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Post by Angela on Sept 29, 2008 21:15:24 GMT -5
Scenes taking place in August 08 will be posted here.
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Post by Angela on Sept 30, 2008 0:53:18 GMT -5
(this is actually posted by Alex aka nicholas, I just moved it here)
Nicholas looked up the driveway at the large house before him. The biggest home he had ever lived in had been one floor, five rooms and one walk-in closet. In California, he had lived in an apartment with his father, and in China, his family's home had been nothing more than a shack. This was a two story house, with an attic too. Already, he was a little intimidated by the new life he was about to begin.
The owners of the house seemed like very nice people. Nicholas' father had talked with them over the phone for Nicholas, gathering information about the house itself and about their lifestyles. They had planned out Nicholas' living arrangements for him, and when his father had explained where Nic would be staying and with who, Nic had agreed.
He'd made the proper arrangements first, of course. The first step had been to apply to Penn State. After two years of no schooling, he had been worried he would not make it into the very prestigious university. But, surprisingly, his top marks from high school and the honors he had received there benefited him greatly. In addition, it seemed the university was pleased to see in his resume that he had taken on a full-time job while out of school, in addition to much community service. Once he had actually been accepted to the school, he began looking for a room, and that was when he made his final plans before he departed.
He had to resign from his job working at the local supermarket in his hometown and pack early. The most difficult part would be leaving his father. Moving was something he was used to, of course. But this move was different. Perhaps, without his father nearby, he was being forced to become a little more independent. He had no one to take care of anymore. No one, except himself.
Having been on a particularly long train ride the past few hours, Nicholas was extremely exhausted. He hefted his backpack from one shoulder to the other, took a deep breath, then began moving forward, rolling his suitcase up behind him. He reached the door, found the bell, and rang it.
Waiting for the door to open with nervousness weighing down in his stomach, he examined his surroundings. Trees were swaying in a breeze that was entirely invisible to him, except for the cool touch of it against his skin. He looked away just in time to see the front door open.
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Post by Angela on Sept 30, 2008 1:27:20 GMT -5
Inside the cozy home of Danil Andropov and his husband, Peter Zemeckis, Zoloto, the six-year-old golden retriever barked at the doorbell, standing at attention. Peter was at the table, setting it for dinner for their new guests. They would be receiving two boarders this year. One of them was arriving today. They didn't really know Nicholas, but when they heard about his plight, Danil and Peter happily agreed t take the young man in. Another young man was also coming to stay, an exchange student from Japan. Danil and Peter volunteered to take him in as well.
Vaska was lying on the bak of the couch, curled up in a ball. The XM radio was tuned to some light jazz, and Danil was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the egg drop soup. They were having some authentic dishes to honor Nicholas's company and make him feel at home. Danil turned the stove to low so that he could answer the door.
"You must be Nicholas Wu," he said with a smile. He had been told the young man was dear, but did not know sign language. "Come in! Welcome to our home." He moved aside so he could let Nicholas come in. Zoloto came over and sniffed him curiously. "Don't mind her," Danil added. "She is harmless."
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Sept 30, 2008 21:48:39 GMT -5
Nicholas looked up in time to see the face of a younger man in front of him. The blonde man couldn't be more than a few years older than Nicholas was. A little taken by surprise, Nicholas almost forgot to watch for what the man was saying.
"Come in! Welcome to our home."
He was able to catch this phrase and, hefting his backpack up once more, followed the other man into the house. He knew he should say something, something to show his appreciation, but he was positively astounded by the house's interior.
It was very much a normal house, but it was the biggest "normal" house he had seen in a long time. It was very comfortable-looking inside, and had an obvious "homey" feeling to it. Nicholas almost felt like he was intruding into the very nice, comfortable life of his hosts.
Nicholas was mustering the courage to thank his host, when all of a sudden, a large golden retriever tottered over to him. It sniffed his shoes first, then began sniffing at his pants. Nicholas couldn't help smiling. The dog was rather cute. As he bent down to pet her, he had the instinct that the other man was speaking to him again. He looked up, one hand scratching behind the dog's ears.
"Don't mind her," Danil said. "She is harmless."
Nicholas smiled back at him and, finally finding the will to speak, asked, "What's her name?"
Then, realizing he hadn't even thanked the poor man yet, he blushed. "Oh, and...thank you very much for letting me stay here. I appreciate it very much."
He tried to remember the names--Danil and Peter. That's what his father had said. But which one was this?
"Danil...?" Nicholas asked, hoping that he had guessed right.
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Post by Angela on Sept 30, 2008 22:08:50 GMT -5
Danil smiled. Nicholas's voice, to his surprise, was fairly normal. It was soft, but he could still hear him and understand him. "Her name is Zoloto," he answered, speaking slowly so the young man could understand what he was saying. "The cat over there is Vaska," he gestured to the black and white ball on the sofa back. "That's right, my name is Danil Andreievich Andropov. My husband Peter is in the dining room, setting the table for dinner. Why don't I show you where you will be staying," he offered when Nicholas looked back at him.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Oct 4, 2008 23:28:52 GMT -5
Danil was very, very friendly, and welcoming, too. Nicholas was almost relieved that Danil had made no reference to his deafness. In fact--if Nicholas hadn't already known that his father had told Danil about his condition--he would have thought that Danil did not know about it all.
"Her name is Zoloto," Danil answered. "The cat over there is Vaska," he gestured to the black and white ball on the sofa back. "That's right, my name is Danil Andreievich Andropov."
Nicholas nodded, watching what Danil was saying. He found it very easy to speak to the older man. He could read him perfectly. Then he realized that the other man was speaking slower for him, and he couldn't help blushing again. His poor host was already making changes for him. Nicholas didn't want him to do that. He opened his mouth to tell the poor man that it was okay, that he could speak normally, but Danil was still speaking.
"My husband Peter is in the dining room, setting the table for dinner."
Once again, Nicholas was taken by surprise. Husband? Had he read wrong? Maybe he was doing a bad job at being a guest already. He watched Danil for some confirmation, but realizing how incredibly rude that was, he quickly looked away. Of course, he had no problem with gay couples. In fact, his first year in San Francisco, he'd had a homosexual friend, named Timmy. Like him, Timmy had been shunned from the rest of the school, so the two of them grew very close. But the next year, Timmy had moved. Nic hadn't heard from him since.
Anyway, to Nic, it was no big deal that Danil and Peter were gay. But he wondered what his father would think if he knew. James had never really approved of Timmy. What would he think now that his son was staying with a homosexual couple?
Nicholas looked up again, feeling shy, just in time to see Danil speak once more.
"Why don't I show you where you will be staying," he offered when Nicholas looked back at him.
Nicholas nodded and smiled. "Ah, yes, please. Sorry...and thank you," he murmured, feeling awful for what he had been thinking. He really liked Danil alot, and he hoped he hadn't come off as rude in his first few minutes here. Already, he was beginning to feel a little comfortable here. "Really, thank you," he said again, trying to reinstate how grateful he was.
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Post by Angela on Oct 5, 2008 19:32:53 GMT -5
Danil smiled gently. "Always glad to help," he said. Now that he was finished with the Russian names, he went back to his normal speed of speaking. "Right this way," he said, and led Nicholas down the hall to the bedrooms. He toruned to him when they got to the end of the hall. "You may stay in either of these rooms. Peter and I have our bedroom here, and there is also a room in the attic. You may look around with me if you like, an you can decide which of these you would like to stay in. The two guest rooms are about the same size, but this one-" He gestured to the one that was opposite from the master bedroom. "- has a bigger closet, but no window. This one-" He gestured to the one that was beside the master bedroom. "- has a smaller closet, but a beautiful window."
They went into the one adjacent to the master bedroom first, and Nicholas was greeted by a nice, homey, clean room, decorated in pale green and white. The window was a nice rectangular shape, longer than it was wide, and there was a painting of a Japanese bridge, much like that painted by Monet, hanging above the bed. The bed was king-size, with a pale green bedspread with white floral pattern on it. On either side of the bed was a nightstand, and on the one closest to the window was a pale green vase, with dark green designs painted on it. Inside the vase were plum blossoms, which Danil had discovered was once China's National Flower. In case Nicholas decided not to take this room, it still applied to Japanese culture for Kyo, their exchange student who would arrive in a few days. The plum blossoms had deep meaning and value in Japan as well.
When they were finished looking in this room, Danil showed him the guest room across the hall. It was decorated in pale blue, and was much like the other room in its layout, except, as Danil mentioned, there was no window. In the pale blue vase on one of the nightstands were a bouquet of lilacs.
After he showed him all that was o be seen in this room, Danil showed Nicholas the attic. It was much larger than the other two rooms, even combined. The attic ran from one side of the house to the other, and on both the front and back of the house there were large, ornately-decorated, arched windows. The attic was basically decorated in a rustic country motif. It had a cozy feel to it. The floors were hardwood, with several red rugs lying sporadically along it. Brown was the pervailant color, along with red. The curtains were done in red, as was the furniture. There was a small pine tree growing near one of the corners of one of the windows, and beside the bed was placed an ornately-decorated red vase, holding red lotus flowers.Overall, this seemed to look like a seperate apartment, but technically it was a large bedroom. There was a large closet, bigger than the other two, and even a sofa which sat diagonally across from the bved, both facing the plasma television screen.
When he looked at him again, Danil asked, "Well, have you decided which room you would like?" he asked.
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Post by marsha on Oct 6, 2008 3:00:45 GMT -5
Na Yoon marched determinedly up the street at a quick pace, her little sister lagging behind. “Na Joon, please hurry, we have to get you registered at school before I have to go to work.” Na Yoon shouted back. It wasn’t the first time in the last two weeks that she had been frustrated to the point of tears. The first time had to be when she arrived home to find her sister waiting for her. Her mother had sent Na Joon to live with Na Yoon for a year, and that was all the letter said. Na Yoon couldn’t believe her luck, now not only did she have her very young son to look after, now she had to care for her 15 year old sister. And why? That’s all she really wanted to know, WHY? What could possibly be the reason for this. Wasn’t it bad enough that she was cast out of her home for being a pregnant? Her father barely even spoke to her and when he did it was never a conversation that she wanted to remember. So why, even though she didn’t feel she had done anything wrong , was she being punished?
“Nana you need to calm down.” Na Joon, who preferred to be called June, said skipping down the street without much of a care in the world. She was pleased as punch to be living in America, even if it was only for a year. She got to see her nephew, which was something she wouldn’t have been able to do if she were still in Korea. The only thing she really missed with Ji Song, her boyfriend, but shh, that’s a secret. “Look, the school is right there, after we finish, I’ll take Pil du home, and you can go straight to work so you won’t be late.”
Na Yoon took a deep breath and smiled. She had to admit that the last few days had been quite a lot easier for her, Na Joon was a very good babysitter, and she felt safe leaving her with the baby. “Okay, okay, I am calm, sorry. I made some chap-chae for you and you know where the baby stuff is. I won’t be home late like yesterday.” The younger girl nodded and gave a thumbs up.
The two sisters walked into the school, Na Yoon pushing Pil du in his stroller. Na Yoon took all the paperwork her mother had sent over and went through it to make sure it was all there. “Hello, I am here to register my sister Na Joon Kim for school,” she said in her best English. Both her and her sister could speak English, but Na Joon seemed to be much better at it than her sister. The woman at the front desk was very polite and helpful and much sooner than she thought it would take they were finished.
“Okay,” Na Yoon said looking at her watch. “I have enough time to walk you back before work.” This city still made her nervous, more or less she feared meeting her cousin or his friends around town or worse them finding her.
“Sure, but I get to drive,” June called out as she took control of the stroller. “Hurry up slow poke.”
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Post by lanie on Oct 6, 2008 4:09:17 GMT -5
Christian lazily pressed a kiss to Alice’s neck before pulling her towards him.
“Mm, what,” she murmured as he kissed her, snuggling up to him. They were in bed, after intending on going to the rink but never getting there.
He chuckled. “Nothing.”
“We should go,” Alice sighed, wrapping an arm around his torso as she rested her head on the pillow, frowning at him.
Christian brushed some hair out of her face, just looking at her as she closed her eyes. “I think we ought to just stay here.”
Alice let out a little groan. “I wish. I’m feeling lazy.”
“That, I couldn’t tell,” he said dryly, smirking when she smacked him in the arm. “What?” He kissed her nose. “We don’t have to go anywhere. Show programs are not time consuming to create.”
She pulled away to flop backwards onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Alice pulled the comforter up to her throat. “But I need to stay in shape. Ergo, we go to the rink!”
Christian didn’t really want to. “Let’s just stay in. Go for a run later if ye feel you’ll gain ten pounds being lazy today.”
“Oh, shut up.” Alice swatted at him. “You know, we need to get married.”
Usually, Christian shied away from such talk. They’d been living together for a few years, ever since they’d arrived in the States, mostly for convenience although they’d been in love and sleeping together for longer than that. He mostly thought marriage was ridiculous, but he did have to consider how Alice’s family was religious and still in the dark about how their relationship really was. Hell, Alice herself was religious, and often mentioned how she felt guilty quite often for her ‘sins’. However, lately her nagging had hit him in a different way. Maybe it would be a better idea to get married, have a family, have that kind of commitment. “We do?” Right now, however, he was just being difficult.
Alice rolled over to frown at him. “Are you saying you’re not committed to me?”
He blinked. “What d’ye mean? Alice, we’ve been together for how long? Six years?”
“See? And you don’t want to get married!” She sat up, covering herself with the comforter, which was ridiculous considering the context.
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” he grumbled. “Baby, I love ye, what more d’ye need?”
“A ring?” Alice suggested almost scathingly. “We’ve had this conversation before! Don’t you want a family? We can’t have kids unless we’re married. You’re nearly thirty, you’re getting too old to just ‘consider’ all this!”
She did have a point. Christian was just arguing with her to be obnoxious, since he thought it was adorable when she was angry. Shaking his head, he pulled her to him, kissing her. “Then marry me,” he said.
Alice blinked at him. “You’ve got to do better than that.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I do have a ring,” he said.
“What?!” Alice practically shouted.
Christian said, “I’m sneakier than ye thought I was, sweetheart.”
She stared at him, open-mouthed, for a few moments. “But—you can’t ask me here!”
“Why not?”
“Because…asking me when we’re naked in bed? That is not romantic!”
“I still asked ye, didn’t I?” Christian couldn’t help but smile at the annoyed look on her face.
Alice frowned, though he could tell her resolve was slipping by the little smile that began threatening her frown. “Ask me again when you’re feeling more romantic,” she said.
He kissed her. “I thought this was romantic,” he murmured, trailing kisses down her neck. “Isn’t it?”
She closed her eyes, enjoying the attention. “Not the kind of romantic I’m looking for.”
“Oh, fine,” Christian told her, running his hands up her body beneath the comforter. “Be that way…”
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Oct 9, 2008 20:53:26 GMT -5
Danil smiled gently. "Always glad to help," he said. Now that he was finished with the Russian names, he went back to his normal speed of speaking. "Right this way," he said, and led Nicholas down the hall to the bedrooms. He toruned to him when they got to the end of the hall. "You may stay in either of these rooms. Peter and I have our bedroom here, and there is also a room in the attic. You may look around with me if you like, an you can decide which of these you would like to stay in. The two guest rooms are about the same size, but this one-" He gestured to the one that was opposite from the master bedroom. "- has a bigger closet, but no window. This one-" He gestured to the one that was beside the master bedroom. "- has a smaller closet, but a beautiful window." They went into the one adjacent to the master bedroom first, and Nicholas was greeted by a nice, homey, clean room, decorated in pale green and white. The window was a nice rectangular shape, longer than it was wide, and there was a painting of a Japanese bridge, much like that painted by Monet, hanging above the bed. The bed was king-size, with a pale green bedspread with white floral pattern on it. On either side of the bed was a nightstand, and on the one closest to the window was a pale green vase, with dark green designs painted on it. Inside the vase were plum blossoms, which Danil had discovered was once China's National Flower. In case Nicholas decided not to take this room, it still applied to Japanese culture for Kyo, their exchange student who would arrive in a few days. The plum blossoms had deep meaning and value in Japan as well. When they were finished looking in this room, Danil showed him the guest room across the hall. It was decorated in pale blue, and was much like the other room in its layout, except, as Danil mentioned, there was no window. In the pale blue vase on one of the nightstands were a bouquet of lilacs. After he showed him all that was o be seen in this room, Danil showed Nicholas the attic. It was much larger than the other two rooms, even combined. The attic ran from one side of the house to the other, and on both the front and back of the house there were large, ornately-decorated, arched windows. The attic was basically decorated in a rustic country motif. It had a cozy feel to it. The floors were hardwood, with several red rugs lying sporadically along it. Brown was the pervailant color, along with red. The curtains were done in red, as was the furniture. There was a small pine tree growing near one of the corners of one of the windows, and beside the bed was placed an ornately-decorated red vase, holding red lotus flowers.Overall, this seemed to look like a seperate apartment, but technically it was a large bedroom. There was a large closet, bigger than the other two, and even a sofa which sat diagonally across from the bved, both facing the plasma television screen. When he looked at him again, Danil asked, "Well, have you decided which room you would like?" he asked. Nicholas followed after Danil, lugging his suitcase up after him. He had a single thought on his mind. He wanted to make a good impression. It was possibly an awful thing to assume, but he felt that these two--Danil and Peter--were probably two of the best people to understand what it felt like to be considered different. The three of them shared that common bond. Nicholas fully appreciated that they were allowing him to stay in their home, and he hoped that they had not gone out of their way to make sure he was comfy. He followed Danil to the end of the upstairs corridor and was stopped just outside several doorways. "You may stay in either of these rooms. Peter and I have our bedroom here, and there is also a room in the attic. You may look around with me if you like, an you can decide which of these you would like to stay in. The two guest rooms are about the same size, but this one-" Danil gestured to the one that was opposite from the master bedroom. "- has a bigger closet, but no window. This one-" He gestured to the one that was beside the master bedroom. "- has a smaller closet, but a beautiful window."Nicholas listened to him intently, then followed him into the first room. The smaller of the two rooms was actually quite cozy. The rather large window had a beautiful, unique view of the world outside Danil and Peter's house, and the entire room was decorated to welcome any person of Asian descent. Nicholas was also amazed by the size of the bed. He'd always had a twin-sized bed, no matter where he had lived. The second room was much the same as the last, though larger and without a window. He liked the decor, the pale blue coloring, because it was very simple and yet comfortable. He was considering saying he would take the room, but he wasn't sure what else Danil wanted to show him, and he had no clue whether it would be rude to choose a room or allow Danil to choose one. To be honest, he had no real preference. Both rooms so far looked wonderful, better than any bedroom he had ever had in his life. But he didn't say anything as he followed Danil up to the final room, in the attic. This room was absolutely huge. It seemed to be its own apartment, with a sort of living room dominating much of the attic space. Taking up at least half of the other end of the room was a partial bedroom of sorts. The bed was just as big as any of the others, and close to it sat a pretty face with red lotus flowers. The windows let in a lot of the sunlight, and the place ultimately looked like a haven. Nicholas automatically knew this was the place he would like to stay. It wasn't because the apartment-like atmosphere of the attic--he was fine having just a bedroom to call his own. What he really liked was that, though the bedroom up here seemed a little isolated, it would at least give him some privacy, and at the same time, he felt that he would be imposing less if he stayed up here. He didn't mean to distance himself from his hosts, but this would at least give them some space in their own home. Nicholas continued to eye the room, his eyes wide despite his usual ability to avoid showing his emotions. He looked up at Danil just in time. Danil asked, "Well, have you decided which room you would like?" he asked.Nicholas was almost stunned by the rooms he was being offered. And he had a choice? Of course, he should have known this would be a wonderful house. He had even insisted on paying rent as soon as he got a job and was making money. And now he knew he'd better earn every penny for his rent, because the rooms this wonderful couple were offering were too amazing! A little stunned, Nicholas froze, unsure what to say. "Uh...wow...umm..." He paused and looked around. "They are all amazing...uhh..." He looked around again, enjoying the beauty of the attic. "...this room will be fine." He couldn't help smiling at Danil again. "Thank you, so very much. I really... could not have asked for a better place to stay..." He set his backpack down on the floor and looked around again, taking in the magnificence of the attic room once more. This was his new home.
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Post by Angela on Oct 9, 2008 23:13:07 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "You are more than welcome here, Nicholas. This is your home now. We want you to feel like it. Downstairs, we have an authentic, homemade Chinese meal for you. We want you to feel at home, so if there is anything you need, anything you'd like, don't hesitate to ask." He smiled. "Would you like to rest for a while, or would you like to eat?"
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Oct 12, 2008 0:20:46 GMT -5
"You are more than welcome here, Nicholas. This is your home now. We want you to feel like it. Downstairs, we have an authentic, homemade Chinese meal for you. We want you to feel at home, so if there is anything you need, anything you'd like, don't hesitate to ask."
Nicholas knew he was in good hands. Danil was such a kind person, and Nicholas could tell that he enjoyed being a host and was eager to help in any way he could. It was obvious he had worked hard to get where he was--to earn a house as magnificent as this--and to share it with strangers! It made Nicholas wonder what exactly Danil's profession was. One day, Nicholas hoped to be just as successful.
Nicholas smiled and nodded. A meal sounded good. He'd actually declined food on the train ride because he'd felt the need to save as much of the little money he had as possible, and he'd been feeling a little uneasy. The train ride itself was fine, but at the time, he'd been worried about what Pittsburgh would be like, as well as who he would be staying with. He had no problems with that now. He could see that he Danil and Peter were going to go out of their way to make his stay comfortable. But Nicholas promised himself one thing. He would insist on paying his own share of the rent, as well as supporting himself as much as possible. He didn't want to impose on the family any more than he had to. They'd already been hospitable enough, and he'd only been here less than ten minutes.
Danil smiled. "Would you like to rest for a while, or would you like to eat?"
As if in answer, Nicholas' stomach rumbled involuntarily. Nicholas blushed again and, feeling silly for blushing so much in such a short time, blushed even further.
"Ah...eat, please. I would appreciate that," he said, nodding his head to hide his embarrassment. He walked over to the nearby bed and set his backpack down on top of it.
The large bed looked plenty inviting, though. But his hosts had been kind enough to cook a meal for him, and besides, he had plenty of time later to get some rest.
Despite the fact that he was becoming quite used to the place already, it was obvious that Nicholas was still a little tense. He could feel that his shoulder muscles were still tight, but he hoped Danil couldn't tell. He smiled. "You'll have to show me back down to the kitchen. I apologize...I've forgotten where it was already."
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Post by Angela on Oct 12, 2008 0:42:02 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "Actually, we're eating in the dining room. Right this way." He led him back down the stairs and through the hall. "Do you-" He paused, realizing he was in front of his guest, and thus he could not see Danil's lips. He turned and smiled. "Do you like shrimp with eggplant and orange chicken?" he asked. "They're some of my favorite dishes, myself. There is also vegetable chow mein, egg drop soup, and several other things I am sure you will enjoy." They continued on their way, Danil making sure to look at Nicholas when he spoke. "I hope you like coconut," he continued.
They walked down the hallway, and into the foyer. They went to the living room, and Danil smiled at Vaska, who was lying by the television, swishing his tail. Though no one was watching it, the television was tuned, for Vaska's entertainment, to a nature documentary on eagles.
rrrrrrrrrAWR! the cat growled and exclaimed, pouncing at the television when he saw an eagle take flight. He pawed at the screen, trying to get through it to catch that pesky bird in the sky. Rowwwwrrrrrowrrrrrr! Vaska exclaimed.
"Don't mind Vaska," Danil commented to Niholas, rolling his eyes with a chuckle.
From the living room, they went to the kitchen directly behind it, and from there, they turned right and went into the dining room. It had a homey feel to it, decorated in soft yellow. The table was set elegantly, and Peter was just setting a large bowl of wontons in the center.
"You must be Nicholas!" Peter said with a grin. "Welcome to our home."
"You may sit wherever you like," Danil said to Nicholas, gesturing to the rather large round table.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Nov 6, 2008 21:32:58 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "Actually, we're eating in the dining room. Right this way." He led him back down the stairs and through the hall. "Do you-" He paused, realizing he was in front of his guest, and thus he could not see Danil's lips. He turned and smiled. "Do you like shrimp with eggplant and orange chicken?" he asked. "They're some of my favorite dishes, myself. There is also vegetable chow mein, egg drop soup, and several other things I am sure you will enjoy." They continued on their way, Danil making sure to look at Nicholas when he spoke. "I hope you like coconut," he continued. They walked down the hallway, and into the foyer. They went to the living room, and Danil smiled at Vaska, who was lying by the television, swishing his tail. Though no one was watching it, the television was tuned, for Vaska's entertainment, to a nature documentary on eagles. rrrrrrrrrAWR! the cat growled and exclaimed, pouncing at the television when he saw an eagle take flight. He pawed at the screen, trying to get through it to catch that pesky bird in the sky. Rowwwwrrrrrowrrrrrr! Vaska exclaimed. "Don't mind Vaska," Danil commented to Niholas, rolling his eyes with a chuckle. From the living room, they went to the kitchen directly behind it, and from there, they turned right and went into the dining room. It had a homey feel to it, decorated in soft yellow. The table was set elegantly, and Peter was just setting a large bowl of wontons in the center. "You must be Nicholas!" Peter said with a grin. "Welcome to our home." "You may sit wherever you like," Danil said to Nicholas, gesturing to the rather large round table. Nicholas, thinking of his own home, hadn't even considered that dinner would be in the dining room. What a big place this was! As he followed Danil down the hallway, he looked at the pictures on the walls, took in the scent of the place--it almost already felt like home. In a way, it was the home he knew his father had always dreamed of but never had. He had no clue what his father would think if he could see this place. Nicholas looked up and realized that Danil had turned around. There was a warm smile on his face. "Do you like shrimp with eggplant and orange chicken?" he asked. "They're some of my favorite dishes, myself. There is also vegetable chow mein, egg drop soup, and several other things I am sure you will enjoy."Nicholas read Danil's lips and immediately blushed. All of the foods Danil had named were Chinese American foods. Obviously, Danil and Peter were trying very hard to make him comfortable. Nicholas had not had authentic Chinese food, nor authentic Chinese American food in a very long time. Most of the time at home, it was just him or his dad cooking, and what they cooked tended to be meager in "exoticness." Nicholas nodded. "That sounds very good." He lowered his head, realizing that he was talking much more than he had--to strangers--in a very long time. He was always chatting with his dad, but this was different. Around strangers, even friendly ones, he was usually very...quiet. They continued to walk, then Danil turned again, his eyes on Nicholas. "I hope you like coconut," he continued. Nicholas smiled. Even though he understood the context of the question completely, it seemed funny to him, for some strange reason. He nodded. "Coconut is fine." He thought of telling Danil that he loved coconut milk, but felt that was a little too personal. As nice as Danil was, he didn't feel ready to open up yet. They walked in silence into the foyer, then to the living room, where Nicholas spied a large cat lying in front of the TV, his tail swishing back and forth. Though he didn't own a cat himself, Nicholas knew that this was a sign that the cat was either annoyed or excited. He watched, intrigued, as the cat growled and jumped at the TV screen, just as an eagle appeared on the screen. The eagle flew away, and the cat gave a long meow. Nicholas laughed. "Smart cat," he said to Danil truthfully, still grinning. "Don't mind Vaska," Danil commented to Niholas, rolling his eyes with a chuckle.Vaska. Nicholas read Danil's lips and repeated the cat's name in his head. Vaska/ He would have to remember that. The cat looked like it could provide a lot of good, quiet company. Animals were good like that, giving a person the right amount of companionship, without bothering them in the least. And they seemed to understand what other people could not. Nicholas, who had always considered getting a pet, was already fond of the animals. It seemed like Danil and Peter's home was the perfect haven for him, thus far. When Nicholas entered the dining room, he felt as though he had walked right into a home in a movie. The dining room had a cheerful atmosphere--the yellow colors of the room were not too bright and not to mallow. The table was already set, and the food on it looked delicious. Nicholas felt his stomach rumble again and hoped Danil had not heard it. That was when he noticed the other man in the room. This could only be Peter. He wasn't much older than Nicholas, if he was even older at all. He too looked very friendly and, after setting a bowl of wontons on the tabletop, he turned to Nicholas with a grin on his face. "You must be Nicholas!" Peter said with a grin. "Welcome to our home."Nicholas nodded awkwardly, smiling. He was trying to think of something he could say to Peter--maybe give his thanks, or even just say hello--but Danil spared him from saying anything at all. "You may sit wherever you like," Danil said to Nicholas, gesturing to the rather large round table."Oh." Nicholas looked around the table. It was certainly big enough to fit a lot of people, but he didn't want to impose. He might pick Peter's favorite chair, who knew? But it looked like he was going to have to decide either way. Finding no alternative, he decided to sit in the chair closest to him, one that was also close to the head of the table's chair. He looked up at Danil and Peter awkwardly. "Are you sure there is nothing I can do...you know...to help set up the table...or anything?"
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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2009 1:37:20 GMT -5
Danil and Peter sat down with Nicholas. "So, what would you like to drink, Nicholas? Is there a shorter name you would like to be called, like Nick, or Nicky?" Peter asked. "We have tea, water, sodapop, coconut milk, chocolate milk, regular white milk, apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, we can make smoothies or juice cocktails if you want. Babe, what do you want?"
"I think I'll have a banana-raspberry smoothie, with coconut milk," Danil said. Peter grinned.
"I'm going to have a lime-kiwi one myself. In the meantime, help yourselves. Nicholas, what would you like to drink? We can make any manner of smoothies if you are interested. We have apples, oranges, limes, lemons, kiwis, strawberries, raaspberries, blackberries, blueberries, by the way all the berries are fresh-picked. We can either have them with yogurt, or milk, or just the fruit."
"I'm going to try some of that orange beef with the orange chicken, and see which I like better," Danil said as he served himself. "This is the first time I've ever tried the beef."
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Jan 31, 2009 2:51:42 GMT -5
Nicholas immediately felt better when Danil and Peter joined him in sitting at the table.
"So, what would you like to drink, Nicholas? Is there a shorter name you would like to be called, like Nick, or Nicky?" Peter asked.
Nicholas waved a hand. "Uh, whatever's easiest for you. Some people call me Nic, others Nicholas." He honestly didn't mind what he was called, although he thought that perhaps Nicky would make him sound like a child. But, as this was not his house, Danil and Peter truly could call him whatever they liked.
"We have tea, water, sodapop, coconut milk, chocolate milk, regular white milk, apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, we can make smoothies or juice cocktails if you want. Babe, what do you want?"
"I think I'll have a banana-raspberry smoothie, with coconut milk," Danil said. Peter grinned.
"I'm going to have a lime-kiwi one myself. In the meantime, help yourselves. Nicholas, what would you like to drink? We can make any manner of smoothies if you are interested. We have apples, oranges, limes, lemons, kiwis, strawberries, raaspberries, blackberries, blueberries, by the way all the berries are fresh-picked. We can either have them with yogurt, or milk, or just the fruit."
Nicholas was tempted to ask for either tea or chocolate milk (which he had grown extremely fond of ever since he had moved to the States), but he figured that perhaps it would be best to drink something a little less common this time round. At the same time, he also didn't want to put Danil or Peter through the trouble of making an extra smoothie, especially when they had taken the time to make such a large dinner. Anything cold and refreshing would do.
"Just coconut milk is okay for me," Nicholas told Peter. "Thank you," he added.
"I'm going to try some of that orange beef with the orange chicken, and see which I like better," Danil said as he served himself. "This is the first time I've ever tried the beef."
Nicholas liked the sound of "orange beef". He had never heard of it before, but it sounded possibly more delicious than orange chicken! When Danil had taken a little bit of the food, Nicholas followed in his wake to take some portions of the orange beef himself. He picked up his chopsticks and bit into the meat. The beef was extremely tender, and the orange sauce gave it just the right sort of sweet, tangy flavor. It was delicious.
"Wah," Nicholas said, his eyes wide with surprise. "This is delicious!"
He looked from Danil to Peter. "You...you made this?"
It had been so long since he had eaten such fine food that he had become speechless. He was considering telling Peter and Danil that, with their skills, they could open a restaurant, but he decided against it. He didn't want to sound like he was over-flattering the hosts, even though he was genuinely impressed with their cooking skills. He'd always enjoyed cooking too. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from them.
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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2009 3:24:18 GMT -5
The couple grinned with pride. "We made everything from scratch. We usually do with all our foods. You should try our pizza. It's to die for!" He served himself some food, then left to go to the kitchen so he could make the smoothies and get Nic his milk.
"So, Nic, what are you studying at school? Peter is studying to be a teacher."
Peter returned in a few minutes with three large chilled glasses, two were garnished with fruit and whipped cream. Danil's cold glass had Mickey Mouse on it, while Peter's had the Steelers logo on it. Nic's had an outline of a ship on it. Underneath it, in elegant writing, were the words "The Nina." Apparently it was a collector's glass marking Columbus's discovery of America.
"Nic was just telling me a little about his studying and his goals," Danil summarized.
"That's great! So do you play any sports, enjoy any activities?" he asked.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Jan 31, 2009 13:18:36 GMT -5
The couple grinned with pride. "We made everything from scratch. We usually do with all our foods. You should try our pizza. It's to die for!"
Nicholas actually smiled. It sounded like he had found quite the household. Danil and Peter were very kind, and it was obvious that they took care of each other well. And he couldn't deny, the sound of pizza "to die for" was pretty tempting.
As Peter left for the kitchen to get their drinks, Danil spoke with Nicholas.
"So, Nic, what are you studying at school? Peter is studying to be a teacher."
Nicholas thought about the question. "Well, it is good Peter knows what he wants to study. But...I haven't really found a focus for myself yet..." He paused, then added, "I like mathematics very much."
Peter returned in a few minutes with three large chilled glasses, two were garnished with fruit and whipped cream. Danil's cold glass had Mickey Mouse on it, while Peter's had the Steelers logo on it. Nic's had an outline of a ship on it. Underneath it, in elegant writing, were the words "The Nina." Apparently it was a collector's glass marking Columbus's discovery of America.
When Peter returned with his glass, Nicholas thanked him and immediately took a sip. The coconut milk was extremely refreshing. He was glad he had chosen it as a drink. On the side of his glass, he could see the outline of a ship and the words "The Nina", though he had no idea what "The Nina" was.
He looked up from his drink and saw Peter look his way.
"That's great! So do you play any sports, enjoy any activities?" he asked.
Nicholas wiped his mouth. "Um...I guess I don't play a lot of sports. I like riding my bike," he added lamely. Mostly, he was a mellow kind of person. He liked doing simple things, like reading and cooking--spending time with family. "I used to play piano for a while," he told them. It occurred to him that perhaps Danil and Peter were very big on sports, and he felt bad that his list of hobbies lacked a sport at all. It wasn't that Nicholas was bad at playing sports, nor was it because he disliked them. Perhaps he had never really found the time or the people to play sports with. He added softly, "Do you like a lot of sports?"
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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2009 17:18:30 GMT -5
"We have wonderful mountain trails here, perfect for riding bikes, and hiking," Peter said. "My brothers and I ride up to the mountains all the time. We still do one in a while. Danil will join us sometimes as well. We actually could go maybe this Saturday together, if you don't have plans." He and Danil had a special pinic planned for the following day, so it worked out well for everyone.
"Peter's taught me how to bowl, whih is fun. We also play badminton, tennis, American football, football, and basketball. But mostly, we too enjoy the quiet things. Movies, good music, books, board games, card games, things like that."
"You're going to fit in well with us I think," Peter said.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Jan 31, 2009 20:16:44 GMT -5
"We have wonderful mountain trails here, perfect for riding bikes, and hiking," Peter said. "My brothers and I ride up to the mountains all the time. We still do once in a while. Danil will join us sometimes as well. We actually could go maybe this Saturday together, if you don't have plans."
Nicholas felt a little unsure. Hiking sounded like the perfect kind of sport for him. It didn’t really involve much social interaction, but still provided him with a healthy activity. At the same time, he felt like joining Danil and Peter on Saturday would be like intruding on their plans. Plus, he should probably end up looking for a job pretty soon, and maybe it was best he did that the next day.
“Er, well…” he sighed, weighing his options. It wasn’t good to just avoid his hosts. Even if he was imposing, they were at least offering. And wouldn’t it be worse if it looked like he was trying to avoid them? “I…” He paused again. “I don’t really know yet. I wanted to start looking for a job. Right away. But…”
He looked up at Danil, then at Peter. Both had pleasant, cheerful expressions on their faces. And yet, while they were simply being wonderful hosts, having them both look at him made him feel as though he were being put on display—the way he had felt when he’d first arrived in America.
He tried to shake away his awful feelings. “I’m sorry,” he told them, even though they didn’t know what he had been thinking. “I will try to make sure I have an answer for you by the end of the night.”
"Peter's taught me how to bowl, which is fun. We also play badminton, tennis, American football, football, and basketball. But mostly, we too enjoy the quiet things. Movies, good music, books, board games, card games, things like that."
"You're going to fit in well with us I think," Peter said.
Nicholas nodded and smiled slightly. He too enjoyed all the “quiet” things Danil and Peter liked. He also liked badminton, which was a sport that he was fairly good at, but one that he rarely played. Back in China, it had been extremely popular, but once he had moved to America, there really hadn’t been any room for badminton.
“Thank you,” Nic said quietly, delicately taking an egg roll off one of the center plates. He let it sit in the leftover orange sauce on his plate, then took a bite out of it.
Delicious. Better than any Chinese American food he had ever had before. He took another sip of the coconut milk and felt that, because he was not talking, the atmosphere was becoming awkward again. He knew it was his fault. If it had been only Danil and Peter, there would be lots to talk about. But the two other men were attempting to accommodate him by heavily including him in their conversation. And yet, he was so awful at talking.
Feeling completely awful, he mustered up the courage to ask a simple question.
“Er, as I said, I would like to help pay the rent. Do you know where there are any good places hiring?”
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Post by Angela on Feb 1, 2009 4:35:23 GMT -5
"My brother owns a coffee shop," Danil answered, as he took a bite of the orange beef. "Delicious, if I may say so. Anyway, they are always looking for some kind of help there. The rink I train at could also use some more employees. Would you like me to ask around for you, put in a good word for you? My brother's old coach owns the rink," he continued.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 1, 2009 19:35:29 GMT -5
"My brother owns a coffee shop," Danil answered, as he took a bite of the orange beef. "Delicious, if I may say so. Anyway, they are always looking for some kind of help there. The rink I train at could also use some more employees. Would you like me to ask around for you, put in a good word for you? My brother's old coach owns the rink," he continued.
Nicholas listened to Danil carefully and blushed at the other man's offer.
"Oh, it...You don't have to do that," he said quietly. "I was planning on looking around for jobs, but...I would definitely like to look into applying to one of those places."
He thought about his options. In Connecticut, he had worked in a supermarket and had therefore dealt with many people in one day. Yet, at the same time, all of those people had been people he knew. His hometown in CT was small, so everyone knew everyone. Pittsburgh was much, much bigger. He wondered if he had the confidence it took to deal with so many people here. He liked cooking, but he wondered if he would be any good at the cafe. He didn't want to destroy their good reputation by getting the orders mixed up or anything. Perhaps the rink would be a safer choice.
Having considered his situation, he knew that he would still look in the newspaper for other jobs, just in case he could find one more suitable for him. But right now, working at the rink really did not sound all that bad. He looked up at Danil.
"Is the rink very far from the university? Maybe I would not mind a job there..."
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Post by Angela on Mar 2, 2009 22:40:55 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "I understand the mindset. You want to earn your job by yourself. But there is nothing wrong with taking some hints. My brother and I were poor, and our families taught us the value of hard work. But no one can do it 100% alone. The rink is in Southpoint, about ten minutes drive from the university you're going to. The train station is about five minutes walk from here, or we could give you rides or help you find transportation. The rink is closer t the university than the cafe is, so that might be a good thing for you." He sipped his drink. "How are you enjoying the food, Nic? If you have any criticism, please share it. We wanted to make you feel at home but we've never made these foods from scratch before, so we apologize if they are not done correctly."
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Mar 17, 2009 0:07:55 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "I understand the mindset. You want to earn your job by yourself. But there is nothing wrong with taking some hints. My brother and I were poor, and our families taught us the value of hard work. But no one can do it 100% alone."
Nicholas blushed a little more. Yes, he did want to get the work on his own. But it wasn't that he didn't want Danil's help. He just felt uncomfortable making Danil or Peter go to any special lengths helping him to get a job. Perhaps, if he could not do it on his own, he didn't deserve the job at all. Still, from what Danil had said, Nicholas felt he could at least relate to Danil and his family.
"The rink is in Southpoint," Danil was saying, "about ten minutes drive from the university you're going to. The train station is about five minutes walk from here, or we could give you rides or help you find transportation. The rink is closer to the university than the cafe is, so that might be a good thing for you."
Nicholas nodded. As he'd listened to the locations of each workplace, Nicholas confirmed his own thoughts of checking out the university first thing. The job seemed to be a simple one. While a cafe was not difficult, it probably meant more customer interaction. Silly as it sounded, he really wanted to avoid that kind of thing.
He shook his head. "Please...don't trouble yourselves. I can walk to the train station. It is not...too far."
He took another sip of his coconut milk, then ate a little bit more of the chicken on his plate. He hadn't put much food on it to begin with, so he was going to have to get more soon.
Danil spoke to him once more. "How are you enjoying the food, Nic? If you have any criticism, please share it. We wanted to make you feel at home but we've never made these foods from scratch before, so we apologize if they are not done correctly."
Nicholas stopped eating, unsure of how to respond. He thought the food was delicious. It wasn't really Chinese food, but it was certainly the best Chinese American style food he had ever eaten. He didn't want to offend his hosts' feelings by saying it wasn't exactly like Chinese food--it wasn't their fault they didn't have the proper Chinese ingredients, especially since some could only be found in China! The food really was delicious, and they had obviously done a wonderful job preparing it!
He cleared his throat. "Well...it has been a while since I have had Chinese food. We don't eat it as much at home. But this is very, very delicious." He paused, then added, "Thank you." He looked from Danil to Peter. "You...like to cook?"
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