EARLY MORNING MEDITATIONS *

[ANASTASIA LEONI]

---

The campus was unusually quiet that morning, but Anya was more than ready to take full advantage of it. As soon as the library was open and available she had found herself a cozy corner inside, stealing a table near a window so that she might have something to look out at from time to time. The weather had yet to start making the change from summer to autumn/winter, and that suited the brunette just fine. Perhaps when she was finished she would go for a walk outside, she thought to herself as she settled back against her chair.

She held her book against her chest for a moment, simply gazing outside as her mind slowly began to pull away from the campus and re-enter the events of the last little while. It was so hard for her to focus at work these days when he was around. Perhaps if he had been less charming and more of an arrogant jerk she wouldn't be having this problem. But alas, he was charming, very much so. And his gentle temperament was enough to put Anya at ease even when she felt like she was reaching her end point of stress. When her examinations had come up last year she had been a mess, barely having slept or ate because of all the time she had been spending in the studio to work on her final project. It had to be perfect...and yet every time she was in there she felt like she was taking two giant steps backward. And he had apparently taken notice. The next thing she knew there had been a coffee waiting for her when she had come into work the next day, set beside a chicken wrap and tucked quietly behind the main counter of the store.

Perhaps that was the moment when she had come to realize just what she felt for him.

A soft sigh fell from the lips of the young woman as she continued to stare outside, her head subconsciously tilting to the one side. Had it meant anything more than friendship though? Short of blatantly asking him she felt like she was completely in the dark about the situation, and that unnerved her a little. Her life back in California hadn't exactly prepared her for these moments, and she had never truly had a mother figure whom she could approach about these things. Anya had had to struggle and learn all on her own. Which was great...until the moments like these when she felt like she was wandering blindly toward a cliff.

She hugged the book a little tighter to her chest, pulling her knees in as well. If there was some kind of positive sign that things might work out in her favour than she would have gladly taken the chance to spend a little more time with him. But since there was nothing at all in either direction, good or bad, she was left in a rather hopeless state of mind. Was it worth the risk to ruin the friendliness that they shared if she were to be wrong? It was entirely possible that he would reject her...but entirely possible that he wouldn't.

Anya closed her eyes tightly. She was going to end up with a headache if she kept this up.

WORD COUNT: 556
TAGGED: OPEN

[KYLIE BIGGS]

That morning seemed to be a typical morning to Kylie, getting up at a reasonable time, having a shower. Then all of a sudden it was like the atmosphere in the dorm room changed as Hartley demanded that Kylie leave so she could study. “Why do I have to leave, you can always leave?” Kylie didn’t understand why she couldn’t stay and study in THEIR room. Nevertheless, Hartley stood her ground and Kylie was rushed out the door, grabbing her bag with whatever contents was in it. 

Headed down the hallway Kylie wasn’t sure where she was headed. She knew she needed to grab some breakfast, she changed directions and headed towards the cafeteria. Kylie poured coffee into a medium sized cup and began adding some milk and sugar to it, stirring it before grabbing a blueberry muffin. Kylie paid for her coffee and muffin and continued on her way figuring out where she was going to work on her drawings.

Walking by the library, Kylie thought about whether or not she should head inside. Deciding that there probably be many people inside the library this morning.Kylie rushed to finish her blueberry muffin, missing the chance to thoroughly enjoy it. After she finished her coffee and muffin, Kylie popped a piece of mint gum in her mouth and walked inside. Walking into the library Kylie was disappointed, there was more people in the library than she was expecting. 

Disappointed she made her way through the busy library to a table just on the inside of the window. Across from her sitting at a table beside the window was a brunette girl who seemed to be in her own world completely. It wasn’t until the girl opened her eyes and looked back at Kylie; did she realise she had been making a ruckus of noise. “Sorry” Kylie said as she quietly sat down. 

After sitting down, Kylie opened her backpack and began rustling through it looking for her doodle pad. Every chance Kylie got she was drawing, it made her grounded. It was important for her to feel grounded, especially when she was moving around a lot as a kid. It gave her the talent to be in the animation program, and for that she would be forever grateful.

[ANASTASIA LEONI]

---

It didn’t seem to matter where she was or what she was doing, someone always managed to find her little safe haven and create a fuss. It had happened so many times at the bookstore that Anya had lost count of the number of times she had had to ask customers to be a little quieter and respect the other people around them. And that was just in a store, nevermind a library where there was almost always someone watching to make sure that there was no mischief happening within those walls.

The brunette raised her head a little when she heard someone else come in, a quiet eyebrow silently raising in her direction. Really? At this time of the morning she felt it was necessary to make that much noise? The thought to say something to the other girl crossed her mind, but she seemed to beat Anya to it. As the apology tumbled past her lips, Anya offered her a half shrug. ”That good, huh?” she asked.

She had no idea of what time it even was in there. But it was certainly too early for most other people to even fathom being awake unless they were on their way to a Monday morning class. Evidently, that wasn’t the case with this girl. And if Anya were a betting woman she would lay odds that the girl wasn’t really all that impressed with the fact that she was sitting in the library already. So why the hell was she here?

Anya cast a quiet glance around the interior of the library, taking stock of the number of people who had already wandered inside. There were only a few, and the librarian was notably absent for the time being. She closed her book, using her finger to mark her page as the spines closed around it. ”You know, there are other places on campus you might enjoy a little more than the library,” she offered quietly, leaning forward so that she could talk to her without creating too much noise for someone else. ”Like...the hill beside the sports field? Or the fountain?” And when she realized that her offer probably sounded like she was being catty for earlier, she again offered the girl a half shrug. ”The library isn’t everyone’s favourite place to be. You look like someone who doesn’t really like being caged in.”

She didn't know where such an assumption came from, but that was the sort of vibe that Anya was getting just from looking at the girl's face. She looked...well, she wasn't entirely sure what she looked like. But she knew for certain that she wasn't one of the girls who lived in Delta Pi. They wouldn't be caught dead in the library at this time of the morning unless they wanted to be mistaken for a Beta Chi Nu. And those girls would see it as a grave insult to have one of the Delta Pi's mistaken for someone of their own house.

Such were the rivalries around campus at Brighton University.

WORD COUNT: 516
TAGGED: KYLIE BIGGS

[KYLIE BIGGS]

When the brunette responded to her ruckus she couldn’t help but twirl around with a frustrated glare, “It’s been quite the morning, I’m sorry. This is really not normal for me” Kylie pleaded, hoping the girl wouldn’t judge her too harshly. Kylie was usually so soft spoken and shy, not this loud, disruptive person. As she settled further into her chair, she closed her eyes and began to breathe in and out quietly. Hoping to bring her down from the crazy morning she had with Hartley. Replaying it over in her head, she decided it was time to let it go, she knew there was no sense in stewing over the events that took place. Clearing her mind Kylie began to focus on her breathing 'in, out, in, out', Kylie told herself mentally. It was working, her mind was becoming blank, she loved being able to meditate. It was a skill she had picked up years ago and was something that she practiced daily.  

A brief moment had passed and the brunette girl across the table spoke again, and Kylie opened her eyes and began to listen. When she first spoke she came off extremely rude and Kylie could feel herself getting riled up again, was someone seriously trying to kick her out of another place today? She didn’t think she could handle it, she was about to snap back at the brunette when her next comment came. “I thought about heading elsewhere but I was kind of hoping for somewhere quiet and peaceful” Kylie paused for a brief moment, before continuing, “little did I know, I was the bull in the china shop” Kylie half chuckled before turning her attention back to her notepad. 

Kylie started sketching, the brunette sitting across the table holding her book seemed like good inspiration. Kylie began drawing a princess with long flowing dark brown hair, wearing a gold tiara topped with blue gems. She began drawing the princess dress, it was a ball gown. Since most princesses seemed to wear those types of dresses. The beautiful princess was holding a book in her gloved hand, that extend up to her elbows. The princess had admiration in her eyes, as this princess loved to read. She continued filling the sketchpad with more detail regarding the princess including shading, accessories, and shoes. Once the princess was completed Kylie began filling in the background, it only seemed fitting to place this princess in her own personal library.

[ANASTASIA LEONI]

---

Dark eyes continued to watch the red head for a moment, curious to know what it was that would bring her storming from her rooms at such an hour of the day. Obviously it wasn't anything good if her behaviour had anything to say in the matter. She looked rather irked...but as the moments passed and the other girl closed her eyes, Anya watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. The lines in her face began to soften, the muscles of her body losing their tension. Evidently she was working herself through some kind of personal process in order to let all of this silliness go.

But a bull in a china shop. What an accurate description she had chosen to paint of herself.

After a moment she no longer seemed to be bothered by the thing that had driven her into the comforts of the library anymore. And why was that? Though she tried not to hold any lasting grudges herself Anya knew that she could be bad for it at times. It was simply a part of her personality that had developed a long time ago, when she was still living in California and utterly surrounded by political aspirations and deceit. "If it makes you feel any better, the only thing broken was the silence," Anya offered to her with a small, knowing smile. "But you're quite lucky that such a thing is easily repaired."

Then again, perhaps the library could do with a little innocent conversation. She knew that they certainly wouldn't be the first people who had ever uttered a sound within those walls, and she was reasonably confident in thinking that they would not be the last.

Anya glanced over at the girl again, noting that she had now taken up a sketch pad and started to let her mind wander away from their brief conversation onto something else entirely. She had no skills as an artist. Her stick people were horrendous and should never be allowed to see the light of day. But she knew that there were several other people around the school who possessed abilities in some form of the arts, and she appreciated those people and their talents. Without them there would be no music. No illustrations in books, no artwork on the walls, no theatre... And without those art forms there would only be so many things that challenged the mind to think outside of its little box and consider the rest of the world.

She settled back in her seat, smiling softly as she lowered her eyes back to her book and opened its pages again. She scanned for the place that she had left off, finding it quite easily. "I'm Anya, by the way," she offered the girl quietly, knowing that she would either be heard or not, depending on how deeply invested in her drawing the other girl was. Either way, she might as well be polite and make the offer. Her face wasn't familiar so she knew that they didn't share any classes together. Was that because she was younger or had jut chosen other majors to pursue?

WORD COUNT: 525
TAGGED: KYLIE BIGGS

[KYLIE BIGGS]

After Kylie had finished the outline for her princess, she turned to her backpack that was sitting on the chair next to her. She unhooked the straps on the outside of the bag and flipped them over one at a time before lifting the top of her backpack off, so she could see it’s contents. Kylie fiddled through her bag until she found her case full of coloured pencils. She began shading in the character when she heard the brunette speak again. Looking up from her drawing to give her Kylie’s full attention, she listened as the girl made a light joke about silence being the only broken thing. “I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed you this morning, I really would hate to have done that” Kylie apologized again, she did feel guilty.

After shading most of the princess Kylie looked up from her drawing and back at the girl who was sitting across from her. She caught her looking back at Kylie, at first she felt awkward and looked away. She wasn’t used to people looking at her, or really even talking to her. In high school she never received the amount of attention she is receiving now. Between meeting people at the school fountain, her awkward relationship with her roommate Hartley, and becoming friends with Danielle Winters. Kylie remembered how far she had come since her high school days. She figured she may as well take the chance and try to get to know this girl. After all making friends was on her list of goals for college. Kylie really hoped she could make more friends, she wanted to have as many as possible. Kylie wasn’t the type of person to have many people she disliked or who disliked her.

“I’m Kylie, it’s so nice to meet you” Kylie said with a smile on her face, she was trying so hard to leave behind the girl she used to be. She didn’t want to be known as the girl who didn’t have any friends anymore. “What brings you to the library today?” Kylie asked as she looked down to the book the girl was reading. She hoped the girl wouldn’t mind some light conversation and after the morning she’s had, Kylie just wanted to relax and unwind. It had been an adjustment living with Hartley. Kylie didn’t mind most days but it was difficult on days like today when she was bossy or when Kylie had Danielle over. Since the two had a famous feud. Kylie didn’t understand the feud because she liked both girls, but she liked them for different reasons. Hartley was courageous and pursued her dreams, regardless of what she has to do to get there. Kylie admired her drive, it was a quality that she wished she had more of. While Danielle helped break Kylie out of her shell. She would be forever grateful for that, she felt extremely blessed to have a friend like that.

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Work Count: 491 | Tagged: ANASTASIA LEONI

[ANASTASIA LEONI]

---

The fact that she seemed to genuinely worry about having disturbed Anya when she came into the library was actually kind of nice. In her experience, most people tended to be so absorbed in their own lives that they weren't too concerned with other people or the individual needs that they might have at the time. As long as it suited them, that was the extent of their worry. "Don't worry about it," Anya shrugged at her. "Sometimes I think that the rules are meant to be broken a little anyway."

The smile spread a little more across her lips. Kylie. It was a name she hadn't heard too many times before. But it was nice...and it seemed to suit the girl in front of her quite well. "Nice to meet you too. I, um...I couldn't sleep any longer. I figured I might as well come and get a jump start on some reading."

It was Monday morning after all. Even though she had some time before her first class there were still things that needed to be done. She had other books that she really needed to crack open for her history classes. But...perhaps those could wait for a little while longer.

Dark eyes glanced around the library at the other people in the room, glad to see that they hadn't yet managed to disturb anyone else with their talking. Good. That meant they wouldn't have to contend with the dark glares of the other people who were trying to find some kind of solace in the silence of the library. Anya leaned forward a little more, tilting her head as a look of question moved across her face. Kylie had been rather busy with that sketch pad in the last several minutes. First with a regular pencil and then with her pencil crayons. "Do you mind if I ask what you're working on?" she questioned her. "I'm an ancient history major, so I don't really get to see a lot of art in its creation process."

Was that too invasive of a question to ask a total stranger? She quickly pulled herself back in her chair, biting down on her lower lip. "I apologize. That was out of line. You-...you don't have to show me." She'd literally just met the girl and learned her name. Kylie was sure to think that she was a nosy busy-body for having asked to see her artwork while she was putting it together. Geez...she needed a reality check. Anya set her book down on the table and ran her fingers through her hair, working out a random knot toward the ends. Obviously I didn't do a good job of brushing my hair this morning...

And now she just felt awkward. She'd done a brilliant job of making their situation feel like something out of a cheesy high school aged book...

"Anyway...I should let you get back to what you're doing. I apologize for bothering you."

WORD COUNT: 504
TAGGED: KYLIE BIGGS

[KYLIE BIGGS]

Looking down at her notepad and looking back at the brunette, she noticed the similarities in her princess. She hoped she wouldn’t mind her looking a little like her, she wasn’t trying to rip her off, or steal her look. She just seemed pre-occupied with the girl for some reason. “Well, I’m glad you don’t mind, I could use a nice conversation this morning” Kylie paused for a moment before continuing. “ My roommate, ugh, kicked me out this morning. Said she needed to study or something. She is pretty strict” Kylie began rambling.

After introducing herself, she listened as explained what have broughten her into the library today. Reading, that was a hobby that Kylie had never really picked up. She did the readings she had to for school, but outside of that she didn’t read much. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy reading, she just didn’t have the time, and when she did have free time she spent that time drawing. “What are you reading?” Kylie asked. She noticed the history textbooks sitting beside the girl but it didn’t look like that was what she was reading. She hoped she wasn’t being too forward, with the way the girl was talking about breaking the rules, Kylie figured she could get away with asking that type of question.

Kylie was also finished her drawing when the girl asked to see what she was working on. She suddenly felt her face flush as she was about to be judged on her creativity. She was wondering Anya would notice that her princess looked a little like her. Nervously, she looked over to the brunette, “No, I don’t mind. It’s nothing really” Kylie said as she turned around her notepad to show the beautiful fair skinned brunette princess who was inspired by Anya, wearing a beautiful blue ball gown. Topped with a crown containing the same coloured gems. This princess was holding a book with admiration in her eyes, as she loved reading. She was reading in her personal library, that seemed to be bursting with various coloured books. It was almost as if she had read most of the books in that library. As her major loves in her life were her prince, and her love for knowledge. Kylie enjoyed making characters that had heart, and that people could relate to.

Kylie nervously await Anya’s response, getting uncomfortable with the silence she began rambling in order to fill the silence, “I told you, it was nothing really. Usually my stuff is much better”

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Work Count: 421 | Tagged: ANASTASIA LEONI

[ANASTASIA LEONI]

---

It was strange to know that she was sitting in a library, having a conversation with someone, and not yet being scolded for such a thing. Whether that was because no one could hear them or nobody really cared though, she had no idea.

A soft frown formed on her lips as she heard Kylie talk about how she had been practically kicked out of her room by her roommate though. That didn't seem right at all. There were thousands of places for someone to go and study on campus...what right did she have to kick Kylie out of the space that was theirs? "I'm sorry she did that to you," Anya murmured quietly, biting the inside of her cheek to remind herself that she still needed to keep her voice down. "She really has no right to do that to you. Your dorm room is...well, it's the one place on campus where a person can go and just shut the door. What makes her think she has the right to kick you out of that space when it belongs to the both of you?"

Anya had met so many people like that in the last four years though. A number of the girls who belonged to the Delta Pi sorority shared that sort of mentality...that they could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, to whomever they wanted. It drove her absolutely mad! They had no regard for anyone else. As long as they got what they wanted in the end they were happy to use whatever means necessary to achieve their goals.

And what petty goals they often were...

Anya's dark eyes moved back to Kylie's face, softening slightly as she turned her book around to show her the cover. "It's called The Man Who Would Be King." Anya laughed softly. "It's not exactly what I should be reading for my classes, but it's one I've been meaning to read for a while now." She'd always loved books when she had been younger. It let her explore all sorts of different times and worlds, many of which she couldn't simply travel to on her own. She had a growing list of places she wished to see before she died, all written down in a book somewhere within her room so that she could cross them off as she got there. Her father had never been fond of international travel. His job had rarely ever called for it, unless he was going on vacation. But Anya wanted more. And more was exactly what she was going to get when she graduated from university.

When Kylie moved her sketchbook to show her what she had been working on, Anya hadn't exactly known what she expected to see. It could have been almost anything, given how an artist's mind was drawn to things. But to see a princess all decked out in her finery, clenching a book to her chest with that happy expression on her lips...was she meant to remind Anya of herself? Or was that simply how Kylie had seen her in her minds eye? She grinned at Kylie. "It looks absolutely brilliant," she beamed, hoping that her words of encouragement wouldn't be taken badly. She meant it. The picture was beyond anything she could ever hope to draw herself. And even if Kylie were inclined to think that her own work was rudimentary at best, it still brought a smile to Anya's face.

"Is that what you're taking in school then? Art?"

WORD COUNT: 588
TAGGED: KYLIE BIGGS

[KYLIE BIGGS]

Kylie sat looking at her drawing, fiddling with the edges. Showing her nervousness, she wasn’t sure if she was nervous about getting shushed for talking in the library, or waiting to see what Anastasia thought of her drawing. She was hoping she wouldn’t be offended but it wouldn’t be the first time someone had been offended by her drawing. |She would never forget the first time it happened. She had been people watching, not fully paying attention and drawing away and apparently she had been staring too long. The girl was not impressed, she stormed over to Kylie and began freaking out on her. Kylie unsure of how to handle conflict sat there, patiently awaiting the girl to finish her freak out. She apologized profusely and gave the drawing to the girl. She would never forget that day, it horrified her. Since then Kylie has been a lot more stealthy when drawing inspiration for her characters.

“Thanks, it’s not your fault though” Kylie smiled over at Anastasia, it was so sweet that the girl was being genuine. Kylie liked meeting people who were kind hearted like she was, Kylie was all about those feel good vibes. “My roommate is very committed to her program, she made that very clear on the day I met her. Since then she’s been alright, I don’t mind her. She just kicked me out this morning and I wasn’t prepared” Kylie explained. He did enjoy Hartley, she was glad she was her roommate. Although there were times when she wished her roommate was a little bit more friendly. This morning was one of those times.

Kylie watched as Anastasia turned her book around to reveal the title. “That sounds interesting, what’s it about?” Kylie wasn’t much of a reader, she read the odd time. She loved that books open portals to different worlds, filled with wondrous people and characters. Books were always filled with adventure and mystery, Kylie loved that, reading just wasn’t her hobby. Her pride and joy was her ability to draw. Every spare moment she had, she was drawing. Kylie didn’t want to come off as uncultured to Anastasia, so wasn’t sure how to handle this type of conversation. “What are you studying?” Kylie asked politely, she hoped she wasn’t overstepping but it came up so naturally. She was sure it wouldn’t be a problem.

Kylie patiently awaited the reply from Anastasia regarding her drawing. She truly hoped she wouldn’t be offended, she wanted to take her essence and put it into a princess. The moments that took a few seconds to pass, felt like an eternity to Kylie. “Oh thank you, I was nervous you wouldn’t like it” Kylie wasn’t sure why she said it like that, she knew she needed to back peddle but it would only make it more obvious that the drawing took after Anya. “I mean, I’m glad you like it, thank you”

“No, I’m actually studying animation” Kylie said with a smile.

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Word Count: 496 | Tagged: ANASTASIA LEONI