It was amazing how much work was necessary for a small get together, but also how quickly and easily it went with the help of another person. Especially when that person happened to be on staff
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The corner of her lips twitch up into a tiny smile. She's watching him, looking for telling signs through his mannerisms and trying to see if his words hold true--if he believes them.
Then her quiet observation is abruptly cut off and a deep blush coats Aara's pale face. She is confused, however, and frowns in deep thought. He keeps saying that. 'Pretty.' Did he really mean it, though? Perhaps he did not know the correct meaning of the word. "Do you really mean that?" Confused blue eyes rise up to meet his, then Aara's throat seizes up, and she wishes she could take back her question. "You do not believe beauty is only in reference to those with dark hair? Dark eyes?" She just wants to understand. She has certainly never considered herself pretty, ever. Different, yes. Pale. Colorless. She had heard whispers from those in the Clan that they believed her to be soulless.
Yet... Kanan had thought she deserved to live. This was all very confusing.
She tries to smile when Bobby relents, and talks about his home.
"What is it like? Your home?" She had yet to realize his school was his home.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." He frowned at her second question, confused. Bobby could honestly say that wasn't one he'd been asked before. Questions about tails and differently colored skin, yes, but dark hair and dark eyes? "Um. No? Why would I?"
When the conversation moved to the subject of his home, he smiled slightly. "It's great. Most of my best friends are there, and it's the one place I've always felt like I could be myself. It's not perfect, or anything-" Especially not lately "-but it's mine."
Aara tilts her head to one side, considering him. He was not dark, however, so maybe he found beauty in people who looked like he did?
"What is beauty to you, then?" Maybe if she better understood. She'll tell Bobby all about her clan, some day. Tonight, if he really wished to know. For now, she really wanted to understand.
Bobby's explanation of home brought a warm feeling to her chest. She smiled, but then the smile faded.
But it's mine.
Aara... did not have anything like that. Aara had Aara, and that alone. At least--she did where she came from.
And another question that he's confused by. Except this time, he wasn't sure he has an answer.
"I don't know? It's - a lot of things. I mean, I'm assuming you mean people here, right? Because there's lots of things, like buildings and forests and lakes iced over in the winter and perfectly solved math problems that I think are beautiful." And he had to pause again. "I like eyes, I guess. They're really expressive, and you can tell a lot from them. And smiles. Smiles can be really pretty. And, okay, yeah, a good figure is nice, but I think a lot of what I think is pretty has to do with personality?"
And he was rambling. He should just - stop rambling.
Especially since Aara wasn't smiling any more. "Aara? Are you okay?"
She shakes her head. She isn't saying she is not okay--she just doesn't understand.
"You like any color of eyes? Or do people mostly like what they see in themselves on others? Does your clan have the exact skin tone, hair, and eye color you do?"
Then another thought strikes her.
"Do all clans stick to themselves? So everyone looks the same, always?"
Oh, good. More questions where he had to explain world differences. And these were actually the hardest questions he'd had yet, because it wasn't like he really spent much time giving thought to what he thought was pretty. He just - knew.
"Any color, pretty much. Brown, blue, green, yellow, it doesn't matter. And I think that might depend on the person? It's not really true for me, though. I don't think I prefer blond hair or blue eyes."
And then he blinked. "Um, no. Really no, actually. I guess most families do? But my home - we're kind of outcasts. A bunch of people that banded together because they needed what the school offered them. So my friends range from dark to light to blue to silver."
He shook his head. "Not where I'm from. Communities are filled with people who all look different."
Any color?? She stares in awe for a moment. Was he really so genuine? So... accepting? Her lungs inhale forever on a breath of awe, then his next words make her expression change. Her shoulders sag--her gaze shutters. She withdraws for two seconds, then breathes in air again and forces a smile that shows she long ago expected it--accepted it.
Apparently her looks were never for anyone.
"Oh. Of course not." Another smile, eyes downcast as she tries to hide her pain. Was she doomed to live a life of solitude? Perhaps no one would want her.
Swallowing past the pain, forcing the beginnings of tears to leave her eyes, Aara angles her body away. She doesn't want Bobby to see her right now--especially not like this. She bites her lip, drawing blood. A distraction.
"Blue? I just net someone who was blue..." A shaky laugh escapes. Yes. Distraction.
Maybe she should leave.
"I wish... I came from a place... where everyone looked different." Her best friends would be the outcasts, too.
And Bobby was confused again. She'd looked so awed, happy, and then she just - went completely depressed. Resigned, with a smile that was obviously forced. She looked the way he'd felt, quite a number of times.
Obviously, it was something he'd said. Especially when she replied with 'of course not.' He frowned, only half paying attention as she tried to change the subject, trying to figure out what the hell he'd-
Oh. Oh, crap.
"I didn't mean I don't like blue eyes and blond hair! I love them. I just meant I don't like them over any other combination. But I don't like anything more than blue and blond, either." He wasn't really digging himself out of that hole here, was he?
"Aara..." Bobby reached out, turning her gently back towards him and stepping into her personal space.
He brushed her hair back away from her face, tucking it behind her ear, and focusing completely on her. "You are beautiful. I love your eyes. They remind me of the sky."
Right about then, he was just hoping his attempt to convince Aara that he thought she was pretty damn it worked better than it had with Raven. Especially since this one was kind of his fault, since he'd just blurted out things.
His quick explanation practically rolled off of her, though her heart flipped and twisted because he knew she was upset and was trying to do something about it. Panic seized her. She didn't want him to say false words for her sake. She didn't want that look to be on his face, either. She panicked, backing away half a step, wishing she had left and made up some kind of excuse. She trembled in something very close to intimidation and fear.
When he turned her towards him, she couldn't continue her slow get-away. Her attention was well and truly captured, though a small amount of fear still showed plainly on her face. How she desperately wanted to flee.
Her heart stops at his next words--though she isn't ready to believe that just yet. His comment about her eyes> though...
Her fear slowly dissipated. She stopped looking like she was about ready to break from his grasp and make a run for it. Her eyes light up as a wide smile finds her lips at long last.
"I... love the sky..."
It was the most beautiful compliment anyone had ever given her. She would love the color of her eyes forever--simply because of that one comment.
It was obvious that she wasn't believing him. More, that she wanted to get away. Which was understandable, considering he'd pretty much just told her that he didn't like how she looked. That hadn't been how he'd meant it at all, but that'd kind of been how it sounded, and that'd been how she took it.
And it'd clearly been the best thing to say when she was obviously looking for reassurance. Yeah. Great job there.
Then she was smiling. Bobby wasn't quite sure he'd gotten through to her, but at least she didn't look like she wanted to flee in fear at the sight of him.
What was it about him that was making girls want to avoid him lately? Oh, right, that thing where he was kind of an idiot.
But he seemed to have backtracked well enough there. Which was good, because he really did think Aara was beautiful.
"Maybe that's why your eyes are blue. Because the sky's part of you." He gave a tentative grin. "And mine are blue because of the ice."
Beauty wasn't what matter to Aara in the slightest. Acceptance on the other hand...
All she wanted was a place to belong. To feel loved and cherished and a part of something. More than simply 'different.' More than the outcast. More than someone others frowned at when they neared, or turned their noses up as they snuffed her existence time and again.
Her own beauty was the last thing on Aara's mind--she simply wished to understand why people--her old clan, mostly--seemed to thing she was a black mark on society. Why scathing glances were shot her way. Why everyone seemed to dislike something about the way she looked.
Maybe if she understood beauty, she would better understand why she didn't have it.
But the sky. The sky. That was something Aara lived for. Thrived in. The sky was one of her treasures. One of her happiest memories. To have eyes that remind someone of something that makes her so incredibly happy.... She felt fulfilled. To have Bobby appreciate his own blue eyes as well, for something he most certainly loved and thrived for--it filled her all the more, and her eyes and smile showed Aara's complete and utter delight.
If Bobby ever found out about all of that, he'd wish even more than he could take her back to his world. He knew exactly what it was like not to be accepted by people, to be viewed as different, as a freak, over something you couldn't changed.
But at least he'd had the Institute. He would've loved to share that with her.
All he knew was that she was smiling now, though. That was good enough for him.
Then her quiet observation is abruptly cut off and a deep blush coats Aara's pale face. She is confused, however, and frowns in deep thought. He keeps saying that. 'Pretty.' Did he really mean it, though? Perhaps he did not know the correct meaning of the word. "Do you really mean that?" Confused blue eyes rise up to meet his, then Aara's throat seizes up, and she wishes she could take back her question. "You do not believe beauty is only in reference to those with dark hair? Dark eyes?" She just wants to understand. She has certainly never considered herself pretty, ever. Different, yes. Pale. Colorless. She had heard whispers from those in the Clan that they believed her to be soulless.
Yet... Kanan had thought she deserved to live. This was all very confusing.
She tries to smile when Bobby relents, and talks about his home.
"What is it like? Your home?" She had yet to realize his school was his home.
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When the conversation moved to the subject of his home, he smiled slightly. "It's great. Most of my best friends are there, and it's the one place I've always felt like I could be myself. It's not perfect, or anything-" Especially not lately "-but it's mine."
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Aara tilts her head to one side, considering him. He was not dark, however, so maybe he found beauty in people who looked like he did?
"What is beauty to you, then?" Maybe if she better understood. She'll tell Bobby all about her clan, some day. Tonight, if he really wished to know. For now, she really wanted to understand.
Bobby's explanation of home brought a warm feeling to her chest. She smiled, but then the smile faded.
But it's mine.
Aara... did not have anything like that. Aara had Aara, and that alone. At least--she did where she came from.
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"I don't know? It's - a lot of things. I mean, I'm assuming you mean people here, right? Because there's lots of things, like buildings and forests and lakes iced over in the winter and perfectly solved math problems that I think are beautiful." And he had to pause again. "I like eyes, I guess. They're really expressive, and you can tell a lot from them. And smiles. Smiles can be really pretty. And, okay, yeah, a good figure is nice, but I think a lot of what I think is pretty has to do with personality?"
And he was rambling. He should just - stop rambling.
Especially since Aara wasn't smiling any more. "Aara? Are you okay?"
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"You like any color of eyes? Or do people mostly like what they see in themselves on others? Does your clan have the exact skin tone, hair, and eye color you do?"
Then another thought strikes her.
"Do all clans stick to themselves? So everyone looks the same, always?"
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"Any color, pretty much. Brown, blue, green, yellow, it doesn't matter. And I think that might depend on the person? It's not really true for me, though. I don't think I prefer blond hair or blue eyes."
And then he blinked. "Um, no. Really no, actually. I guess most families do? But my home - we're kind of outcasts. A bunch of people that banded together because they needed what the school offered them. So my friends range from dark to light to blue to silver."
He shook his head. "Not where I'm from. Communities are filled with people who all look different."
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Apparently her looks were never for anyone.
"Oh. Of course not." Another smile, eyes downcast as she tries to hide her pain. Was she doomed to live a life of solitude? Perhaps no one would want her.
Swallowing past the pain, forcing the beginnings of tears to leave her eyes, Aara angles her body away. She doesn't want Bobby to see her right now--especially not like this. She bites her lip, drawing blood. A distraction.
"Blue? I just net someone who was blue..." A shaky laugh escapes. Yes. Distraction.
Maybe she should leave.
"I wish... I came from a place... where everyone looked different." Her best friends would be the outcasts, too.
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Obviously, it was something he'd said. Especially when she replied with 'of course not.' He frowned, only half paying attention as she tried to change the subject, trying to figure out what the hell he'd-
Oh. Oh, crap.
"I didn't mean I don't like blue eyes and blond hair! I love them. I just meant I don't like them over any other combination. But I don't like anything more than blue and blond, either." He wasn't really digging himself out of that hole here, was he?
"Aara..." Bobby reached out, turning her gently back towards him and stepping into her personal space.
He brushed her hair back away from her face, tucking it behind her ear, and focusing completely on her. "You are beautiful. I love your eyes. They remind me of the sky."
Right about then, he was just hoping his attempt to convince Aara that he thought she was pretty damn it worked better than it had with Raven. Especially since this one was kind of his fault, since he'd just blurted out things.
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When he turned her towards him, she couldn't continue her slow get-away. Her attention was well and truly captured, though a small amount of fear still showed plainly on her face. How she desperately wanted to flee.
Her heart stops at his next words--though she isn't ready to believe that just yet. His comment about her eyes> though...
Her fear slowly dissipated. She stopped looking like she was about ready to break from his grasp and make a run for it. Her eyes light up as a wide smile finds her lips at long last.
"I... love the sky..."
It was the most beautiful compliment anyone had ever given her. She would love the color of her eyes forever--simply because of that one comment.
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And it'd clearly been the best thing to say when she was obviously looking for reassurance. Yeah. Great job there.
Then she was smiling. Bobby wasn't quite sure he'd gotten through to her, but at least she didn't look like she wanted to flee in fear at the sight of him.
What was it about him that was making girls want to avoid him lately? Oh, right, that thing where he was kind of an idiot.
But he seemed to have backtracked well enough there. Which was good, because he really did think Aara was beautiful.
"Maybe that's why your eyes are blue. Because the sky's part of you." He gave a tentative grin. "And mine are blue because of the ice."
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All she wanted was a place to belong. To feel loved and cherished and a part of something. More than simply 'different.' More than the outcast. More than someone others frowned at when they neared, or turned their noses up as they snuffed her existence time and again.
Her own beauty was the last thing on Aara's mind--she simply wished to understand why people--her old clan, mostly--seemed to thing she was a black mark on society. Why scathing glances were shot her way. Why everyone seemed to dislike something about the way she looked.
Maybe if she understood beauty, she would better understand why she didn't have it.
But the sky. The sky. That was something Aara lived for. Thrived in. The sky was one of her treasures. One of her happiest memories. To have eyes that remind someone of something that makes her so incredibly happy.... She felt fulfilled. To have Bobby appreciate his own blue eyes as well, for something he most certainly loved and thrived for--it filled her all the more, and her eyes and smile showed Aara's complete and utter delight.
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But at least he'd had the Institute. He would've loved to share that with her.
All he knew was that she was smiling now, though. That was good enough for him.
"Do you want one of those cupcakes?"
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She smiles a bit shyly, cheeks pinking lightly at the offer.
"Will you try one too?"
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