenix didn’t really see what was so urgent about getting a pizza and seeing a movie, he was reminded of simpler times when he could fully enjoy such effortless pastimes. Shaking his head slightly to rid himself of the feeling of nostalgia, Phoenix would turn his formidable mind power to the conversation at hand.

Well, if the idea isn’t too appalling to you and because I made you fall over… Would you allow me to buy you that pizza?”

Phoenix wasn’t sure why he had offered to do such a thing. He didn’t feel bad about what had happened, but he did feel like he was going to be bored soon, Phoenix knew that should that happen he would probably resort to some barbaric form of entertainment rather than succumb to the dullness that was complete boredom.

“You’ll have to lead though, I still don’t know where anything is in this school. I only started going here recently.”

Phoenix would move aside to allow Astrid to walk past him whilst gesturing with his hands to show him where they were going to go to.

[Astrid Sudeki]

Okay so this was her life now....This would be the second guy she had at her place in under a month....Yeah what the hell? She had no friends at all at 259 and now she was little miss popular.....

Shaking the thought from her mind she just waited til he moved and then took the lead....

"Yeah well, my place is closer than any damn shop and I have the pizza place on speed dial so yeah..."

He just didnt know her yet..If he ever got the chance to, then he would see that pizza was about as important to her as air.....yeah...she was a hungry girly.......

Exiting the school she made her way across the campus, cutting between buildings, and things of that nature and booking it to the other end......where the dorms rested.

Once there she entered the building, every now and then casting a glance back to make sure he was still there....Not that it would have surprised her to see him gone...But yeah.....Once inside she bypassed the elevators, and instead started up the stairs...It was her exercise thing....No need to take the easy way......

Up two flights of stairs and she exited onto the second floor, waiting for him before she would reach into the headband about her wrist and pull forth the key to her dorm.......

Four doors down she slipped the key into her lock and pushed open the door, greeted by the dull sounds of the television which never went off, and yeah.....a bit of a mess.....Clothes kinda strung about, books, etc......

Tossing the key into the bowl by the door, she dropped her bag in the same area and motioned toward the main area of the dorm...the bedroom/living room area.....

"Um...sit wherever you want....You can chill on the bed..Just move shit if its in your way.....Or the floor..I dont care..."

She then grabbed up the phone and hit the 2....yeah it was that important....

"So you have any preference on amount of kind of toppings?"

Listening for his reply as she waited for them to pick up on the other end.