Photographs - Toliver

[C. Melody Kohnas]

Melody Kohnas was laying on her bed, hair splayed out when the feeling hit her again. She smiled, the feeling was always welcome in her book. Mel had already wandered around the practice rooms, sang some old hawaiian songs and went for a run. Now she was chilling in her half empty room. Melody decided to do the summer orientation again this year, and was helping to give tours and set up new students. It was one of her second loves, meeting people. She helped freshman get situated, meet an upperclassmen and generally answer questions about the school. Of course some of them thoguht her strange, but she never minded those who thought that.

Sitting up, Melody brushed the dark hair out of her round face and looked at the empty half of the dorm room. Melody had gotten along with her previous roommate, a lovely girl name Annaka. But Annaka's family had moved that summer, so they said their goodbyes tearfully. Now Melody was going to be assigned a new roommate, and she was very curious as to who it was. Regardless, she would be nice and welcoming. It was in her nature.

Melody stood up, and embraced the feeling she had earlier. It was time to sing. She shrugged on a light blue tanktop and a slouchy beret that matched her selver shorts. It was a nice day outside, but she couldn't reisist the hat. Clasping the bell necklace acound her neck and sliding the music note bracelet over her left hand, Melody Kohnas checked her knapsack for her neccessities for singing in the courtyard. Water bottle? Check. Notebook, Check. Guitar picks? Check/

After she finished putting her guitar, Luna, in it's gig bag, Mel skipped out of her dorm room. She passed by several different people. Kids she'd known for a year or two she enthusiastically hugged and asked about their day. Kids she'd helped settle in she waved and asked how they were doing. The strangers that Melody didn't know at all she ran over and introduced herself, eager to meet them. It was a really good day for her.

Melody walked out to the courtyard in search of an abandoned bench for playing on. She was already thinking of songs to sing as she scanned the grassy area. There were soem students lingering about, and she thought she recognized a tour that was going on. Past all of that, Melody saw her bench. Running over to it, she took out Luna and strummed a C chord, making sure it was in tune. Then she started to play. Melody belted out the lyrics as she strummed on her guitar. It was a song that did remind her of home, but had nothing to do with it at the same time. Melody was singing Nickelback.

...Remember the old arcade
Blew every dollar that we ever made
The cops hated us hangin' out
They say somebody went and burned it down

We used to listen to the radio
And sing along with every song we know
We said someday we'd find out how it feels
To sing to more than just the steering wheel...

Melody stopped when she saw a flash, as if someone took a picture. She stopped singing, but she still strummed faintly through the chord progressions. She looked around for the person with the camera before calling out in her happy, sing-songy voice.

"Hello? Is anyone here? I'm Melody!"

[Toliver Copperfield]

[atrb=cellspacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px, height: 500px; background-color: #383838; -moz-border-radius: 15px, btable][rs=2][atrb=style, height: 500px; overflow:auto; background-color: #505050] Take the photograph He sort of liked it here so far. Then again, anywhere with sun was considered to be a good place for him. The lighting was always right. It was easier for him to adjust his camera to accommodate the sun rather than having to create the light somehow. Then again, that's why the flash was invented, no? It was a lazy day for him. He wasn't interested in the tours of the school or the various other welcoming ceremonies. There were maps. He could figure it out later when he wasn't feeling so lethargic. He was sprawled out on his bed, the back of his knees pressed against the edge of the bed. His arms were beside his head and his semi-longish hair splayed out ever so slightly. Clutched in his right hand was one of his many digital cameras, the sun catching its metallic, black surface and reflecting onto the ceiling. Toliver's dark eyes stared at the small spot of light, amused as it moved when he moved his right hand. Maybe he should do something productive. How many memory chips had he filled up so far? Hmm... probably only one. It was his first full day here and he didn't really know anyone. Usually most of his photos were of friends or acquaintances doing silly things. He hoped that he'd get plenty of those sorts of photos. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. It was warm out, and Toliver was dressed in a simple brown T-shirt with tan cargo shorts that came just past his knees. Before he could doze off, though, he forced himself to sit up, stretching his arms straight above him as he did so. No time for napping. He could do that later. He stood, hearing his knees pop a bit from the lack of use. Time to go take photos. Of what exactly? He wasn't sure. He grabbed his pack of memory chips and rifled through it for a moment, selecting a green chip, placing it in a protective carrying case, and shoved it into his pocket. There was always a possibility of filling up the card he already had in his camera. Toliver smiled at that idea. He loved taking photographs of just about everything. He probably took so many in a single day that he could do a stop animation film with them all put together. A chuckle escaped his lips at the thought of that. He'd have to try it some time when he wasn't busy. Something clicked in his brain and he quickly grabbed his cell which had been left lying on the bed and put it in his pocket with the memory card. Should I take my case with me? he thought, staring hard at the case filled with memory chips. It would probably be a good idea... Nah. I doubt I'll find that much to photograph. Content, he stepped out of his dorm room, double checking to make sure he had his key with him. As he reached the end of the hall where the door was, he casually glanced up the flight of stairs, snapped a photo, then proceeded out the doors. It was a smidge chillier outside than inside, but not by much. Of course, in the sun, it was quite a bit warmer. He could get used to these kinds of days. He found himself wandering the campus, taking photos of just about everything he could see until the sound of a guitar met his ears. He lowered his camera for a moment, his eyes scanning the school courtyard for the source of the sound. Then, singing accompanied it. And he knew what they were singing almost instantly. He found himself mindlessly drawing closer to the girl, as he had identified, listening to the song he had played millions of times while he worked on photos. Suddenly pulling himself from his trance-like state, he lifted the camera to his face before the shutter snapped in its usual fashion. He then looked at his camera, confused. When had he turned the flash on? But that question soon left his mind as the singing stopped and the guitar was still strummed. "Hello? Is anyone here? I'm Melody!" she said cheerfully. Toliver was silent for a moment. Was she talking to him? He looked around to see if anyone else was paying any attention but the others were all attending to their own business. "Uh, hello," he said awkwardly. Oh gee. While he did enjoy meeting new people, he always felt a tad odd if they confronted him about a photo. Some people didn't like their picture being taken... Would this be the same? "You have a very nice singing voice," he complimented, not wanting to just stand there and look like an idiot - which he had probably already accomplished.

[atrb=style, width: 150px; height: 150px] Words: 807 Tags: Melody Listening To: You and Me by Lifehouse Notes: Sorry it's so long.

[C. Melody Kohnas]

When no one answered Melody at first, she stopped eyeing diferent people and looked at her guitar. She was still going through the chord progressions; it was a very beautiful song. Photographs was a song that Melody sang at her third competition, one she took fourth at. She remembered sitting on the backyard porch swing with Luna and looking up the music online. Melody had heard the song on the radio while she was sitting in the back seat of her mother's sedan. They were out of paper towels, so they had to go to the store.

Her memory of that day faded when a voice answered her, suprisingly from not that far away. Melody looked up, a genuine smile as she tried to find the owner of the voice. She didn't recognize it, so it had to have been someone she hadn't met. There! They boy was her age no doubt, Mel could tell in the way he carried himself. He looked asian, but definitely not from Hawaii like she was. He was wearing normal clothes she presumed, and had a camera in his hands. At that sight, Melody stopped strumming the guitar as she listened to his words.

"Uh, hello," the boy said, in a tone Mel identified as somewhat awkward. Maybe she wasn't supposed to have caught him taking the photo. Maybe he thought she was going to reprimand him. He spoke again, and Melody's heart was smiling too, for his words were very kind. Especially from a stranger. "You have a very nice singing voice," he complimented, and Melody nodded before standing up. It was time to meet someone, someone that Melody had a very good feeling about. Mel had learned to trust her feelings a long, long time ago.

"Why thank you for the compliment, stranger. Singing is probably one of my favorite things to do." Melody smiled as she stood up, holding Luna by the neck as she walked closer to him. it was rude to stay seated, after all. "I trust that you took the picture, yes? You're the only one I see with a camera. Do you think I could see it, maybe?" Melody asked, sparing no emotion in her voice. She really did want to see it. Melody always thought herself not good for pictures, so she wanted to make sure it was at least okay, if this boy was going to have it. She wouldn't make him delete at all though. After all, she didn't care if he had a picture, only if it was a good one. Besides, he had captured her in her natural habitat; usually no one had proof.

It was then that Melody mentally slapped herself. Here she was asking the stranger to see the picture that she didn't even know if he took it. Talk about rude! Besides, he might not even know her officially. So Melody had to change that.

"I'm sorry, I didn't really introduce myself. I'm Charmaine Melody Kohnas, Junior. But everyone just calls me Melody. I don't really like Charmaine all that much, even though it means song and a-... Oh, I'm rambling again. Sorry. I tend to do that sometimes. Makes me great for a tour guide though." Melody joked as she smiled at the boy.

[Toliver Copperfield]

[atrb=cellspacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px, height: 500px; background-color: #383838; -moz-border-radius: 15px, btable][rs=2][atrb=style, height: 500px; overflow:auto; background-color: #505050] Take the photograph He took a hesitant step backwards when she stood up. No, he wasn't afraid, per say - just wary. However, when she smiled, he felt himself release a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. She drew closer to him but he stayed put, no longer worried. "I trust that you took the picture, yes? You're the only one I see with a camera. Do you think I could see it, maybe?" A smile of his own tugged at his lips as he switched the camera to viewing mode. "Sure," he replied, bringing the image up on the small screen. He looked it over first. Huh, the flash didn't do much to change it. he thought. He mentally kicked himself. He was smarter than that. Of course a flash wouldn't work on a bright and sunny day. Toliver quickly looped short safety lanyard over his hand and turned the camera for her to view the image. In his opinion, it looked rather nice. He enjoyed taking photos of people, especially if they weren't posing or anything. Nothing beats the natural look, as he always said. "You photograph very nicely," he commented, not sure how long she wanted to view the photo. So he continued holding the camera out, probably looking like a fool in the process. But that was okay with him. He made a mental note to come here more often once he had some people to hang out with. There could be some awesome photographs taken here. It was so open. "I'm sorry, I didn't really introduce myself. I'm Charmaine Melody Kohnas, Junior. But everyone just calls me Melody..." Toliver let his arm fall back to his side, shutting his camera off as she spoke. "...Makes me great for a tour guide though." he chuckled as she joked. "Nice to meet you. Toliver Copperfield, also a junior," he introduced, switching his camera to his left hand and holding it out in a friendly handshake.

[atrb=style, width: 150px; height: 150px] Words: 328 Tags: Melody Listening To: Situations by Escape the Fate Notes: ----

[C. Melody Kohnas]

When the boy let her view the photo, she eagerly looked at it. Melody thought that it really was a nice photo of her, and contemplated asking him for a copy. She decided to save that question for later, shen she actually knew him. The picture had Melody perched on the bench, mid-strum, while her eyes were closed and she belted out the lyrics fo Photographs, by Nickelback. It was natural, the photo. Melody thought it really captured her 'habitat.'

"You photograph very nicely," The stranger said to her, and Melody looked up to him, since after all, she was shorter than average. Her dark eyes were practically glowing. This was the second time he complimented her. Talk about a gentleman. Melody knew her feelings about this stranger were right. He was a sweet guy so far. Melody just knew that they were going to be good friends. Almost all of Melody's friends were good friends. It was no use to have bad ones.

Before Melody had a chance to thank him for the compliment, he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you. Toliver Copperfield, also a junior." Melody was surpised that he outstretched a hand, and took the opportunity to thank him for his compliment in her favorite way to meet/thank people. Hugging. Melody took his hand with her small ones, and with suprising force, pulled them together for a hug. It was then that Melody realized how short she actually was, he must have been 5 foot 8 inches at the least. So Melody ended the short hug so she wasn't talking into his chest.


Pulling away, Melody spoke again. "You really think so? That's so nice of you to say. Of course I photograph nicely because you take really incredible pictures! Is that your major? If it isn't, it should be. I bet you've got, like, tons of pictures." Melody rambled, before remembering the fact that he was a junior too. They were in the same grade!

"Toliver, first off let me say that you have got an awesome name. It's true! And we're both juniors! Maybe we'll have some core classes together. It'll be neat." Melody chirped as she picked up her guitar, Luna, from the ground where she apparently dropped it or set it down prior to hugging Toliver. She didn't remember putting it down, but it didn't bother her at all. Not when she was meeting and greeting a new friend. She looked up and grinned at Toliver again, right before she realized what she had done to the poor boy.

Melody had taken his hand, and for al lhe knew she was just going to shake it. But no, Melody had to be her overly affectionate self and hug him. Invade his personal space. She scolded herself. Why couldn't she just shake hands like a normal person? Why did she have to be a hugger. Toliver must have been scared or even angry with her for doing that. So Melody had to apologize.

"Toliver, I'm so sorry I hugged you. I mean, I hug people, and not that you aren't completely huggable, which you are, but it's just that...This isn't coming out right." Melody sighed and looked up at Toliver again, only she wasn't grinning at all. Slowly exhaling again, Melody started her apology for the second time. "I'm sorry if I at any time, invade your personal space. I hug everyone, but you can request me not to hug you, I wouldn't be offended. After all, you wouldn't be the first one too. I just give hugs, especially to those that give such nice compliments. Maybe you should compliment me less...." Melody finished, and stuck out her hand towards Toliver, determined to make things right.

"Do you want start over?"

[Toliver Copperfield]

[atrb=cellspacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px, height: 500px; background-color: #383838; -moz-border-radius: 15px, btable][rs=2][atrb=style, height: 500px; overflow:auto; background-color: #505050] Take the photograph Before he knew what was going on, he had been pulled forward slightly into a hug. He stood stiff for a moment, taking that time to recalibrate himself with what had just happened. He registered that her face was pressed against his chest, but as soon as it occurred, it all ended. He blinked in confusion, his grip on his camera tightening to avoid dropping it. Whoa. The next couple of sentences about his photography went over his head. He wasn't used to affection. At least, not from someone outside of his family. He had never really formed super close friendships since fifth grade. After that, he figured he'd always be moving and whatnot so getting close to others wasn't really that logical. But now, he planned on staying for a while. So he didn't mind it. "Toliver, first off let me say that you have got an awesome name. It's true! And we're both juniors! Maybe we'll have some core classes together. It'll be neat." He nodded in response. "Yeah, that'd be fun," he replied simply. As Melody went to pick up her guitar, the mood suddenly turned for the worse. His smile, which had shyly shown itself again when he answered, vanished. He knit his eyebrows together in confusion. What was wrong? Then came her apology. But he wasn't angry at her. No, he just wasn't used to hugs. It wasn't that he didn't like them. And for some reason, even as he listened to her apology, he couldn't brush off the memory of the hug. It was nice. It made him feel welcomed whereas he tended to always have that 'new kid' feeling about him at other schools. "Do you want to start over?" and suddenly her hand was held out to him. She seemed sort of ashamed. He shook his head slightly, his old smile coming back again to assure her she hadn't done anything wrong. But he shook her hand for a second time nonetheless. "It's alright, Melody. It really is." Her name rolled off his tongue in an odd sort of way. He wasn't used to addressing people by their names when he didn't know them too well. But he felt that if he did so, then maybe she would fully understand that things really were okay and that he wasn't just saying it to be nice. "So..." he began slowly and somewhat awkwardly. He was terrible with starting or holding a conversation unless it was about photography, the thing he knew best. "Is singing your major? Or do you just do it for fun?" he questioned, deciding to have the conversation focus on her as opposed to himself.

[atrb=style, width: 150px; height: 150px] Words: 445 Tags: Melody Listening To: Redemption by Gackt Notes: ----

[C. Melody Kohnas]

Melody Kohnas's heart soared high as he not only dismissed her apology and said it was fine, but shook her hand too. It pretty much meant a whole to her at that moment in time. Toliver didn't mind her hugs, complimented her and shook her hand. Melody felt as though he was a very good friend in the making, indeed. She heard the genuine tone from Toliver's voice as he said her name and told her it was alright. He really did mean it.

Melody slid her small hands away from Toliver's after a good amount of time. He began to speak as well, So Melody tuned her listening ear in, hoping to maybe get some more information about her new friend. Melody wasn't a gossipper by any means. Knowing more about someone gives you more insight to them, and brings you closer. That was the reason why she got along so well with her brother, Chance nowadays. They had gotten over the fighting and grasping for attention; becoming true siblings. Melody was sure she'd do anything for Chance.

"Is singing your major? Or do you just do it for fun?" Toliver asked her, and Melody lit up. She loved it when people asked her about singing. Mel just hoped that she wouldn't end up telling this kid her whole life story. She had scared away a group of freshman when one of them asked about her bell necklace. Touching it ever so slightly, Melody had decided that it was easier to talk while sitting down, and she needed to keep an eye on her gig bag as well. She had caught some wide-eyed freshman with constantly moving hands stare at it, and shot him a happy look as she glanced back and fourth between the boy and the bag. Melody hoped that she got the message across right this time.

"Toliver, do you want to sit down? I mean, it's easier to talk while sitting down, and knowing me, I think we'll be here a while." Melody chuckled as she gestured over to the bench. If he said yes, Melody would have trouble restraining herself from grabbing his hand and leading him over as she had done with other freshman, showing them the 'coolest parts' of campus. When Mel was excited to talk about something, she forgot about a lot of other things, like personal space.

"Singing, ah singing. My major would be, and is, Vocal Performance. Minor is Musical Theatre. I'm hoping to maybe be on broadway someday. Acting looks like a lot of fun, and singing is pretty much the best thing ever. Well, besides Hawaii. Hawaii is where I was born, but I grew up in Kansas. We vacationed in Hawaii though. What a fun place..." Melody trailed off, thinking of her grandparents and ukuleles. But here she was, thinking about Hawaii while this boy was probably wondering where Chatty Cathy went after all. So she got back on topic.

"I sing for fun, as you just saw, and because when I'm singing, I feel almost whole. As if maybe I'm floating. Singing takes me away and keeps me here all at the same time. That song, if you didn't know, was called Photographs by Nickelback. It kind of reminds me of home. Well, Kansas, not Hawaii." Melody explained, wondering if he still wanted to sit down. Melody had ADD and though it usually meant she couldn't sit still half of the time, it also meant that sometimes she just had to keep moving. Moving to the bench seemed like the only viable option at this point.

"If you have any song requests, I can learn them probably soon. After all, I'm not giving tours for the next day or so." Melody offered. She'd recieved a few last year, but a lot of people prefered to hear her sing what they knew, always asking her if she knew this or that. Something told her that maybe, this Toliver kid was different.

[Toliver Copperfield]

[atrb=cellspacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px, height: 500px; background-color: #383838; -moz-border-radius: 15px, btable][rs=2][atrb=style, height: 500px; overflow:auto; background-color: #505050] Take the photograph His attention was drawn to the small bell necklace she wore as she touched it gently before she asked if he’d want to sit down. He nodded but opted to wait for her to sit, as she was the one who offered. However, when she didn’t move, neither did he. Instead, despite the offer, she spoke about her major. Broadway was a big dream. He commended her for setting her goal high. What was that saying he had heard a dozen times over? Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. Something like that. Melody spoke fondly of Hawaii. She seemed to remember it very well. He felt a bittersweet tug on his heart as he thought back to his own birth place. He hadn’t been back to China ever since he moved and, despite his great memory, couldn’t remember a thing to save his life. A slight smile played on his lips and he nodded to show that he was listening to her. However, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander to the various other places he had lived before. The memories he had of those places before he had a camera were only small pieces to the larger puzzle – snippets of the whole movie. He thought back to the days when he had begun branching out more, tagging along with people, taking pictures of anything and everything under the sun. Toliver had a sudden urge to go through his photos – all of them. That would surely kill time. After all, he stored all of them on an external hard drive from his computer. It had been a gift from his parents as an 8th grade graduation present. It was more than enough for all his photos, 1.5 terabytes. He had barely even begun to fill it. Maybe later he’d go through them and remember the fond times he had. Until then, he was in the company of a new friend, Miss Melody Kohnas of Hawaii. A chuckle left his lips as she spoke about the song she had been playing and singing. “Oh, I know that song. I know it like I know my camera,” he commented. “That’s kinda my way of saying ‘I know it like the back of my hand’. Sorry, I’ve got some odd sayings,” he put a hand to the back of his neck nervously. Well at least he hadn’t said something even weirder like one of his mother’s Chinese proverbs. Those never made much sense to him… “And I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, referring to her talking about taking requests, “But I honestly don’t know much music myself so I’m kind of up for anything, you know?” He liked her. She was friendly and welcoming. Sort of eccentric, but then again, who wasn’t a tad eccentric? Besides, it added to her character. She seemed like the kind of girl who could stand up for herself. That was nice. He was never fond of the girls who always took the victim role every time something minimally unfortunate happened. He was a firm believer in taking responsibility for one’s actions.

[atrb=style, width: 150px; height: 150px] Words: 523 Tags: Melody Listening To: My Forever by the Sweet Nothings Notes: I really, really liked this post.

[C. Melody Kohnas]

Melody let out a small laugh as he talked about odd sayings. She had some odd hawaiian sayings as well, and she had written them on vellum paper and decorated her dorm room with the sayings. Well, her half anyway. Melody didn't dare do anything on the mystery roommate's half unless she was folding laundry or sitting on her bed to test the bouncyness as compared to her own. Melody couldn't think about what the year would be like if her roommate didn't like her because she had messed with the other side. So Melody Kohnas steered clear of it. The year looked to be a good one though, if she was already meeting people as awesome as this Toliver boy.

“But I honestly don’t know much music myself so I’m kind of up for anything, you know?” Toliver said, and Melody nodded. Some people were like that, to be honest. Melody didn't care that he was up for anything, because Melody was a lover of almost all music. Well, real music anyway. There was a thick line between real and hollywood wonders that had so much artificial music. Melody hated that, but she never voiced her complaints. After all, some people actually liked that fake, auto-tuned mess. Melody was not one of them.

Melody restrained herself from telling Toliver all about music; he had said he didn't know that much about it. Who better to teach him than a Music-based Major like herself? But alas, Melody knew that if she went into that speech, e would either be bored, or be a tad uncomfortable because of her intense interest in learning everything she could about music. Mel knew she couldn't let either happen yet. So she waited, nodded, and finally, Melody Kohnas spoke.

"Well, sorry I detoured us from sitting down. You must know by now that when I get talking about something I enjoy it's kind of hard for me to stop." Melody chuckled as she started to walk towards the bench. She turned back around to look at Toliver, pushing her flyaway bangs out of her eyes so she could see him before grinning and continuing to walk.

"So, you don't know much about music? If you have any questions, you can always come find me. Or any questions about anything really. This is my third year here, so I know a lot about the campus and various activities. If you want a tour, I'm your girl!" Melody Kohnas offered her new friend. As she approached the bench, Melody bent down and picked up her guitar case with her other hand. But, unfortunately as she was grasping the bag, the slouch beret off of her head slipped right off. She couldn't pick it up yet, so she stood back up and brushed the hair out of her eyes with the back of her palm; the one that was holdign the gig bag.

"Let me just get Luna situated here and I can get to picking that up." Melody said mostly to herself as she finished upzipping the bag. Setting the bag on the bench in front of her, Melody laid Luna inside and turned back to Toliver. "Can you watch her for a second. There's a freshman standing over yonder that looks fast and he keeps eyeing Luna. I don't want anything happening to her." Melody chirped before rachign to grasp her light blue headwear off of the grassy lawn.

Sliding the beret back onto her small head, Melody spoke to Toliver. "Mahalo, Toliver. I know it was kind of sudden to ask you that, but you won't believe some of the stunts the freshman try to pull around here." Melody gave a lopsided grin and finished adjustign the beret. "Mahalo means 'thanks' in hawaiian. It's one of the few things I never forgot about living there and visiting. Mahalo is a word I won't ever forget."

[Toliver Copperfield]

[atrb=cellspacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px, height: 500px; background-color: #383838; -moz-border-radius: 15px, btable][rs=2][atrb=style, height: 500px; overflow:auto; background-color: #505050] Take the photograph Another chuckle. Another smile. Another step closer to a new flame in his darkness. Well, that was sort of a bleak way of looking at it. But being new here, he felt very much like the new kid. His life was like a tinder box, carefully arranged and easy to mess up. His smile slipped for a moment. If she was a flame in his darkness… then did that make her the spark that would burn his carefully laid out plan to ashes? No. There were plenty of other people he had met over time who were just as friendly as her. And he had befriended them. His life never fell apart. He had always kept them at an arm’s length away, far enough away to keep from destroying what he had. He was stupid for thinking that. Just because it was a new school didn’t mean that anything was going to change. It would be just like his freshman and sophomore year at his old school. He’d have friends, and no matter how close they got, they’d never really be as close as they thought. He shook the thought away, acting as though he was simply shaking his bangs from his vision. His footsteps were quiet. “This is my third year here, so I know a lot about the campus and various activities. If you want a tour, I'm your girl!” And his genuine smile was back. “Thanks! Maybe sometime when there aren’t a bunch of other tours going on?” he suggested. When she bent down to pick up her case and her beret slipped off, Toliver wasn’t sure if he should pick it up for her or not. “ Let me just get Luna situated here and I can get to picking that up.” He was thrown off when she mentioned the name Luna but quickly linked the name with her guitar. “Uh, I could-” but he was quickly cut off. “ Can you watch her for a second.” And he closed his mouth. He glanced over at the said freshman, mentally figuring that he wasn’t worth worrying about. “Mahalo, Toliver...” He watched her adjust her hat. “…Mahalo is a word I won’t ever forget.” Well now he wouldn’t forget it either. He noted that she tended to say his name somewhat frequently. That had to be somewhat of a mouthful. Heck, his parents didn’t even call him ‘Toliver’ anymore. “You’re lucky. If I were to say ‘You’re welcome’ in Chinese, you’d probably think I had just sneezed. It’s not exactly the most… fluid sounding language,” he chuckled. “By the by,” he began slowly. “It’s fine if you shorten my name,” he paused, “to Tolly. Toliver’s kind of a long name.” Well that was awkward. But he wasn’t lying. She seemed to be self conscious about the things she did when it came to other peoples’ comfort levels. He figured that, had he not said a thing, she’d continue addressing him as ‘Toliver’ and, while he liked his name, he was more used to hearing ‘Tolly’. Hearing his full name made it seem so formal to him. So he figured he’d just avoid making her feel awkward.

[atrb=style, width: 150px; height: 150px] Words: 556 Tags: Melody Listening To: More than Useless by Relient K Notes: Sorry for the angst at the beginning. He's not always like that, I swear!

[C. Melody Kohnas]

Melody was delighted when he appeared to agree to her suggesting a tour. He probably didn't know, but Toliver had just saved her from being bored on a non-tour date. Like she was earlier today. He'd also just signed himself up for an extended tour, where Melody could really tell him what students actually did in a given place, instead of the strict guidelines she abided by for the student tours. Mel had broken the guidelines once or twice, but that was only when some of the students were wondering about certain things they've heard and she'd have to confirm them.

Melody Kohnas chuckled when he mentioned that Chinese wasn't the most fluid language. He was definitely right about that. Hawaiian, she thought, was tremendously fluid. At least in her opinion. Like the words for Merry Christmas, for example. In what other language does "Mele Kalikimaka" sound more fluid? Melody thought it rolled off of her tongue quite easily, or maybe it was because she had been saying it her whole life. She wondered if Toliver had any fluid sounding phrases at all. If not, she could always lend him hers. Melody was already thinking of what she'd give him as a welcome present. Maybe Malaho or some other phrase cut out on vellum with his favorite color put behind it so it stuck out? She'd have to think about it.

“It’s fine if you shorten my name,” Toliver added, “to Tolly. Toliver’s kind of a long name.” Melody nodded and continued to look up at him. Tolly was nice, and Melody decided that she liked it even better than Toliver. Tolly gave him that air of fun that Melody herself had and thought that Toliver had, albeit it hiding a bit. She just chalked that up to first meeting awkwardness and being the new-kid-itis.

"Are you sure? Calling you Toliver is no trouble. It rolls off the tongue as good as Tolly does." Melody found that suggesting a new nickname in the middle of the conversation was odd, but if he suggested it, there must be something behind it. Maybe he just didn't have the time to slip it in before hand? Melody didn't know, but if he wanted to be called that, Melody was happy to oblige. "Lots of my friends call me Mel around here, maybe because it's easier to yell cross campus when someone is trying to find me on one of my running expeditions? I don't know, but it is easier to say, Toliv- uh, Tolly." Melody was confused, she never stumbled around in her speech unless she was talking to her parents or someone told her something that just hit her like a ton of bricks.

She remembered her case of stammering when her freshman year, a sophmore came up to her that she didn't know and professed his 'love'. Yeah, a load of crap was more like it. He was dared by his friends, and Melody could see them laughing in the background. Nothing has happened to that magnitude since Melody Kohnas stepped up at this school and got around to knowing everyone. Most didn't know it unless they saw it, but as a freshman Charmaine Melody Kohnas was scared out of her mind.

"Well, we've been standing practically at this bench for a while, why not sit down on it? I mean, I don't know about you, but taking pressure off of my feet seems like a good idea." Melody scolded herself? was she really talking about feet with Tolly? Talking about feet was one of the things she never did with people she just met, especially guys. What made Toliver so different? Well, obviously something since she had said it. No, it was a fluke; that was all. Her meeting Toliver wasn't different in any way from her meeting someone else, right? Or was something completely different about this one? Tolly seemed to single-handedly turn her meeting process upside down. Dropping her beret, taking a picture of her in her natural habitat, causing her to talk about feet AND stammer? It was practically unheard-of.

"Well, I've talked about singing, what about photography? You obviously love to take pictures, Tolly. Is it your major? Like I said before, if it isn't, it totally should be." Melody was genuine with her compliments, and Toliver was definitely deserving of them. Melody took the guitar off of the bench and set it down next to her on the right side of it. Patting the bench next to her, Melody spoke.

"I don't really know anything about photography besides how to point a camera and click, to be honest."

[Toliver Copperfield]

[atrb=cellspacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px, height: 500px; background-color: #383838; -moz-border-radius: 15px, btable][rs=2][atrb=style, height: 500px; overflow:auto; background-color: #505050] Take the photograph He gave a curt nod to her question. He had to admit, the nickname was partially for his sake too. If she addressed him by a nickname, then he’d kind of have to be friends with them. After all, how often did someone decide not to befriend someone who called them by a nickname? It was a weird concept and somewhat cruel on his part, but in the long run, he figured it’d be a good thing. As she mentioned what her own friends called her, he wondered if that meant that he could address her as such or if she was simply staying on the topic he had brought up. “Well, we’ve been standing practically at this bench for a while, why not sit down on it? I mean, I don’t know about you, but taking pressure off my feet seems like a good idea.” Toliver gave a second nod before checking his camera to make sure it was off. Wouldn’t want to waste the batteries and risk missing a chance at a good picture later on. He took a seat next to melody as she patted the bench beside her. The way he responded vaguely reminded him of a dog heeding its master’s orders. Vaguely. As she switched the subject to photography, he couldn’t help but beam proudly. “Photography’s more than just the camera and the photos. This may sound really cheesy, but it’ the content of the photo that really makes photography worth it all,” he explained, trying his best not to use a matter-of-fact sort of tone. “And yeah, it’s my major,” he added. “I took it up as a way to preserve memories of the people I used to hang out with.” his voice trailed off. Well that was odd. Maybe Melody’s ability to take a subject and run with it had rubbed off on him in the past few minutes. He figured that she was probably as tad confused, so he felt obliged to, at the very least, give her the reason for his use of past tense. “I moved a lot when I was younger,” he tacked on. He bit his lower lip and shifted nervously. Part of him wanted to just leave it at that. His past was his own and no one else had to know it. But at the same time, he sort of wanted to continue on. He parted his lips to speak then closed them wordlessly. No, he wouldn’t go on. But then came, “My dad’s an engineer, but sometimes, I really wish he wasn’t.” And by telling her that, Melody became the only person who knew his feelings about his father’s job.

[atrb=style, width: 150px; height: 150px] Words: 459 Tags: Melody Listening To: Burn my Dread - Shoji Meguro Notes: This took way longer than it should have. Sorry about that

[C. Melody Kohnas]

((Sorry it's late and lame, but it'll have to do.))


Melody nodded and listened, truly tuned in to what Tolly was saying. His passion, as far as she could tell, was great and he was really serious about it. She didn't really compare, more like reviewed how his talent and modesty was kind of like her own. Melody didn't like to think she was better than others. There was someone out there that was better at singing, probably hundreds of people...so why should she get all stuck up about what she can do with her voice? Mel saw no reason for it. She sang for the joy, and she felt that Toliver had more in common with her than they both knew at the moment.

“I moved a lot when I was younger,” Toliver added, and Melody felt both happy and sad for him. He would have had the opportunity to meet loads of new people, but to be ripped from them when you finally got settled down? She couldn't fathom it. It hurt enough just to leave family back in Hawaii at the end of her summer vacations. At least she got to go back and see them. Did Toliver ever get to see the friends he lost again? Melody Kohnas clasped and unclasped her hands, looking at the ligaments and how small and precise they were. She wasn't looking at Toliver for the first time in a bit, and she figured that maybe he liked it that way. Maybe he didn't.

“My dad’s an engineer, but sometimes, I really wish he wasn’t.” Toliver finished up, and Melody clasped her hands for the last time. Left over right. Looking up at him, Melody held real sincerity. Was his dad's job the reason they moved around? He made it seem like it was. Something definitely was different in his voice, and Mel searched them before responding. She wanted to make sure that her words were good ones.

"You can't change your dad's job, can you?" Mel asked softly, not expecting an answer. "I can't imagine what moving a lot was like, I only moved once in my lifetime, and it was enough for me. At least you have all of the memories, right?" Melody nodded at the camera. "Those won't fade." Melody finished, resisting the urge to give Toliver a comforting touch. Alas, she couldn't help herself, and gently patted his shoulder. She hoped that he would let the felings fade or go away. Negative feelings would drain from the personality, as her grandmother said, albeit in hawaiian.

"Today you made a new memory as well. And you captured it on that camera, so you're going to have it forever, if not in memory, saved somewhere to look at several years later and think, 'Who the heck was that?' " Melody chuckled and shifted her gaze to the sky. It was quiet nice, but she didn't really know why she was looking at it. Maybe for dramatic affect. Nah, she didn't do that.