artistheartxxexplorersoul-jane:

“I have, yes! Just a few months ago, actually. Astra held a dance for Valentine’s Day and it was a lot of fun. We were randomly paired up with another individual for the evening as a way to mingle more with our fellow astranauts. I went with a boy named Terence; He’s really sweet.” Honestly, she needs to catch up with him again… “I’m Jane, Jane Porter.”

“That seems so lovely. I wish I had been here for that, I’ve never been to a dance or celebrated Valentine’s Day. Would’ve been killing two birds with one stone, yeah?” she wished she had auditioned a bit sooner, but there was really no going back now. At least she’d have more opportunities now that she was there “Nice to meet you, Jane Porter! I’m Rachel Gothel.”

docdarren:

Darren squinted off in the direction that he was being told to look in. He saw the man, or the boy, he couldn’t tell the person’s age beneath his… Getup, and it wasn’t like his behavior was age-specific. “That- is that impressive? That right there?” Darren scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “Kid’s stuff. He wouldn’t know how to get down if the beat kicked his butt.”

“Well, yeah! Are we seeing the same thing, bud?” she laughed, glancing between the dancing stranger and the man she was talking to “It’s totally impressive. Maybe it’s not super hip or anything like that, but he’s still doing it in public, which I think is really impressive,” she turned back to him fully now, mimicking his arm motions and crossing them as well “Then show me how you get down.”

eric--anderson:

What?! You are doing great! Eric signed with a grin. He shook his head slowly, letting out a breath. I hate to be that person, but I am totally lost. I was exploring around Astra and I think I took a wrong left turn. He made sure to sign slower, just to make sure she could keep up. Also, I can read lips if you don’t know how to sign something. 

Thank you! My friend taught me. She carefully considered her motions, feeling a lot more confident with such reassurance. At the next thing he signed, she nodded quickly, glancing around the area they stood I’m not very good with direction. I’ve just been exploring too. Where were you trying to go? She smiled gratefully, knowing it didn’t have to be too perfect was a relief.

seeliecrowned:

Cornelius chuckled a little at her question, head shaking slightly. For some reason, that question had always been a little tricky for him to answer, but he’d answered it so manyt times that he wouldn’t stumble over it like he once did. “Me? I’m from Scotland — Glasgow, originally — but Mum and I moved to London when I was ten. So the accent’s a little weird. How about you, where’re you from?” He could guess that she was from a small town somewhere, probably European judging from the accent she had. He nodded, brushing the hair out of his eyes as he looked at her. “That’s good. Sometimes you just need to go out and see the world.” He was about to speak up again when she asked if he had a cold, eyes growing slightly wide. “No, that’ll just be my hay fever. Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control for the most part, promise I’m not contagious.”

“I don’t think it’s too weird, but that is cool. I’ve heard cool things about those places, like Glasgow being home to the world’s tallest cinema?” she was happy to answer the question, even though she wondered if it even counted since she wasn’t exactly part of the culture of the place, and all she learned was from mother “I’m from Germany! In Stuttgart, very big city.” she let out a sigh of relief, glad to learn that he didn’t have a cold. She told herself she’d avoid getting sick for as long as possible, so not to cut her time here in Astra short. So, Rachel really didn’t want to have to pull away from her new friend so soon after meeting, and was thankful she didn’t have to after all. “Oh... oh, good. I mean! Not good that you have hay fever, of course. I’m not happy that you’re feeling unwell, that would be terrible of me. Just.. that you’re not contagious? I hope you feel better though! It’s probably just the changing season?”

for the aesthetic

a photo journal by rachel gothel.

ofhcdes:

Hayden had been in the complex for a couple of days now, meaning that he was fairly well settled. Being in the dorm set up was a shock to his system, having lived alone in his generous penthouse for so long, but he was starting to get used to it. Currently, he was in the convenience store, eyeing the vast array of sickly looking American snacks on display. ❝ Is there anything here that doesn’t look like it just tastes like a colour ?? ❞ He scoffed, picking up a bag of what looked like innocent crackers, but turned out to be cheesy monstrosities. ❝ I think I may have to brush up on my cooking skills. ❞

Slushies, as Rachel had learned just a few days ago, were the best treat that had ever been hidden from her. She was making up for it well enough, if her frequent trips to the restroom were a sign. Having just filled a large cup with a blue raspberry dream, she turned and glanced down the aisle at the sound of a peculiar statement “They have some fun almond treats by the register. What do colors taste like?” she questioned with a laugh, unsure if she’d missed out on some kind of new terminology in the time she’d been here, considering she had neglected her precious online world since “Cooking is fun! Do you not do it often?”

pessimisticedwin:

“Thank you-” Edwin said surprised. She was so nice to him and he was not expecting to make a friend so fast. “Thank you for being so kind and yes! Let’s hang out.” Edwin was a little nervous to hang out with someone but the whole reason he came to astra was to get out of his comfort zone, and what better way than to make friends. 

“Are people not usually kind to you?” she couldn’t quite understand his surprise, but all it really did was encourage her to continue her new friendship. She didn’t exactly know what ‘hanging out’ consisted of, but she would figure it out before long. Maybe if she were to ask Edwin what it was that he liked to do? The thought of that was nerve-wracking and she figured putting him on the spot might make him uncomfortable, so she held off “You don’t need to worry about me being mean or anything. I really like making new friends, I’ve never had many.”

maixchang:

Mai sighed.  “Whatever.”  She didn’t particularly want to wear bright yellow flowers on her head, but this girl seemed so excited about it, and some odd part of Mai felt bad ruining it; she kind of reminded her of Ty.  “They’re all right, I guess.”  

“I mean, I dunno.” she was quick to backtrack as she worked on the accessory, not wanting to come off too eager “I’ve never really celebrated, but I love all the spirit and happiness and everyone has during holidays.” she stood, glancing down at the crown and hesitating before placing it on the other girl’s head, taking a quick step back in case she had overstepped any boundaries “You look like a princess,” Rachel complimented, giving her a thumbs up.

themichaeldarling:

“Oh, come on!  There’s no such thing as bad dancing, as long as you’re having fun!”  There were probably some who disagreed with that statement – and in fact, he knew there were, because he had heard once or twice that he himself was ‘not a very good dancer’ – but those people were just a bit too serious for their own good.  He grinned.  “Yeah, I would love to be your friend!  I’m Michael.”  

The optimism she received in return was fascinating, honestly. She was used to being the one to think on the bright side; mother was always the glass half empty type, and this was a very welcome change. “You’re completely right, thank you!” truthfully, she knew that she herself was not very much of a dancer, but she couldn’t see herself as being anything but astounded at the sight of anyone else dancing, so maybe she wouldn’t hold herself to a higher standard next time “Oh, that’s so great! Where are you from, Michael?”

purejcy:

❝ Yeah of course, it’ll be fun !! ❞ Joy bounced excitedly on their toes, overjoyed at even just the thought of dancing. They gasped, ❝ Oh gosh, how rude of me !! I’m Joy, it’s nice to meet you. What’s yours ?? ❞ Any other person would have seen Rachel’s tight smile and figured that they probably shouldn’t push the subject, but Joy had so such sensitivity or respect for boundaries, ❝ Oh no, why didn’t she like it ?? Painting is so awesome though, I wish I could paint. Do you still paint ?? ❞

“Great! Then we need to go dancing sometime!” their introduction made her stifle a giggle; what a fitting name for such pleasant company “I’m Rachel! I’m trying to get some of my cooler nicknames out there so I can also deal with Rach, or Punz, or Blondie.” she decided not to go too in depth about her life, at least not yet “Just the going out and being taught by strangers. She’s always been pretty protective, I’m a little.. fragile. Painting is fun! You totally could paint, you just gotta pick up a brush and do it. Oh yeah, I do all the time, it’s kinda my thing.”

ladyxchance:

Marinette tried to stop her from offering again, but it was pretty clear she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so she finally gave in and nodded. “Bien. You can make pillow for me,” she chuckled. As Rachel rushed back to the makeshift dressing room, she reviewed her schedule for tomorrow in her head. Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that would take the whole day (with the exception of wondering when Adrien got up and went to bed and what he did all day, but that could be rescheduled or cancelled), so when Rachel returned and gave her back the dress, she could answer with a grin. “Tomorrow, I am free!“ She was probably going to bake something to take with her and give to her new friend as a thank you, but she wasn’t sure how to bring it up without being suspicious. So she just decided to be obvious about it. “You have allergies? Food allergy?”

“Oh! Good, yes!” she was quite excited to make Marinette this gift, and had already started to brainstorm ideas for pillows case designs as she changed. The news that she would be free the next day was exciting, and she nodded quickly, adding to her to-do list to buy a nice faux fur today “That’s great! I’m free, too!” truthfully, she never had plans on any particular day, and just decided on what she’d do in the morning “I’m not staying too far at all, over in A408.” the allergy question surprised her, but also prompted thought. She had been told of allergies to various types of pollen, dust, and plants, but never of any particular food “Uhh, no, I don’t think so. Why?”

seeliecrowned:

“Well, that’s all that matters, yeah?” he asked her. “Trying your best. And hey, at least you’ll get to give it a shot.” To Cornelius, a fair victory was what mattered; but he wasn’t going to tell her that lest she think less of him for it. Then again, you couldn’t always get what you wanted when it was other people judging you. “Definitely,” he agreed, nodding. “It’s not as metropolitan as where I come from, which is really nice. A city away from a city, if that makes sense.” He turned to the side and sniffled a little, placing a finger under his nose for a moment to stop a sneeze. When he turned back to face her, he shook her hand, keeping the grin on his face. “It’s very nice to meet you, Rachel. Are you with Astra too?”

“Totally. Trying new things is really great, too, so thanks.” she wasn’t the most confident in where her abilities would lie in his hobby, but figured her new friend was understanding enough. Oh, how livid mother would be if she found out that she had agreed to spar with a fencer “Where do you come from?” she questioned, hoping that wasn’t prying in any way. She had hardly seen enough of her city on the way to the airport to compare in any way, but was curious of his experiences. The small sniffle from him caused her smile to waver a bit, an alarm going off in her head at the thought that he may be sick, but kept the handshake firm any way “Yeah, I am.” she replied, a tad bit distracted as she glanced down at her hand “Without Astra, I’d probably still be stuck in my room. Hey, um, do you have a cold?”

artistheartxxexplorersoul-jane:

Jane had been working on a sketch when she felt the tap, looking at the girl before at the dancer. The brunette couldn’t help the laughter that left her lips as she shook her head, amazed at the moves and confidence. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I’d be able to do that without feeling so embarrassed and awkward. Oh god, no! I mean, I can do some ballroom dancing but that’s about it. What about you?”

“Me neither!” she replied, sympathizing with the awkward nature of the reply. She wasn’t a performer, and was glad she could relate to the woman “Oh, not even that.” she confessed with an embarrassed laugh, shaking her head in reply “I could be a lot better. Ballroom dancing sounds beautiful, though. Have you been to any dances or balls?”

eric--anderson:

Taken aback slightly that the other knew sign, he looked towards them. Oh! You sign! That’s great! He had honestly not expected to meet anybody who knew sign and yet, he had already met a few and it made him happy. He smiled as he did a rendition of the shopping cart and the sprinkler, shrugging. I am out of practice, obviously.

Yes! I am not very good, though. She hadn’t exactly had much practice outside of her time with Hugo, so she hoped her general nervousness and fumbling to recall certain signs wasn’t too clear. At the silly moves she was presented with, she quickly applauded, all too enthusiastic to see such moves. She thought of all the silly ones she knew, briefly recalling few moves to macarena, and performing those with uncertainty. We’re both out of practice. You were funny!

ladyxchance:

The conversation was pleasant, and most of Marinette’s slumbering insecurity had returned to being passively present rather than doing so actively. She felt a little better about herself, even, and could focus more on Rachel rather than herself or her terrible English. “Oh, no, no, you don’t have to!” The last thing she wanted to do was make this new girl work for her to create something. “But… I watch? When you make pillow, yes?” She was, however, very much interested in the progress (and hanging out with her new friend again!), so should Rachel make one for someone else, she would like to see her at work the way she was currently seeing Marinette at work. Due to the nice talk they were having, she was too preoccupied to focus on the dress, but when Rachel offered, she nodded hesitantly. “Yes, good. Easier in own clothes, I will work on the dress!”

Rachel was all too happy to make a gift for her new friend. She hadn’t gotten a chance to make anything in a while; most of her time here had been spent enjoying the outdoors to the best of her ability. The rest of her time had been dedicated to taking precautions as a result of this, cleaning and disinfecting of her suite, taking countless showers, and the like. So, she hadn’t had the opportunity to work on any arts and crafts lately. This could be a great experience, as well as a fun thank you gift to Marinette for being her friend “I want to! You can watch! Is tomorrow okay? I’ll have all the stuff I need by then.” she gave a nod, returning to the place she had changed before and switching back to her own clothes. Rachel took extra precautions not to step on the dress or snag it on anything while changing, draping it over her arm once she was done and stepping back out, holding it out to Marinette with a smile.

seeliecrowned:

The bright grin that appeared on Cornelius’s face should tell her everything. Though he was usually one to brag about his fencing career, he figured now wasn’t quite the time to do so. So instead he simply shrugged and said, “I guess I am, a little bit. I have to find a club that’ll let me practice with them, but when I do, you can tag along and spar with me a bit. Who knows? You might be good at it.” As she began to speak about her life, he felt a little confused, but he wasn’t going to ask any questions. Instead, he smiled. “Yeah, look at you, alive and well! Welcome to the outside world,” he joked. “And of course I would! Your first time at a dance club should always be with a friend.” Chuckling, he added, “Well, if you’d like to go anywhere and you need a friend, you can always call me.” He stretched his hand out, keeping the smile on his face. “I’m Cornelius.”

Wow! She was easily impressed by how humble in nature he seemed in his response; she was willing to bet he was quite good, even if it was just because she wished the best in everyone she had met so far “Wow, yes, I would love that. I can’t guarantee I will be too good, but I’ll try my hardest.” his response to her confession was met with a smile, relieved that he didn’t find it all too weird, or even worry all that much, like Hugo had the first time they’d seen her outdoors. It was a nice change, her enthusiasm being returned, even if it wasn’t quite as genuine “Thank you! It’s nice out here,” she responded, rocking back on her feet as she looked around the surrounding area “That’s so kind of you, really, what a good new friend!” she was quick to reach forward and shake his hand, that stupid smile never leaving her face “I’m Rachel!”

pessimisticedwin:

Edwin turned back, a little surprised, did he just make a friend? “Hi, I’m Edwin.” He reached out to shake her hand. “I’m pretty new here so it’s nice to meet new people.” he said nervously, hoping that she would want to hang out again. 

“Your name is lovely, Edwin.” she complimented brightly, shaking his hand with enthusiasm “Oh, yeah, me too, I never really had friends before this so it’s all super new to me. If you ever need anything I’m right here. I’m super fun, if I do say so myself.”