Pleasure to Meet You [Ren&&Kurou]

"Too many stairs..." Kurou complained in between huffs of breath. Three stories was much beyond what she  was used to climbing. Most of the time she'd take the elevator, but while going to get on it was crammed with first years and that wasn't happening. Having the patience of an ant, she took the stairs. She pulled her heaving luggage behind her and a few boxes stacked in the free arm. You'd think the lungs of a singer could handle such a height, but yet here she was struggling.

It seemed a long while before she made it to her floor and down the hall to room 300. The hallway looked the same as all the others, and surely the rooms did too. She didn't need to open the door to figure that out. But the sweet release from carrying the boxes was nearing. Kurou hurriedly unlocked the door and fumbled inside. Yepp, similar looking room to last year - only this one was clean (not for long). If there was one thing she was good at it was making a place messy is under an hour. 

She laid her luggage against the bed she chose and threw the boxes wherever on the floor. Being the first one here gave her the freedom to set up before her roommate could protest her redecorating. She hung a few posters, put up picture frames on her bedside, barely put the sheets on her bed, and then threw all of her clothes from the box into her wardrobe in a big pile. Kurou swiped her hands vertically and deemed herself done. Under five minutes - a new record. 

With a jumping leap she laid on the bed and put her hand behind her head. She was eager to meet her roommate this year, and silently hoped she wasn't one who would get on her case about cleanliness. Because that wasn't going to happen.

@ren MATSUBARA

CHEVRIE OF GS

Was the elevator ever crowded, jam-packed with students all struggling to get to their dorm rooms.  The worst part was the first years, who, despite being closest to the ground floor, couldn't seem to make it up the stairs on their own.  Pathetic.  Ren was certain she could make it to the third floor without making too much of a sweat, and had her luggage not been so bulky and awkward to carry, she would have.  Admittedly, she wouldn't have had so much to bring up if she hadn't been so anal about how everything was organized.  Clothes (and other similar items) in the bag, school supplies in a box, more supplies in another box, a larger box for tennis stuff (you could never have too many tennis balls or racket tape), and another big box for books.  Everything had been set in neatly, even with little cardboard dividers.  If she had just thrown everything in, Ren probably would've had no more than two or three boxes/bags to carry. After what seemed like an eternity had passed, she was finally able to get into the elevator.  It was a short trip up, and within moments of stepping on she was stepping off.  Boxes stacked high in her arms, she walked down the hall until she found her room, pausing to shift her luggage around so she could knock on the door before entering, giving her roommate--if she was in there, that was--a heads-up that she was coming in. Unable to see over the stuff in her arms, Ren shuffed inside, and set everything in a stack by the door.  Straightening up, she looked over at the other side of the room, offering a friendly smile to the person she'd be living with for the school year.  "Hello," she said, "I'm Ren Matsubara.  Nice to meet you."  Outwardly, Ren made sure to come off as decent.  Inwardly, she was starting to have some doubts about this whole dorm thing.  Her roommate looked like she belonged more in one of those obnoxious rock bands than in a prestigious art academy, and the mess of boxes around the girl's bed made Ren cringe inside.  She was hoping that it would get dealt with later, after they got settled into their new living arrangements. tag: Kurou Tanai ▪ words: 382 ▪ ooc: n/A

made by kei at GS

At the swift sound knocking, Kurou jumped to her feet. She itched with eagerness at meeting her new roommate, and no more than a second later the girl entered the room with a mile-high stack of boxes. Kurou watched and waited patiently as the unfamiliar female placed her boxes on the floor. Maybe she should have offered to help - but nah. That required much more effort than she was in the mood for.

Looking over her new living partner, Kurou noticed that she was dressed neatly and had a very orderly appearance to her. Just a glance showed that she had everything together and was probably very well mannered. The way she walked in and the way she introduced herself were neutral, and Kurou had a hard time telling if she would be friendly or not. Or more importantly - would she put up with Kurou?

"I'm Kurou Tanai," she replied, adding a friendly nod and a smile that ended up more like a smirk. She brushed it off and went back to sit on her bed, one leg crossed over the other. "Hope you don't mind I took this side of the room," she spoke. Not that it mattered. She wasn't budging. "I'm pretty unpacked already, so if you wanted any extra space you could probably take it." Kurou looked to her half-empty and cluttered boxes around the foot of her bed and the small bits of clothing peaking through the wardrobe door crack. To her standards this was pretty tidy. When she started actually wearing the clothes and leaving them about - that's when the mess began.

"So, we should go over a few things," Kurou stood from her seat again, facing her new roommate. "I don't really care if you want to bring people over or stay out late or any of that," (mostly because she would be doing so herself), "But I do have a problem when people touch my things. Mostly my clothes. So as long as you don't move anything of mine, we should get along." She gave a nod and a confident smile at the end of her small rant, just to show she had a friendly nature about it. It probably came off more like a threat, but hey, was it not?

@ren MATSUBARA

CHEVRIE OF GS

Kurou Tanai. Kurou Tanai... She repeated the name in her head a few times, commiting it to memory.  While Ren was certain that she wouldn't forget the other girl's name, given that it was fairly uncommon (at least, in her experience it was), she still wanted to be sure to remember it.  She had forgotten an acquaintance’s name once, back in middle school, and had to go through a whole three years coming up with ways to avoid having to say his name.  She didn't need a repeat of that in high school. Ren offered a smile in return to Kurou's words regarding sleeping arrangements.  "No, I don't mind.  I'm not picky about which side of the room I sleep on."  It didn't seem like her roommate was going to move anyway, regardless of what she said.  While nothing was outright declared, she had a feeling that it would be easier to go along with what had already been determined, as opposed to fighting it.  acquaintance’s "I doubt I'll need the extra space, but thank you for the offer."  The smile stayed on, faltering just a little as she followed Kurou's gaze to the empty boxes, and then the wardrobe.  The grey-eyed girl was hoping that things would get tidied up later, that this was just the "get everything in" stage.  If not, well... Well, hopefully the mess could be contained to the wardrobe.  So long as clothes kept getting moved in and out, spiders wouldn't take up residence, or so she she believed.  She had been about to kneel down to take care of putting away her things when Kurou stood up, intending to set some ground rules.  Ren turned to face her, listening intently.  She knew that she'd have to respect Kurou's boundaries for her own boundaries to be respected as well.  Much to her surprise, there was only one thing to remember.  The way her roommate smiled at the end, though, looked more threatening than friendly. "I'll keep that in mind.  Similarly, I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch my things either."  Ren said.  "Other than that... I guess it would be nice to have a heads up if you were bringing someone over, but..."  She shrugged, showing that it really didn't matter all too much.  She just hoped Kurou had more common sense (by her definition) than she was giving her credit for.  Like being quiet when coming in later at night, or killing any spiders that may invade the room.  Eugh, spiders.  Just thinking of them made her skin crawl and her stomach churn. tag: Kurou Tanai ▪ words: 428 ▪ ooc: N/A

made by kei at GS

Kurou listened as her new roommate replied with a similar agreement. At least they had one thing pretty clear - each person to their own possessions. Kurou didn't really have a reason she would ever touch Ren's things, so she assumed it was the same way around. "Great," Kurou nodded, leaning against one of her bed posts and crossing a leg over the other. "Don't worry, I'll give you a heads up about the guests as well." By heads up she really meant whilst walking in the door with her guest - but hey, that didn't need to be explained just yet. She just wondered if Ren had the same idea of 'guest' as Kurou did...

It was quiet for a moment and Kurou directed her gaze all around the room, finding boredom in every corner. Ren was busy unpacking and she herself had done all the unpacking she ever planned. As Kurou watched her do so, she noticed how every box was organized to the brim and very in order. "Wow you're really...prepared..." the pink haired girl made a sort of appalled face. She didn't know quite what to call it, but it was something she wasn't used to. Taking extra time to put your things in order? Why? When you can just shove everything in and pray it fits? Takes ten times less effort and is much easier in the long run. Not than it made her worried, but it was just a thought; if she was as organized as those boxes she definitely wouldn't love Kurou's tendency at throwing her clothes to the floor like confetti.

@ren MATSUBARA

CHEVRIE OF GS

"Much appreciated."  Ren nodded in response to Kurou's affirmation, not knowing that the two of them did indeed have some different definitions about what a guest was.  Ren had a bit of a bad habit assuming that most people thought of most things the same way she did, and that there were common standards for just about everything. Blissfully ignorant, she carried on unpacking, putting everything away nice and neatly.  There wasn't a thread out of place, let alone anything larger.  She wouldn't stand for untidiness when it came to her own possessions, or other people's for that matter.  The only reason she hadn't tried to encourage Kurou to clean up the mess on the other side of the room was because it was day one, and she figured some slack should be cut for the first week or so.  After that, however, she would crack down.  Hard.  She would even go as far as disrespecting her roommate's only rule, because she refused to live in some kind of pig sty. Having had her back turned to Kurou when she started talking, Ren didn't catch the appalled look on her face when she spoke, and just assumed it was more of a way to start a conversation.  "I prefer to have everything in order.  It helps move things quicker when I'm unpacking, and it minimizes the chances of misplacing or losing things.  It takes more time to put everything in, and a considerable amount of sorting, but it's well worth it in my opinion."  She explained, refraining herself from making a comment about how Kurou might want to try it sometime, and how it might save her from making a mess while unpacking.  She had promised to give one week, and quite frankly, it was a little too early to start any feuds... yet.  It also felt a little early to end the conversation right there, so Ren piped up again. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you wouldn't happen to be in the music program, would you?" tag: Kurou Tanai ▪ ooc: N/A

made by kei at GS

Kurou listened to Ren's spiel about the benefits of organization and simply nodded. She couldn't say she agreed, since it almost seemed out of her nature to be organized (especially that organized), but she did find it kind of ... interesting to say the least. Not that she was worried, but at least the place would only be half a mess now. Kurou did wonder though if maybe she was type to give up organization after a couple weeks of school. Classes got hard, work piled up, how would you have time to keep things clean? She pondered the thought for a second longer then heard Ren speak up again.

"Of course," Kurou replied to her question, as if it was supposed to be obvious. Were her chained boots and dyed hair not enough to give away that she rocked every stage she stepped on? She thought so.
"In it for vocals, and that's it. Not like some people here who can play a whole damn orchestra by themselves..." her eyes narrowed at the thought of said people. She had names in mind, but wouldn't bring them to the surface right now. Kurou shook the thought away and looked back to Ren. "What about you?" The cross in her arms loosened as she asked. It was easier as she got used to her new roommate; learning about her and holding a basic conversation were all they had to do to live through the year. And so far, so good.

@ren MATSUBARA

CHEVRIE OF GS

Having had her back turned, Ren couldn't see Kurou nodding, but assumed she was listening anyway.  Although, she had to keep reminding herself to give her roommate the benefit of the doubt, which was harder than she had initially thought it would be.  First impressions were everything to her, and as such, she tended to base her decision on someone based on their appearance and first words alone.  The only reason this was an exception was because this punk was her roommate, and the less conflict, the better life would be.  Maybe they could even be friends to some extent, depending on Kurou's reputation.  She wouldn't want to associate with anyone who could potentially ruin her own reputation (which wasn't nearly as good as the third year liked to think). She bit back a snippy remark when Kurou replied to her question.  Ren didn't like that tone of voice, and it took some effort to keep a neutral expression on her face.  Yes, it might have been a bit of a dumb question, but someone had to break the ice, and she had took it upon herself to do so.  Just a little bit of warmth would have been appreciated. Her eyebrows went up when her roommate displayed a less-than-friendly attitude towards the other members of the musical section--specifically those who played more than one instrument.  "Is there something wrong with that?"  Ren asked, genuinely curious.  Last she checked, it was a pretty impressive feat to be a one-person symphony, but Kurou seemed to treat it like some kind of sin.  She made a mental note to poke around later and see if that opinion was shared amongst others. "I'm in the visual arts.  I'm here mostly for drawing, but I dabble in the other areas as well.  Having a variety of pieces in your portfolio tends to make you look better... provided you're good at it all."  She answered, and stood up, wiping her hands on her jeans out of habit.  Everything was put away pretty nicely now, and save for a few adjustments over the next few days, she was done moving her stuff in. tag: Kurou Tanai ▪ ooc: N/A

made by kei at GS

Kurou grimaced at Ren's reaction to her /one person symphony/ comment. For a second she thought she just insulted the type of person she was, and that would make for a very awkward future. Kurou didn't need her roommate hating her, as it might result in her touching her stuff. A shuttering thought. But that's what happens when she doesn't watch what comes out of her mouth. And man does it happen a lot.

"Nothing wrong with that, no," she lied, "Just lowers chances of people who only have one focus from getting into the program, you know?" She barely knew what she was saying anymore, but it sounded like it made sense. That was all that mattered, right?

By the time she finished answering Ren was already on a new topic anyway. An instant sense of relief came through Kurou when she mentioned what she was here for. "Oh sweet," she nodded, crossing her arms comfortably across her midsection. "Drawing is hard as hell, impressive that you can do that and other things." Her own skills varied from a stick figure to a corner sun. But she wasn't inept, so at least she could appreciate visual art as she saw it.
Ren was standing as Kurou talked a little, and she could see that her side was all nicely put away and organized. "All done?" the pink-haired girl eyed her new roommate. "We can grab dinner if you're hungry." She uncrossed her arms and pointed both fingers to the door. It was just about 5:30 and the cafeteria recently started serving dinner food.

@ren MATSUBARA

CHEVRIE OF GS

"Oh, I see..."  Ren mused.  "That makes sense, I suppose.  But doesn't dedicating yourself to one specific instrument make you stronger than the others who balance themselves over several?  I mean, they couldn't possibly do as well as you if they'd only dedicated some of their time to it."  That sort of thing tended to happen quite a bit in the visual arts.  Somebody who was a general artist couldn't paint quite as well as somebody who had spent so many years trying to master their practise.  The same held true for sports, too, and academics to some extent, so why music should be exempt from it was beyond her. She shrugged in response to Kurou's comment about drawing.  "I could say the same thing about music.  If I tried to sing or play an instrument, I can guarantee that your ears would bleed."  She smiled a little.  "Really, all it takes is practise and patience... And honestly, I'm not too great in the other parts of the visual arts... My paintings and sculptures would make the masters roll in their graves."  She admitted.  Admittedly, part of her inability to paint or sculpt was due to her extreme dislike of doing either.  She tried to avoid both as much as humanly possible, although it always ended up being her downfall in school projects. "Yes, I believe so."  Ren nodded, giving her side a quick look over.  "Dinner sounds nice."  Having not eaten since before lunch, the third year was quite hungry.  She walked over to the door, and opened it.  "After you." tag: Kurou Tanai ▪ ooc: N/A

made by kei at GS