dream.days.AWAY {open

[marinahallem]

I stop to catch my breath - And I stop to catch your eye
No need to second-guess - That you’ve been on my mind

Marina had managed to find herself at the one place she had told herself that she would avoid. Well, not to avoid permanently but long enough to get her settled into a new place. After all, she hadn't been on campus for that long and Oktoberfest was the first major event of the year. But alas, she was freshmen class President and as such it would seem highly impractical for her to miss out on all the festivities. And they were very festive today. The sun had barely been risen for a couple of hours and flocks of students were already stumbling around, belting out lyrics to the songs playing on the stage. Half drunk at ten am was not exactly the proper way to start off your day, but then again, who was Marina to judge. It wasn't as if she never had those kind of mornings. Not being twenty-one had never stopped her before.

Her morning had started like any other. The sun streamed through her window and was the major cause of her morning grumpiness. Seven AM was definitely not her usual wake up call and curses flew from her mouth as she hastily pulled on her skinny jeans, pea coat, and classic black leather boots. She was probably overdressed for the outdoor event but Marina refused to partake in the wearing of the stupid frosh t-shirt that had been forced upon her on orientation day. T-shirts, sweatshirts, anything showing school pride was not exactly her "thing". Oh she was very prideful, after all, she went through a lot of difficulties getting into this school. She couldn't exactly fork over a ten grand payment simply to get on the VIP list of a party. Marina was on scholarship and would have to make the list the old fashion way, climbing the social ladder as ruthlessly as possible. What other way was there?

So...here she was. Making an appearance was just part of the plan. She had to look like she belonged and was enjoying herself but how was that possible when she had yet to attain a crown to embed herself in. Kitten heeled boots crunched through the soft earth of the field housing the food and drink stands. Having to continuously remove the heel from its stuck position would get old very fast. With a slight groan, and using most all of her strength, the eighteen year old forced the heel from its prison. But you see, Marina wasn't always the most graceful of sorts and she tended to underestimate her strength. What seems like minor issues turn into major problems when thrown together in one underestimating herself clumsy kind of way. She didn't exactly end up on the floor, that would have been quite embarrassing but she did end up holding herself up by one of the flimsy stands. This could be fixed, no problem. She always had a plan.

A high pitched giggle was emitted from her lips and she through her mane of golden blond waves back out of her face. Her cheeks were rather flushed and her gentle swaying back and forth would probably give the impression of a girl who was just slightly tipsy. In reality, not even a sip of the German beer had touched her lips but this gave her an excuse and she seemed to be blending in quite nicely. Yes, playing the drunken girl at Oktoberfest. The perfect cover. Finally she mustered up the nerve to take a quick glance at the crowd she had almost face planted in front of. Good for her that no one seemed to be paying much attention, except the adorable man handing out drinks. She was vaguely aware of the fact that he had asked if she was okay. Or was he just asking if she would like a drink? Sometimes she was just so scatter brained that she couldn't be exactly sure.

A drink couldn't do too much harm now could it? A bat of her pretty lashes and one was being handed over to her. Pressing the cool glass to her lips she lingered by the table, letting the mixture of strong beer and foam run down her throat. Turning away quickly she felt pressure in her chest, trying to force her to cough. Pushing the alcohol down Marina squished her nose in, not exactly in disgust but more of surprise. She guessed that it was more of an acquired taste and found herself longing for those fruity little drinks that she was used to downing. One hand rested on the stand as she forced down another gulp, blue eyes scanning the crowd for a familiar face that she could latch on to.

[paradigmshift]

she still smiles very sweetly
Charged with insults and flattery

Oktoberfest wasn't something that Izzy ever skipped out on. She wasn't just fond of the drinks, though the opportunity for an excess of real German dark beer was definitely a good incentive. This was one of the few chances to grab a fleeting piece of authentic culture--and to exercise her slightly rusting language skills. And the atmosphere was just as bubbly as the drinks, amplified by the crisp October air. The possibility of a good time was like a lodestone that she couldn't help but feel pulled to. And it pulled hard.

Since Izzy's swollen ankle still throbbed painfully, she thought today would be a good day to attend the festival she had been putting off for a while due to work. She had sacrificed her social life for dance much too long, and as long as she was locked out of her studio to rest she might as well have some fun.

The chill of the air bit through the fabric of her red pea coat, and she shoved her cold hands into her pockets with a light shiver. Thank god she was only using one crutch now, or she would have to really suffer through the lack of gloves. Her eyes flicked about aimlessly to find something to sate her growling stomach. She limped past stands selling some disgusting Leberkäse and leaned on a counter with an impressive display of pretzels. She picked a traditional salted kind, dug a few dollars out of her pocket, and took the paper-wrapped food gratefully. She could still feel the warmth radiating through the wrapping. A quick salty bite reminded her how thirsty she was. Around her beer was ubiquitous, but she didn't even want to think about the possibility of downing something cold in this kind of weather. A steaming vat of Glühwein caught her eye; the traditional winter drink had always been a favorite of hers when she lived in Germany (where incidentally the drinking age was practically nonexistent). At least she didn't have to worry about getting caught drinking underage--since she turned 21 she had stopped complaining about the differences in ages in the United States and other places she had lived. Even so, she couldn't help but notice the large German man at the edge of the market square who only seemed to know how to say: "Outside of here no alcohol allowed."

She moved towards the stand and smiled at the young man who was helping his father serve the many customers. She had already pulled the money out of her purse before she had reached the front of the line, and set it on the table. Izzy leaned, slightly lopsided, on the counter so that she could free her other hand from the crutch. "Guten Morgen. Eine Tasse Glühwein, bitte." The young man smiled, slightly surprised. At the moment the fest was mostly frequented by obviously American college students, and he hadn't expected her to speak without an accent. He ladled in a steaming spoonful of the hot liquid and handed her the mug; she gave him the money. After a little bit of fumbling and some angry looks from the guy behind her who was tired of waiting, she finally manoeuvred enough to get her money back in her purse, her crutch back under her arm, and her wine in the free hand. Now if she could just manage to get to the round table set up by the stand without spilling, life would be grand...

She limped quickly over to the table and set her stuff down with a relief, thankful that she hadn't burned herself. She noticed Marina next to her, another dance major, whom she had seen occasionally in dance classes. She looked as though she had just swallowed a live chipmunk.

"You, uh, look like you're having a little trouble there," Izzy laughed good-naturedly. The freshman looked too delicate to even hold the huge glass, much less drink it. She looked down at her hands, holding the mug of steaming hot Glühwein, and offered it to her. "You might want to try this. It's a little less... pungent. Kind of like spiked apple cider." She paused for a moment, and continued. "I'm Izzy Jecault. We're both dance majors... you might remember me. Anyways, I would stay away from a litre of that stuff; at least," she eyed her thin figure, and continued, obviously not thinking that she could hold down that much alcohol, "you probably should. Then again, I'm not much better," she added with a laugh.

[/size]

[marinahallem]

I dream days away, but that’s okay -
It’s like I want to hear a silent sound - And then hold it in my hand

Usually Marina was not so....antisocial. She was actually quite the social butterfly in fact. That was how things always were in high school. Then again, there were only four hundred students in her school and well, WAofA was just a tad bigger then that. And private schools, they were different. You had the same cliche people in every grade and every class. You could say there was not a whole lot of social diversity, the school was predominantly wealthy, white Americans. The cliques were the basic ones you had in high school; the populars, the nerds, the druggies, the outcasts, etc etc. It was never exactly a problem for the pretty blond, she fit in just splendidly. But here, it was a whole new game that she had to win, and that put Marina at a loss. It wasn't as if meeting new friends was ever very difficult, it was just finding the right friends that could get you to the right places that was the difficult part.

It was a good idea for her to have a certain amount of knowledge of all those students she had classes with or had met on some occasion or another. It was because of this that she wasn't exactly at a loss of words when she was approached by Izzy Jecault. Now it wasn't like she was extremely familiar with the girl or anything. They were acquaintances at most, the bulk of their time spent together being in a dance class here or there. They were both dance majors after all, the only difference being that she was a freshmen and Izzy was a senior. She couldn't help but be pleased and surprised at the same time. This was a senior that was talking to her and delta pledge no doubt. That in itself was enough to pique Marina's interest.

"You, uh, look like you're having a little trouble there". The words were spoken in good humor so there was no need to get defensive at the comment. However, she couldn't help but be amused by it. Arching one eyebrow, blue eyes gazed curiously at single crutch the older girl was trying hard to keep balanced on. A dance injury perhaps? She couldn't be sure but it was clear that Marina was not the only one who was having a little difficulty. Flashing a small smile at the other girl she emitted one of those playful giggles. It was the kind that usually made others turn to see what all the fun was about. But this time she was being real. Maybe it was the cool air that made her grouchy mood go away or maybe it was the festive atmosphere finally getting to her. Either way, she was definitely up for some early morning fun. "It doesn't seem like I'm the only one having difficulties. What put you on the injured list?"

There was truth in what Izzy was saying however. The large glass was completely overwhelming to the petite freshmen and she wasn't going to lie, it was far from her style. She probably should have studied up on her German culture knowledge before attending, it probably would have saved her from looking like a complete and utter newbie. The drink handed to her was definitely a more logical size, and it would save her from having to take another sip of whatever kind of alcohol was in the glass that she already had. Placing the stronger drink atop the flimsy stand, she welcomed the warmer one. "Umm, thanks." A softer, more embarrassed laugh came out this time. "Is it that obvious that I had no idea what I was getting myself in to?"

Bringing the unknown drink closer to her face, the smell was definitely more appealing to what she had had previously. It smelled sweeter, more like the girly drinks she had back home, but she wasn't going to make the mistake of just gulping it down without being completely sure. "What is this anyway?" She hesitated slightly before allowing the smallest sip of the liquid to pass through her lips.

[paradigmshift]

Just like the canals of Mars and the great barrier reef
I come to you beyond belief

[/b][/font]

[/right][/size]It was easy to sense that the girl was a little surprised she was being approached by someone so much higher, perhaps, on the social status than she. Izzy didn't honestly know why she approached her, except for the fact that she felt girls need to protect each other--and Marina looked like she would get drunk faster than she might have thought, since she obviously hadn't ever tried the beer she was drinking before. And being really punch-drunk at Oktoberfest could be dangerous, especially with all the other drunks around, as she'd found out the hard way a few years ago. It's too easy for pretty young girls like Marina to get taken advantage of. So maybe she was just going to play god for a little and tempt fate, or maybe she just wanted some company since Salvador was too busy being an asshole to accompany her. He obviously didn't realize that just because he was a year too young to drink didn't mean that he wouldn't have any fun--or any alcohol, for that matter. So a familiar face, even if only slightly, was nice. Whatever. It's not like everything had to have a reason. Hell, some of the best things in life go against reason.

"It doesn't seem like I'm the only one having difficulties. What put you on the injured list?" Marina asked after she approached.

Izzy let out a dry chuckle. "Oh god, don't remind me..." she muttered, rolling her eyes. She'd had to tell the story too many times before, and it never failed to make her cringe. Mostly because she expected her partner to do it again, and she really didn't want to jinx herself. She recited the story quickly, in monotone, as though reciting a line of a play she had long stopped caring about. ""My dance partner and I were doing a lift at the edge of the stage, for a west coast swing routine. As I was flipping over his shoulders, he dropped me off the stage. I landed the wrong way on my ankle and tore the ligament. Nothing that hasn't happened before." She looked at her still-swollen limb with a sigh. "My professor locked me out of the studio because I refused to take a break. He and Salvador--my partner for that dance--said that I needed some time off. It took all I had to keep from giving them the finger. I mean, I'm getting punished for dedication. What kind of a world is this?" she chuckled. "They must be starting a communist revolution. They always get rid of the cream of the crop first." She pulled the stool closer to the table and sat down in it gratefully, positioning her crutch so that it wouldn't slide down to the ground. Any attempt to bend over and retrieve it would be most definitely pushing her luck.

"Is it that obvious that I had no idea what I was getting myself in to?" She spoke as Izzy leaned over to swipe the beer she had placed back on the counter. Izzy couldn't keep in a small chuckle.

"Well, being brutally honest," she paused with a smile, "--yeah." She took a big swig of the still-foamy beer and put the cold glass back down to talk again. That knowing smile once again graced her lips, as though she were privy to some sort of secret joke. "I mean, you're young, obviously not the drinking age, and German beer is pretty strong stuff. It's an acquired taste--you have to get used to it. I used to live on a base in Sauerkraut Land, so I've been drinking this stuff since you were ten. Funny how every other country in the world is so much more liberal with its alcohol than the U.S. And yet we are not any better with raving drunks..." she mused as an afterthought.

"But you don't have to worry about Glühwein," she told her quickly, sensing the unease in her question. "It's basically just red wine with sugar, cinnamon, and some other spices. It's a Christmas drink, but its usually sold here during Oktoberfest. And it's warm, which is a plus." It could still get her drunk if she had too much of it, but at least it tasted better and wasn't sold by the litre.

"So this the first time you've been to an Oktoberfest?" she asked, taking another big sip of Marina's discarded beer. She had downed almost half of it by now.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[marinahallem]

But a rose won't blossom from a ground
Of desert sand, but I like to pretend that

Glühwein? So that's what the funny little drink was called. She was still busy fumbling around with it, investigating of sorts. Small sips, smelling it. Call her crazy but she was always somewhat of a picky eater----and drinker. She was the "never eat your veggies" kind of girl. She was actually quite curious how Izzy even knew what it was called. She didn't exactly pick up on any foreign accents but then again, she wasn't exactly the most observant person either. Marina wished she wasn't just plain old boring from Atlanta, Georgia. And it wasn't even the real city, just some boring suburb on the outskirts of all things exciting. But that was how it was all through her childhood, Washington was the first and only time she was ever out of the state.

Shaking the rather depressing thoughts from her head she tried to focus on the story being told, she after all had asked to hear it. The beginning of the story went in one ear and out the other. She would kick herself for that later, focusing was not exactly one of her strong points. So where was she? It was something about flipping over someone's shoulders. Ahh yes, Marina actually remembered this story. She just hadn't put two and two together quite yet. It was quite common of an injury, being dropped during a lift wasn't exactly an unusual consequence of the profession that they had chosen. Now, being dropped off a stage was not the norm but Marina could see how it was most definitely a possibility. Dancing had its risks and Marina had had her fair share of injuries, of course, none that ever required her to walk on crutches. That would have been fun, an already non graceful girl forced to balance on a stick.

But Izzy wasn't going to take the risk of falling, she had already taken a seat on a stool near the table. Wise decision, very wise. "Sorry 'bout the injury. When you are back in fit condition we should definitely dance together some time." It could only be beneficial to have someone else to dance with. After all, she hadn't exactly made many friends in her dance class, plus you get brownie points for learning from someone older. She gazed curiously at the older girl already making progress on the liter of alcohol much swifter then Marina would have been able to down the Glühwein.

"Well, being brutally honest, yeah. I mean, you're young, obviously not the drinking age, and German beer is pretty strong stuff." Marina wasn't exactly offended. She knew the answer before she had even asked the question. She was too young and she clearly hadn't done this very often. With parents keeping you on a leash there wasn't much time to come home completely trashed. "Well---," Just a slight hesitation, all that dramatic effect and all. "I'm not exactly an old friend of drinking. But what can I say? College changes everyone a little bit...". And that was a fact. More freedom, more opportunities for parties, and less classes. Marina couldn't wait to break free from the 'rents.

One finger swirled a strand of her honey blond waves. Bringing the red wine and cinnamon concoction to her lips. Confession, it was a whole hell of a lot better then whatever Izzy was sucking down. Which of course, cleared up a bit of the earlier confusion. " I used to live on a base in Sauerkraut Land, so I've been drinking this stuff since you were ten." German eh? That made a whole lot more sense now that she was actually told. She could kick herself for not realizing it before. "German? Really? I guess I couldn't tell. You're lucky yah know, this is my first time being out of my home town, let alone the country." Marina couldn't help but feel a little sad, she had always wanted to travel. Maybe not Germany now that she'd tasted the alcohol, but somewhere like Italy for sure. "Oktoberfest is my first taste of anything like this. It's not like I had any older siblings to invite me up to partake in the celebrations".

[ooc;; ugh, terrible I know. completely muse-less.]

[paradigmshift]

I hang around dying to be tortured
Youll never be alone in the bone orchard

[/b]

[/font]
[/right][/size]"Yo, Izzy!" A young man caught her eye from another table as he yelled out her name while Marina was talking. Respectfully keeping her eyes on Marina, she raised up her large glass to him with a darting glance that said, "No offense, but don't bother me right now." She couldn't hear his laughter but saw him open his mouth. After a long dose of liquid courage he stood up, walked past her with a quick tap on the shoulder, and went over to the group of kids moshing at the bottom of the stage. She rolled her eyes and returned full attention to Marina. Guess some people she knew did drag their asses out of bed this early in the morning to show up. But to the point where she would have to get out of a chair to have a good time, she would much rather stay here talking to the younger girl. And she still had to get a lot more drunk before she would join in on the crazy, pointless dancing taking place behind her.

"Sorry 'bout the injury," Marina had said. When you are back in fit condition we should definitely dance together some time."

Izzy rolled her eyes at the characterization that her professor had also used, a hint of anger manifested in an irritated flick of her short red hair. "Huh, fit condition," she repeated with a dark chuckle, her voice low and underscored with annoyance. "Well, I personally think that I am perfectly fine, contrary to our professor's humble opinion. You'll have to take it up with him. I mean, if it's up to him, I don't think he'll ever let me back into that studio." She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and bit her lip thoughtfully. "You know, if he weren't such a creative genius I'd say 'fuck that bastard' and not care about staying on his good side. It would take a load off my shoulders anyways; staying on his good side is hellishly hard work--nothing new to you, I guess." She took a long, calming drink from the half-filled beer mug, and let out a long breath. She could see it in the cold air, curling up and dissipating into the space in front of her like a long exhalation of cigarette smoke.

"But yeah, we could dance together sometime. I'm tired of all the testosterone I'm always around anyway. Nothing wrong with a little girl power every once in a while, eh?"

Izzy stopped to watch curiously how Marina carefully tasted the hot drink she had given her, as though she were afraid Izzy had slipped anthrax into it. 'What, you don't trust me?' she wanted to ask with put-on innocence, but for once she held her tongue. The unsaid question still reflected in her eyes as Marian continued to talk.

"German, really? I guess I couldn't tell."

Izzy laughed; the alcohol had started to fizzle into her head, coating everything in a layer of bright humor. "That's because I'm not really German. I just lived there. Military brat, you see. Every couple of years it was another country... or just another state. I guess you could say I'm lucky for getting to see so many places, experience so many cultures," a light cough interrupted her speech flow, but with a small pound on the chest she continued, her eyes slightly watery, "but I've never had a stable life until college. Kind of funny how it affects each person differently, college," she mused. "Curious." Her left lip curled up into a half smile and she gave Marina a sideways glance. "You get your instability, I finally get the opposite. Funny how college can cater to such... different needs."

Izzy took the last couple of sips from the mug of beer, tipping it up completely to catch the last few drops on her tongue. She put down the glass and slid it over to the side to be picked up by the stand's busboy. "So where are you from, er--Marina? Did I get it right?" she asked, smiling coyly.

[[eh, don't worry about it. it wasn't bad. =D mine is the epitome of suck so it doesn't really matter... xD]][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]