W i n t e r | B l u e s {OPEN}

[GAARA]

Winter Blues
What a beautiful sound

Like a breath of fresh air
I regain lost ground



The air was crisp and chilling to the bone, but Gaara didn't seem to mind it. He was bundled up in a woolen trench coat as black as a ravens feather, a crimson scarf, and toasty black combat boots. However, cozy as he was, he wasn't in a chipper mood. He'd just gotten into a fight with his father and had no choice but to retreat from his home until his father calmed his fury. And although Gaara hated the bitter cold, he hated having to deal with his hot-blooded father even more. The gloomy redhead could have taken refuge at a nearby coffee shop but, due to his extreme animosity towards society, he'd rather take on the cold. To keep himself occupied for a couple hours, he brought along his bass which he hauled on his back.

Now, all that was left to do was find a place to sit. Founders Park was enormous, so there were plenty of benches to rest in scattered throughout the park. But Gaara didn't want any ordinary bench, he wanted a bench that was secluded from all eye contact. He didn't want passerby's pausing to take a listen to him playing; that would only aggravate him, and he's in no condition to be meddled with at the moment. His eyes darted from corner to corner, surveying the lay of the land for what he considered "the perfect spot". But that search didn't take long. To his far left, there was a bench hidden beneath a tree which was also shielded by low-level bushes, which seemed like an ideal place to play for Gaara. Shuffling through the icy grass, he reached his destination. He plopped himself along the middle of the wooden bench and sighed. It was nice hearing nothing but silence. It eased his tension and gave him the opportunity to lower his guard. But his inner feelings were still stirring, which only his bass could cure.

With that in thought, he removed the bass from his back and set it in his lap. There is was, cozy and comfy inside it's protective casing. Eager to play, he zipped the casing off and immediately began tuning the strings. Listening closely as he plucked each individual string, he could hear the sound reverberate through the empty park. This caused a little smile to surface on his face. Not once has the park been completely empty like this before. Perhaps it was because the town has been calling for snow, but Gaara didn't mind it. Not one bit. After he finished tuning his strings, he began to play. The songs he strummed were as calm as the sea right before a squall; it echoed through the park, breaking the silence. He was in his own world now. If something were to occur, he probably wouldn't even notice it.

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[HIKARI]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 450px;][style=text-align: center; font-family: arial narrow; font-weight: 100!important; color: #494949; font-size: 25px;]live through this,[/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5;]and you won't look back.[/style]

[atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 120px;] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; height: 400px; padding: 10px; width: 300px;][style=background-color: #e9e7e7; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; padding: 7px; height: 330px; overflow: auto; font-size: 10px; text-transform: lowercase;]pulling her peacoat even closer to her body and rewrapping her scarf around her neck, hikari walked through the park with an expression bordering complete and utter irritation. why the hell was she outside in the middle of winter? well, she loved the winter, but she got way too cold way too easily. hell, she could freeze in the middle of the summer. but the park was one of her frequent haunts -- whenever her parents got too overbearing she escaped to here. it was...calming, she supposed. if her parents needed her, they could just bug off. wandering aimlessly through the almost frozen landscape, the blond's mouth curved upwards into a small, barely perceptible smile. suddenly, strains of music reached her ears. how did she not notice that before? hikari adored music, though she wasn't particularly talented in any specific field of instrumental or vocal. it was just something she liked to listen to... but then again, who didn't like to listen to music? the person who was playing probably didn't realize that there was someone nearby, but the junior felt herself follow the sound until she was standing in front of a male with a shock of red hair. he didn't seem to notice her, and she felt a sudden pang of guilt for interrupting his time alone. she knew that if someone showed up when she was writing, she would get angry. and this guy looked like he could be dangerous. if he was some sort of gang member, she was totally screwed. oh well. hikari thought to herself. too late now. [/style] [style=font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; text-align: justify; background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 7px; height: 15px; overflow: auto;]TAGS GAARA-CHAN. /shot WORDS idk. NOTES lalala~[/style]

[style=font-size: 10px; text-align: center; font-family: arial;]template by jetplane of love stamp[/style]

[GAARA]

Winter Blues
What a beautiful sound

Like a breath of fresh air
I regain lost ground


Gaara kept strumming, unaware someone was standing before him. However, he can usually sense when someone's eyes were piercing right through him right off the bat, so this was a little off on Gaara's part. It took a few more measures before he actually felt the stare of a stranger tingle his skin. He immediately stopped playing. His eyes popped open, revealing a pair of feet standing near his (since his head was tilted toward the ground). 'Great,' he thought. 'Someone was listening to me play.' He rose his head to face the stranger, his eyes as sharp as the tip of a pin. To his surprise, it was a girl. Girls never dared to approach Gaara; he was frightening and ,for some reason or another, they could feel the angry aura that emitted from his person. Gaara didn't mind it though. He rarely ever spoke to boys, let alone girls. So why would it make any difference?

However, this girl didn't shudder the moment he locked eyes on her. In fact, he had never even seen this girl before. She probably went to Konoha High, just that he's never seen her in the halls. She had a blank expression which was impossible for the redhead to read. He couldn't tell if she was secretly afraid, but certainly had a talent at hiding it if she was. At this point in time, Gaara was less aggravated than he was earlier. If she had come in right before he began playing his bass, things could've gotten ugly. Gaara turned his attention to his fiery red bass, plucking the strings while trying to muster up some words he could say. She was probably losing her patience, preparing to launch a missile of rude insults straight at him. 'She probably thinks I'm weird,' He pondered. 'That I'm a freak.' The more these thoughts revolved around his mind, the more antagonized he became.

Gaara always imagined that people would think badly of him. It's just how his thought process was geared. The only friend he has is Naruto, and surprisingly he wasn't intimidated by the raging redhead. But that was a dime a dozen. No one at school dared approached him, but this girl has never seen him before, so it was comprehensible that she would be curious of him. But, then again, the only reason she was drawn here was because of his melodic music. Gaara continued plucking his strings in a scale, still conjuring the words to say. He was hoping she'd eventually leave due to the lack of conversation, but it didn't seem like she'd be taking that route. She didn't budge, not even a single muscle moved. She just stood there, staring down at Gaara with a monotonous expression. But at this point, the redhead couldn't take it anymore. This is the longest someone has stared at him before, and by this point her eyes were drilling in his brain. So he sucked up the courage and began to speak. "I didn't think anyone would be out today..." He muttered. "Why'd you come over here? Was it because of my music?..." His sea green eyes shot her a puzzled stare, curious to know what her reply would be.

[HIKARI]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 450px;][style=text-align: center; font-family: arial narrow; font-weight: 100!important; color: #494949; font-size: 25px;]you blame yourself[/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5;]everyday; you do it again[/style]

[atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 120px;] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; height: 400px; padding: 10px; width: 300px;][style=background-color: #e9e7e7; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; padding: 7px; height: 330px; overflow: auto; font-size: 10px; text-transform: lowercase;]pulling at a piece of hair loose from her bun, hikari met the redhead's eyes with an even stare. he looked surprised that she didn't run away, which made sense. though she wasn't afraid, he was obviously the sort of guy people don't mess with. now that she thought about it, she'd seen him around school once or twice -- where exactly, she wasn't sure, but his face seemed familiar. her lips quirked a minuscule amount when he didn't speak immediately -- she preferred people who thought before they spoke. then again, he was probably trying to get rid of her, but that wasn't going to work. her natural curiosity had kicked in. "i didn't think anyone would be out today..." he said, in a low tone. "why'd you come over here? was it because of my music?..." "you thought wrong." hikari said shortly, mouth twisting into a wry smile. "and yes, it was your music." she continued, hand dropping from her hair, "though i probably would've been curious why there was someone sitting in the cold either way." a tiny hand moving up to yet again draw the scarf closer to her neck, the blond gazed down at the other teenager, inquisitive despite her poker face. though he appeared to be the sort of person who was never unnerved, he seemed a little uncomfortable under her stare. she was used to that sort of reaction -- apparently, she was intimidating, ignoring the fact that she barely reached five feet and was as thin as a stick. "so?" she asked, tilting her head a little. "why are you out here?" [/style] [style=font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; text-align: justify; background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 7px; height: 15px; overflow: auto;]TAGS GAARA-CHAN. /shot WORDS idk. NOTES ew it's gross.[/style]

[style=font-size: 10px; text-align: center; font-family: arial;]template by jetplane of love stamp[/style]

[GAARA]

Winter Blues
What a beautiful sound

Like a breath of fresh air
I regain lost ground


The blonde's eyes lit up in sparks as she toyed with a few strands of her sandy hair. "You thought wrong." The blonde retorted, her lips curling round like a sickle. "And yes, it was your music." Gaara was tempted to speak out of turn, but she continued, "Though I probably would've been curious why there was someone sitting in the cold either way." She had a point. It was freezing outside, right on the brink of snowing and yet, here he was strumming away on his bass as if it were spring. The redhead gazed up at the blonde with a bold expression. This was indeed the first time a girl had barked back at him, and he didn't know what face to wear. He didn't even know how to react. She continued staring him down with cold, hard eyes that made the brisk winter air feel like a little mild breeze. But Gaara refused to break under her dark gaze. He was notorious for his scowl and blank, but intimidating expression so he wasn't prepared to let a girl weight him down.


Gaara was ready for a rebound until a question slipped her lips. "So," Her head cocked to the side, striking him a perplexed look. "Why are you out here?" The irritated redhead turned his head to the left, thinking of ways to answer her question. She seemed sort of snooty; the type of girl he's never encountered before. However, she did resemble Temari in the littlest way. She has a spunky attitude and a knack for conjuring smart remarks (and their hair is almost the same shade). Nontheless, Gaara wasn't exactly a "fan" of her tone. "I'm out here because I choose to be," He mumbled in a low voice. "What about you?... Why are you out here? Oh... wait... I don't really care. Now, if you excuse me, I have things I need to tend to." His attention returned to his bass, his fingers swiftly gliding along the neck of his instrument. He was hoping to ward her off with this method, but perhaps it would prove to be useless.

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[HIKARI]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 450px;][style=text-align: center; font-family: arial narrow; font-weight: 100!important; color: #494949; font-size: 25px;]i'm not sorry[/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5;]i met you; i'm not sorry it's over. i'm not sorry there's nothing to save.[/style]

[atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 120px;] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; height: 400px; padding: 10px; width: 300px;][style=background-color: #e9e7e7; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; padding: 7px; height: 330px; overflow: auto; font-size: 10px; text-transform: lowercase;]raising an eyebrow at his words, hikari exhaled, watching the white cloud fade into thin air. rude, aren't you? she thought to herself, as his gaze returned to his instrument. backing up a little, her poker face morphed into a vague scowl. in all honesty, she wasn't irritated in the slightest -- this was the sort of conversation she liked. now if he only wasn't such a jerk. "what a charmer," she muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. backing up a tiny bit, her stare dropped from the top of his head to his hands on the bass -- he was obviously a skilled player, and she was just a little jealous. the blond had always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, but never had the time. she could play the piano, but she was by no means anywhere near as good as he was on the bass. when he shifted in his seat, she suddenly realized that if he stood up he would probably be a lot taller than her. and that he could crush her if he wanted. maybe, for once, she hadn't thought things through perfectly. but...he didn't really seem like he would actually hurt her. "i'm hikari." she said blankly, stuffing her hands in her pockets. the junior knew that he didn't give a damn, but she didn't care. her parents had taught her to introduce herself when meeting a new person -- apparently, it had been drilled so deeply into her brain that she did it automatically. [/style] [style=font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; text-align: justify; background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 7px; height: 15px; overflow: auto;]TAGS gaara. WORDS idek, bro. NOTES trollololol she's not going to leave you alone gaara.[/style]

[style=font-size: 10px; text-align: center; font-family: arial;]template by jetplane of love stamp[/style]

[GAARA]

Winter Blues
What a beautiful sound

Like a breath of fresh air
I regain lost ground



Above the silence that saturated the atmosphere, he could hear her huff out a sigh. This suggested that she was put off by his rude remark. "What a charmer," she mumbled in a sarcastic tone. Gaara looked at her from the corner of his eye. He was slightly amused by this conversation; he thought it would've been much more irritating and difficult to deal with, but so far this was tolerable. Only, he frowned upon her rotten attitude. From the corner of his eye, he caught her staring intensely at his bass. Although, he wasn't sure whether or not she was interested in his bass. Perhaps it was his method of playing or the music itself? Either way, he didn't care. But he had a slight idea that she enjoyed listening to music. Still refrained from caring, though.

The silence was thickening, like a fog, and it was driving Gaara insane. He relished in silence, but he certainly didn't like to share it. It made him anxious. But, luckily for him, the blonde began to speak again. "I'm Hikari." She announced, shoving her hands in her coat pockets. The redhead glanced up at her with dull eyes. He didn't ask her for her name, in fact, he honestly couldn't care less. She was probably just being polite, but her common courtesy was too much for Gaara to handle. He still couldn't comprehend why she wouldn't leave. Perhaps she found talking to him amusing, or maybe it was a way to pass the time. Either way, he just couldn't begin to understand. But, if she was planning on sticking around, she would probably hound him for his name. So, to spare him the drama, he figured he'd go ahead and introduce himself as well. He cleared his throat and softly said, "My name is Gaara..." He exchanged glances from Hikari to his bass, his expression remaining as blank as a board.

He imagined that exchanging names meant they would be that much closer to each other now. He's seen how easily people form friendships just by simply stating their names. Has he just made a new friend? No, that's impossible. Everyone fears him, excluding Naruto. He refused to believe that this girl wasn't frightened by his dark demeanor. Maybe this is all a bad dream. Only, everything seemed so vivid. The winter's cold breath, Hikari's voice, their conversation. His nerves were beginning to tweak. Because of his lack of integration in society, he doesn't know how to converse properly. And this conversation was beginning to make him nervous.

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[HIKARI]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 450px;][style=text-align: center; font-family: arial narrow; font-weight: 100!important; color: #494949; font-size: 25px;]when there's nothing left to burn,[/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5;]you have to set yourself on fire.[/style]

[atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; padding: 10px; width: 120px;] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style] [style=background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style, background-color: #fefefe; height: 400px; padding: 10px; width: 300px;][style=background-color: #e9e7e7; color: #494949; opacity: 0.5; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; padding: 7px; height: 330px; overflow: auto; font-size: 10px; text-transform: lowercase;]"My name is Gaara..." the redhead muttered. he seemed like he wasn't sure what to say to her. no, he wasn't showing any specific facial expression, but hikari was queen of reading poker-faces. mostly because of the fact that it was usually what her face looked like. staring at him with an even gaze, she blinked when he glanced up at her before looking back at his bass. the blond shifted her weight, turning her head away to stare at the scenery. the silence was heavy, and she honestly didn't know what exactly to do. it was an odd feeling -- hikari almost always knew what to say or do, but she was thrown off kilter by this 'gaara.' wringing her hands a little, she moved again, still unsure what she was supposed to do. she was used to silence, but this was an uncomfortable silence, instead of a comfortable one. "it's nice to meet you, gaara..." the junior said, trailing off awkwardly. she wasn't sure whether he expected her to stay or leave -- maybe he thought they were going to be friends now? he didn't really seem like the sort of person who would assume friendship after only exchanging names, though. perhaps i should just leave, she pondered, not really able to think of anything else to do. it's what he wants me to do anyway. "i...should go, since you want me to." hikari stated bluntly. "sorry for bothering you." honestly, she didn't care if she had annoyed him -- he hadn't seemed very irritated, anyway, so there was no reason to apologize. in fact, he had appeared more amused than anything, but she didn't want to seem too impolite. however, she didn't move yet. if he'd prefer her to stay, she would -- though she was sure he wouldn't want her to. [/style] [style=font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #494949; text-align: justify; background-color: #e9e7e7; opacity: 0.6; padding: 7px; height: 15px; overflow: auto;]TAGS PANDA-KUN WORDS too lazy sorry. NOTES HUMHUMHUM[/style]

[style=font-size: 10px; text-align: center; font-family: arial;]template by jetplane of love stamp[/style]

[GAARA]

Winter Blues
What a beautiful sound

Like a breath of fresh air
I regain lost ground



Moments later, the awkward silence finally passed. "It's nice to meet you, Gaara..." The blonde responded, drifting off of the sentence after she reinstated his name. This peaked the fiery redhead's interest. This was the longest conversation he's ever held with someone besides his siblings and Naruto. It was a bizarre, yet docile feeling. Although he couldn't comprehend the feeling, it drew him to a deep conclusion: maybe, if he tried, he could actually befriend this girl. As odd as that sounded to Gaara, perhaps it is in his best interest to actually try for once. He always bailed when it came to social communication; but not this time. Now that she's here (and they've grown "acquainted" in a peculiar way), why not? However, before he had the chance to speak, she began once again. "I...should go, since you want me to." The junior blatantly stated. "Sorry for bothering you." Gaara hung his head over his bass, unsure what to do in this situation. It obviously seemed as if she was bothered by him, whether it was his attitude or his mien, he wasn't surprised. Making friends seemed more hopeless to him now than ever before. "...Wait." He barked, catching himself before he said anything else. That 'wait' just slipped his tongue, right out of the blue. He didn't know why, either. Perhaps he enjoyed her company? No, that couldn't be right... could it?


After that response, she seemed intrigued with him. He huffed out a heavy sigh, still refraining from making any eye contact with her. He was under a major conflict; between himself. One half suggested he shun her away, the other half suggested he try to convince her to stay. Unnaturally, the other half got it's way. Gaara scooted to the far left side of the bench while mumbling softly, "Here... if you want, you can sit down." His voice was harsh, but hopefully she could understand that he was only trying to be nice. He didn't know if she would accept his offer, but it didn't hurt to ask.

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