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Post by moogles on Feb 2, 2011 22:51:06 GMT -5
(Lars and Sadik.)
It was his guilty pleasure.
Lars wasn't exactly sure how he had stumbled upon the room, all he knew is that it was his. See, most people would find an empty room and just leave it be. No, perhaps there were people out there that would turn it into something else. Put in a television, a computer, yeah, it could even be a secret base, right? Sure, maybe the teenager had the same ambition, using the room for his own, but he had an idea that was just so much more unique, and utterly fascinating.
See, this hidden little room was at the end of the hallway that was never travelled. For some bizarre reason, there was a nice huge window. For the longest time, it had been hidden by a set of gigantic drapes. When it was finally revealed, light just poured through, lighting even the farthest corners in the room. It was refreshing, for a word, or maybe it was just interesting? Whatever the case, Lars made sure that his ambition wouldn't die. No, he had decided that this room would have a very special use.
He had started thing easily at first. He would just use some of the extra money that he had, and he bought a potted plant. Everyone saw him walk inside with it, and most probably assumed that he had just put it in his room. Lars was a private, reserved person. It's not like he let anyone in his room, so nobody would be the wiser. Smuggling in the watering can, lamps (different plants did need different heat, after all), and many other flowers proved to be a bit more of a challenge. Of course, he was smart enough to manage it.
Lars absolutely loved gardening. He couldn't exactly place it, since he had never been so keen on it when he was young. Maybe he enjoyed the scenery or something, whatever. Actually, the more he thought of it, the more the flowers and plants reminded him of home. Homesick? Nah, couldn't be. He just found himself a hobby and he stuck with it. Yes, it was the only possible solution. It's not like anything had an underlining meaning behind it. Stop thinking about things too seriously.
Today, the only thing that Lars was craving other than a smoke, was to visit his secret little garden. Yeah, the mood someone gets after writing an hour long test wasn't usually reverted by such measures, but Lars' mood could easily be changed by something so trivial.
So he walked into the dorm, and threw his bag on the couch. Anyone who had a decent head on their shoulders knew better not to touch his stuff, so he wasn't concerned. No, what he was more concerned about was the new plants that he had brought in. See, it wasn't the season for tulips. No, quite far it. However, with the internet, and enough indoor planting knowledge, he learned that it was possible to grow them any time of the year. Perhaps, it was unconventional, and maybe a tad more difficult, but it was still away to bring his favourite flowers to him.
So Lars went about his usual activities. Basically, if someone were to walk in on him, the tennis captain would be watering the tulips off to the side of the room. Although, one would probably be more surprised at the striking display of flowers that was already in the room that was once bare.
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Post by Sadik Adnan on Feb 10, 2011 6:01:43 GMT -5
Secrets.
Like poison slipped in a wine glass, they were impossible to identify until it was too late. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone had they own glass to drink out of, and each was thick with poison. Some people had an immunity to it, though, and continued to drink without the faintest hint of weariness or discontent. Others, though, were victims to the claws of fate; though once blissfully unaware of what they were served, they find themselves teeming with pains of betrayal, and the death of trust. Yes, secrecy often led to the downfall of those involved, merciless and impersonal.
Sadik enjoyed bearing this cup, though. It was a sweet one for him, filled with raki rather than wine, and regardless of the poisonous undertones, he would pleasantly indulge. Everyone had secrets; they were, essentially, the backbone of society. Every country had its secrets, every city in that country, every town and citizen, young or old, and Sadik was no exception. He was a proud young man, very much so, and rarely showed shame for any of his actions or principles. To him, secrets were not things that he didn't want people to know, but rather things that he wouldn't outright tell people. If one asked about a secret Sadik held, sure, he'd share it. Perhaps not in the detail one'd like, but in the detail he felt they deserved.
It was, however, no secret that Sadik could be very nosy about certain things, and it didn't take long for the newer student to become interested in the comings and goings of one Lars van Wubble. It wasn't so much his constant in-and-out habits that drew in Sadik's attention, though, as much as the flowers. Perhaps Lars was trying to hide them and failing, but Sadik always noticed them. Of course, the prevailing question remained of where he kept these plants. It was unbelievable that all the plants Sadik had watched him walk in the house with on occasion could fit solely into Lars' room. Though, the Turk had searched around before. There was no garden in the back, no area on the roof, no window boxes, no chance of understanding without confrontation. Sadik had no issue with confrontation; he just preferred to be informed before striking deals.
Sadik wasn't following Lars, to straighten out the record. He happened to walking to the same destination at the same time at a fixed distance away as to throw off suspicion.. not that Sadik expected Lars to understand the attention to detail and sound needed to be in such a situation... All the same, the large build man tried to fit in the best he could... which was relatively difficult, considering his size and somewhat outlandish clothing. He had followed behind Lars as he went to the flower shop, confirming his belief of Lars' floral activity. Of course, now he just needed to catch Lars in the act of gardening.
The opportunity came sooner than Sadik expected it to, and the Turk leaped to it. He had taken up Lars' wine glass and prepared to indulge, sampling his senses with the tangy aroma. Lars was simply walking through the halls, though at first it began to appear that Sadik's steak-out would be all for naught... Until he followed Lars toward a room behind a door he didn't recognize. After a moment of waiting, Sadik approached the door, gloved hands taking hold of the handle. With a gentle turn of the nob, Sadik completely downed Lars' glass of secretism. The door opened quickly, not hitting the door against the wall and not causing too much of a sound, keeping his entrance polite and less person.
What Sadik saw was almost a present to him. He had longed for a garden for such a very long time, but not being the best with any garden NOT planted in the ground would always end up in disaster, so he shied away from potted plants. Sure he had taken care of some offhandedly in the past, but nothing like what he saw before him. Tulips; vibrant, rich, wonderful tulips, the flower of his country, lining the room in potted bliss. The beautiful bulbs boomed with elegance in the small, well lit room, cared for additionally by small lamps, toward which the juvenile plants reached, like an infant reaching for its mother. Had he not had his mask one, it would be seen that his eyes smiled with a sense of completion, but also with longing, a shimmer and a waver, as though tears would form at any moment.
Finally, the awe subsided and the shock diminished, Sadik shook his head, bringing him out of reverie and into reality. He rapped his knuckles against the door to the room with a faint chuckle.
"Hey... Lars...." Sadik said gently. "What's all this, huh?" The Turk leaned himself against the door frame, arms folded over his chest, looking with humor toward Lars. He was curious, really, to see what Lars would do when he finally reached the poison in his glass.
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Post by moogles on Feb 13, 2011 17:52:26 GMT -5
It was an honest shock, really. The entire sanctity of the process had pretty much been ruined, just from one little question. It was a ritual, he wasn't allowed to be disturbed. Sadik had single handedly ruined everything that Lars had been building up. The scene was so quiet, peaceful, like always, until it contorted and conformed to the words of the Turk. He sighed, giving in this early in the game was sort of...shameful, he supposed. He just wasn't impressed, by both his actions, and the others. Ridiculous that the Dutchman could leave his tracks so open.
Had he left his tracks open though? No. Perhaps he wasn't the stealthiest man alive, but he knew better then to parade his plants in plain site. It turned into a bit of a mystery, a question that needed to be answered. Had they been here before? No, Lars would've recognized that there was something different from the last time he visited. So he figured it had to be of two possibilities. The first one, is that the intruder followed him here. The second, was that they had somehow accidentally stumbled upon it, as soon as Lars just happened to be there. Considering who it was though, he was leaning towards the first.
Lars didn't have a problem with the Turk, although he may find some aspects about him to be annoying. Like really, does he need to wear that mask? They were both new enough to the dorm, but it really didn't take long for Lars to find out all he needed to know about the other. Huge, loud, and he had a vice for sweets, considering how the Dutchman constantly saw him with a lollipop or similar confectionery in his mouth. His natural being outgoing and loud provides a bit of an annoyance. However, Lars gives him due credit with how bloody honourable the other is. It's something that people should be proud about, and Sadik does a good job of that. Enough for respect, really. He was certainly on a better track than Lars, in his mind.
The fact still remained; he was invading his flower garden. Honour aside, all the Dutchman could think about now was how loud the Turk was. The garden was secret for a reason, it was his sole responsibility, his little nook to escape after school. For him, sharing just didn't look like an option, although as it looked it would probably be inevitable. He sighed, attempting to dust the dirt off his hands. Caught red handed, that's the expression, right? Although not red, it certainly made it's impression now. He crossed his arms, finally turning around to see the Turk standing in the doorway. It must have been quite the scene for him.
He was unsure of what to say. As much as he wanted to just tell the other to go, that would only start a confrontation. It's not that Lars was afraid of the other, it's just that it would take up too much time, and there were better uses of using his energy. He wouldn't invite Sadik in with open arms though. There was still the pressing matter to attend to.
“A garden.” He sort of shot him a look. Really, it wasn't hard to figure out. There were flowers, they were everywhere. Lars had to resist not saying a smart ass remark. “Did you have fun following me?” he said it so bluntly, and turned around, returning to the flowers. The flowers were more of a pressing matter than dealing with his peer.
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Post by Sadik Adnan on Feb 21, 2011 10:12:11 GMT -5
Sadik sensed the discomfort, the unhappiness about his arrival to the garden room; it didn't take a psychologist to find emotion on someone like Lars' face. In all honesty, though, this unhappiness made Sadik smirk slightly, mostly due to a pride he had; the feeling meant that Sadik had successfully tailed his target. Reconnaissance complete, mission success. Lars was keeping a garden in the house and keeping it a secret. Why though? Pride could be a possibility, not wanting people know of this little soft spot that he had; Lars always did seem like that tough guy on the outside, but the soft on the inside. It was his eyes, really, that gave that away. The eyes weren't a window to the soul, as many claimed, they were a door. When a man knows the right locks to put on this door, they can hide anything from the world. When a man leaves the door unlocked, though, anyone with the knowledge of opening doors could get in and see the entire person spill forth. Lars left his doors open with the thought of security, it seemed, and Sadik found no problem with kicking down this door and ripping the mind apart for clues.
What he found, though, was not something of a shock; Lars, the tall Dutchman, quiet and stoned (in more than one sense), had a desire for this garden. That's what started this, the desire for flowers, and not just any flower: The Tulip, the flower of Turkey... but also of the Netherlands. This fact made Sadik laugh inwardly, having come to this conclusion in a matter of seconds; the Netherlands, the country of tulips? Ha. That was Turkey's title and he would fight to the end about it. Tooth and nail, he would convince anyone that Turkey really was the greatest country ever; sure he had respect for other countries, but Turkey was still the best. It was, after all, in Turkey that he learned about himself and his talents and his desires... And it was in Turkey that he developed the skills to follow Lars stealthily, and in Turkey that he developed the love of tulips that he saw before him. If given a chance, he could probably name every species of Tulip in the room. But then again, that could be a little creepy; Sadik just wanted a bit of praise for his efforts.
Lars' response to his question was flat and teeming with poison. He could tell by the clause stated that he was not wanted in the least. "Well no shit it's a garden." Sadik said, still feeling that vibe of unease. And yet, Lars continued the conversation, insinuating either defeat or acceptance. "Nah, not really t' be honest... It was a bit too easy for me, huh." A chuckle rolled from Sadik's throat, and he couldn't help but wonder if Lars would share the laugh; probably not, but who was he to say? He had spoken to Lars maybe twice since he arrived within the last month or so; the days were hard to keep track of lately, dripping slowly and aggravatingly into one another, like a leaking sink.
Sadik didn't know what to think of Lars. On one hand, he felt that they could potentially get along famously; on the other, he felt that any communication between them would result in bitterness and argumentation. He had been told before that, sometimes, friends just have to fight because they are so different despite their similarities; Sadik couldn't help but wonder if that would be them, if they got along. They were opposites in nearly every way. Lars had the tendency of being quiet, reserved, all to himself, while Sadik was loud, overbearing, and desiring communication. Lars had light skin, light hair, light eyes, while Sadik's skin glowed with the sun's gentle love, his hair darkened, and his eyes a perplexing yellow-green, hidden behind his mask in most light. Both were tall, both had strength, and it seemed they both had an interest in tulips. Would these be enough to get a conversation going? Sadik really didn't get along well with anyone in his dorm as of yet... They all seemed either annoyed or intimidated by him. Lars had definitely fallen under the former condition.
The opportunity was there, though, for many things. For one, a friendship, or a rivalry, a relationship of some sort. For two, a garden. The latter of the two seemed extremely tempting. Sadik had been wanting one for a while, feeling horribly homesick as of late, but he didn't know how to go about doing that... and he really didn't have any money to do so either. Either he and Lars could team up for the betterment of the garden, or they could rival each other with gardens; it might seem like a foolish thing to be so intense about, but it was Sadik's way. He didn't feel complete if he didn't compete. And with someone so interesting as it was, the competition could only allow him to know the man better.
"Y'know..." Sadik began, staying in the doorway as perhaps the most polite gesture he could give at the moment, refusing to leave yet. "I wouldn'ta pegged ya as a flower guy... I mean, ya always're carryin' in pots and stuff, but never saw this comin'. How long've ya had this, huh?" And more importantly why didn't he know about it until now? He'd bleed that question out in a little bit, if need be. Maybe Lars would fill it in for him. "They look great; real healthy, 'specially on th' north side over here..." Sadik said, motioning to the side that Lars was standing on, almost as a subtle hint that he knew a thing or two about flowers, especially tulips.
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Post by moogles on May 7, 2011 2:26:59 GMT -5
Conversation.
Never his talent, and he swears on his life that it never will be. Dealing with people never really got you anywhere, the only way to get things done is to actually do it yourself. The only person that he can depend on is himself, and that's why he decided to be recluse. The only one that you can trust is yourself. Take the garden for instance. It started as a whim, just wanting to have that sense of familiarity and home, to be able to reminisce of the country that he loved. In the short time that he was here, he turned an old room into a haven, a place flourishing with life. Familiar colours flashed an aura of peace, a side to the teenager that nobody had seen. Well- nobody had seen until now.
It didn't take many people to figure it out, but he had set up walls. Obvious, glaring walls that didn't have the intention to be struck down anytime soon. Not that anybody had really tried though. Would anybody who was sane devote them self to a helpless cause? No, many people don't even try once they realize how much effort they really need to put in. Taking a look at Lars? You're going to need to put in a lot of effort, or be completely nuts. Would Sadik be up for the cause? Probably, he didn't look like the sort of guy to give up and just lose. Probably seemed a little insane too. It might just work, if they both managed to try.
He raised an eyebrow at the answer. So the other had followed him. Why though? What magical quality about the Dutchman was so attractive? He crossed his arms, deep in thought now. How hadn't he noticed it? Spending time alone made you at least somewhat keen and aware of what is going around you. Looking at other people had become a bit of a pastime, he could pick out things people normally can't see. This meant that the other was good, really good, or that he was just losing his touch. Must be it, maybe the smoke was doing something to his brain. Sadik is one of the loudest kids that he's seen in this school. This obviously made him the loudest in the dorm, maybe behind that Alfred kid. Lars should have picked him out. Odd. He took the note to be more aware, look for the masked kid with tan skin.
He'd ignore it though. Although a man who didn't mind confrontation, who wouldn't of minded to try and find an excuse to drive the other away, he bit his tongue. There wasn't enough evidence to go on, and losing? That wasn't something he was going to stand. Instead, he'd stand there with his arms folded across his chest. He could tell that Sadik was a man of pride, perhaps attacking it would be the best way to get him out. Or maybe he'd just have to give in-. Wait, wait. Did the guy actually know something about them? Yeah, he noticed that the ones on the north side got more sun. It was a nice surprise, he put his arms back at his side. “Yeah. The window doesn't light the entire room.” A bit of a shame, because it was expensive to buy lamps.
He walked over to the side, looking at the tulips that weren't getting as much sun. “About a week after I came here.” It was to answer the question. Kneeling down, he looked over the stem and tried to think of a solution. Nothing, absolutely nothing was coming to his head, other than those stupid expensive lamps. “My country bred these to perfection.” It's almost shameful that he wasn't doing them complete justice. “Need to get these ones as good as the others.” He frowned, looking at them again.
No, he wasn't going to ask for the other's help. Not yet, and in his mind right now, not ever.
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