((Mortals only lest Vamps get ashed :-P ))


How she hadn't come across it in the two years she had already been here.. Wow... Miriam hadn't a clue. It was a large structure, a whole section of the city devoted to learning.

Of course the dark haired gypsy knew of college and universities, she wasn't completely ignorant to the world, and she had gon to basic schools back home, but everything ended when she was sixteen, when she had then decided to come to Canada with Kaisa. Could she begin to learn again? Certianly Kaisa wouldn't object. She might even help to pay.

Usualy she was in the shop now, so she barely had a chance to enjoy the nice days, but they had hired a new girl for the day shifts, well not a girl, she was about twenty-two and had a darling little baby of her own. The little boy was so cute! And his mother was working so hard to get by. Kaisa did have a good heart, even if she was a little cold some time.

The lady didn't have to know that it was Miriam who convinced Kaisa to hire her.

but wandering around the campus she was afraid that she would stick out like a sore thumb. But there were so many people wearing so manu different things, that her bright colored skirt didn't stick out at all. It was an odd feeling... But maybe she should go to this place.

Her stomach growled slightly, as it was nearly lunch time, but... Where was there a place to find food? Somewhere to eat.

Blinking... She didn't recognise where she was. She had just been walking, and now... Now she didn't know where to walk back! How could she get back home? How could she get back to the main streets that she knew to find her way home? Her grey eyes were wide with a light panic.

She thought of asking someone, but she didn't know what to say, and she was rather embaresed about her situation. What... What to do...?

“You are the most disgusting person I know.”

Electra grinned even as she watched her sister wrinkle up the cute little nose that they both shared, as if she caught a whiff of something distasteful. All in all Athena or Atty as she was known by friends and people too lazy to say Athena alike, was a cute girl, she had a round face with large eyes, a cute nose and strong cheek bones, but not strong enough to make her look manly in the least. She was pale with white hair cut to her shoulders (real pale, it came with the whole Albino thing, along with the white hair) and Atty’s eyes were a lovely shade of violet that came more from lack of pigment than actual color (again an albino trait) but none the less pretty or not, she was still a total drama queen.

“It’s not that bad, give me a break.” Electra said, staring at her sister with a decidedly delighted smirk on her face.

Atty’s pale, pale face colored, crimson.

“You drank it all and put the carton under the bed!” She shouted, shooting a glare that looked like it would bring the wrath of God.

“Eh,” Was E’s daring response. Something that seemed to sharpen Atty’s wrath as she took a sudden step forward, waving the offending carton in hand. The milk carton had of course seen better days, it had been all but bleached white, well whiter at any rate and it did carry a rather funky aroma, but rolling from her back to her belly upon her bed to give her sister a hard appraisal, E was still not sure what the damned emergency was.

So what, she left the carton under the bed, she’d forgot was all. Luna had come over and had this killer idea for a song and if Atty would ever meet up with them to drop the damned track they might all be swimming in it before they knew it.

But of course good little Atty was all about the school work and sports. The girl ran so damned much that she almost vibrated when she stood still.

Atty glared, a deeper darker glare, as if she were considering if she could make E explode with a glance al ‘a “Scanners” or maybe she was going for that Twilight Zone with the kid that sent people to the corn field…eh…it was hard to tell.

Then she waved the carton again and almost snarled.

“You left it under MY bed Electra. Does that make absolutely no impression on you? I’ve been sleeping on top of this crap for almost a week, cereal and milk that is so old and spoiled that it might very well be ready to take its next step in evolution…”

That got a resounding roll of the eyes. And Electra flopped to her feet in one surprisingly graceful motion (see it wasn’t all Atty, she could be athletic, sort of). And snatching the damned carton out of her hand, she sighed as she ran careful fingers through the red-orange-gold spikes and streaks of her hair.

Then she moved toward the corner where she’d collected old shopping bags and took a single plastic bag, wrapped the damned carton in it and tossed it in little miss perfect’s perfect ebony waste basket and then glared at her expression, took it back out and put it with a little (a lot really) pushing into her own red wire frame trash can to join lots of fast food wrappers and its distant cousins takeout cartons.

“Jesus, happy now Atty?” E asked, and she actually had the nerve to look smug.

“Yep. You know I do it for your own good.” She said, picking up her dark shades and putting them on the slight bridge of her nose.

“You do it because you’re a control freak psychopathic neat freak like mom…” E responded like usual.

And like usual Atty ‘hrmphed’ before muttering. “And you are a total and complete crime against nature and the welfare of living things…like our messy, messy, daddy.”

They both smiled then and got dressed as they were about to take in their usual breakfast down in the cafeteria or the ‘hall or horrors’ as E was likely to say. E was dressed first, her red boxers went into a pair of blue jeans that was topped off with a blood red mesh jersey that had seen lots of cigarette burns and sharp objects. E finished the look with white socks and black Reboks, sunscreen and shades to match the top, red but chrome frosted.

Meanwhile Atty did her make up; lips going red, eyes shadowed and mascara getting in. Then when she was done with that, she slipped on the most boring garment her sister had ever seen, a white sundress that ended just above her nice calves which she paired with equally white and drab sandals that went to show off her finely lacquered toenails. Her shades were dark and her sunscreen smelled a lot like coconuts. All in all it was hard for E to remember they were sisters sometimes, let alone twins, but eh, she guessed she could have done worst in the twin department.

Smiling brightly Atty, opened the door to their room with a laugh.

“Age before beauty, sis.”

E rolled her eyes and walked past Atty, who quickly followed and locked the door behind them. Moving quickly to catch up to her sister and together they took the stairs out of their building and started toward the cafeteria, all accompanied by the usual stares that came with being an albino and or attractive female.

Atty ignored it, but E was tempted to smack one wolf whistler. What the hell was wrong with him, was there a time warp back to the seventies around somewhere that she should worry about? And yet with a nasty little barb from Atty about what his mother must be teaching him, well E felt better, laughed at her other half and actually had to wonder why they called her the wild one. Atty was so much worst than her.

It was only when they were almost to the cafeteria that they both stopped and paused looking at a girl with a look of abject terror on her face. She looked lost, confused, and panicked all at once. Not something to advertise with the local horn dogs about or in any large group of people for that matter.

The twin immediately thought freshman and they both smiled at the chance to help the less fortunate or at least keep her from ending up chum in the water for the sharks. Gotta love college, it was better than the discovery channel sometimes. Darwin would be proud.

“Emm…excuse me.” Atty began.

“Hey newbie, need some help?” E shouted over her, finishing things.

Atty gave her a hard look, on that was like water off the duck’s back with E and together they approached the young woman.

Atty looked at her and smiled.

“What my loud mouthed sister just said…you look new. Need some help? We were heading to the cafeteria to get some eats, do you want to come?”

Her mind was setting itself into panic mode already, simply because she didn't know anyone to help her. Kaisa could find her, Kaisa could find her anywhere some how but she couldn't come out in the daylight, and it would be hours before the sun set.

She couldn't wait that long... She wouldn't starve of course, but she was rather hungry.

But then Miriam's ears caught the magic word. Help.

Looking around she saw two girls near by, and she nearly gasped. Where they ghosts? Or spirits of sorts?

No. Of course not, that was rediculous. They were like... Like the child that had been born in her village when she was little. So pale and sickly, it had problems from the beginning. But they were of the same sort, though apparently healthy.

With this break through in control Miriam took a deep breath to calm herself. "I... I have been here two years... But never before have I come to the university. I wanted to see it... But I'm afraid I don't know where I am anymore." She said sheepishly as her eyes flicked down to the sidewalk.

The girls were alike... Well their faces were. But they were two different people. "I'm afraid I do not get out too much. My work keeps me busy. But I was thinking about attending classes here. You go here I assume?"

E chuckled even as she rolled her eyes.

“Well yeah we go here; we sure as hell don’t hang out here for the fun…” Her smile widened then as she looked back over her shoulder. “Or the guys. Dickless, momma crying assholes.”

Atty looked at her sister darkly, and this was much darker than “the milk carton incident” but in the end she didn’t say anything, at least not to E. Instead she moved toward the new girl and gave her a decidedly more friendly-well actually she gave her the greeting that Electra seemed too cool to give.

“You have to ignore my sister.” Atty said. “She’s a loud mouth, a jerk, and professional rebel without a cause all rolled into one.”

And when E looked at her, Atty’s eyes immediately told her she would not be commenting on the statement. Sure she could have anyway, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Besides no one knew just what to say to embarrass you quite like a twin, it was like it wasn’t so far off when they called one another their other half.

After Atty was sure that E would be on her best behavior she crossed her hands in front of her looking at the troubled young woman with a carefully constructed smile as she spoke.

“I know it’s all kinda strange you know leaving everything and heading for college and trust me I know all about getting lost on campus. It happens to everybody.”

She looked at E then.

“Especially my big sister over there. She can’t seem to find her way to class some days. But we’ll show you around after breakfast if that’s ok. Are you hungry?”

E made a noise deep in his throat, ‘hrmph” kind of sound, but it wasn’t aimed at the new girl so much as it was her sister. Atty was always being all good Samaritan to people, but then again that was just how she was. The girl was a sucker for the underdog.

Letting out a sigh of acceptance E looked the new girl over. She seemed ok enough. At least she wasn’t another ditzy blond cheerleader, fresh out of high school and looking to join one of those sorority abominations.

Eh, whatever.

“Sorry newbie.” E said as pleasantly as she could manage, looking at her sister the whole time. “I’m E and this your messiah is my sister Atty. If you haven’t guessed, were twins. And albino. If you got questions about it, fine. If not, that’s fine too. But we were headed to eat when we ran into you…so you coming or what? I’m starved.”

Miriam's eyes widened at the use of language that seemed to stream effortlessly from the pale girl's mouth and she nearly covered her own ears for the shame of it all! Never had she heard a woman use such words. Maybe a drunken man, or a little boy pretending to be tougher than he is, but a young woman?

But the other, the one in the dress, seemed to be a bit more polite. "I would not ignore her completely of course. Everyone has the right to be heard." Even if she didn't wish to hear such profane words.

"But I live in the city. So I would probably not have to move much. And I certainly would not have to leave all behind." She said with a smile. After all, Kaisa still needed her help, she wouldn't leave the shop. Miriam smiled slightly as the girl in the dress made fun of her sister. Her siblings teased each other all the time, and the looks were always the same. "Oh! That would be wonderful." She nodded excitedly. "And yes, I was just wondering where There was a place to eat. I'm afraid I didn't eat this morning when I woke up and I'm rather hungry." Miriam admitted.

She looked over at the other girl, the first one to speak, and... Who was she really talking to. Miriam thought it was to her but... "Well E, Atty. It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Miriam." She said with a smile. Albino... So that must be what they call their condition here. Well, at least in English. "Yes. I have seen the likes before... A child in my town back home when I was younger. He was very sickly though and died when he was still a baby." She had thought it was because of the skin condition, but obviously not. But they didn't need to hear about all that.

"Yes though, I would like to join you if it won't bother you." But they both had offered, so she assumed it would be okay.

Atty shot her sister a glance. It was a mingling of slight relief and pointed amusement all rolled into one. In many ways it was also an admonishment of her behavior as well yet of course Atty could control her sister about as much as she could control the wind or the sun in the sky. Looking alike didn’t make them the same, didn’t give them some kind of mystical bond (despite what Hollywood would have you believe) but it did mean they’d grown up together, spent most of their lives together, doing that you got to know a person pretty well and it was perhaps this more than anything else had Atty happy with he sister.

She knew she was a lot less annoyed than she pretended and a lot less the abrasive personality.

E for her part, her expression softened just a bit. Her posture too, but she refused to acknowledge either of these things or indeed the feeling that told her that Atty was looking at her thoughtfully again.

One of these days if she wasn’t careful, E was sure Atty would convince her to become a nun or maybe give up smoking. A scary thought either of those, but the first thing that came to mind when she had a sister that could be very persuasive when she wanted to.

Atty gave the new girl another smile then, chuckling.

“I didn’t mean you should ignore her literally.” The said between laughs. “It’s just a figure of speech, you know that you should ignore her attitude and bad manners…”

E rolled her eyes.

“You’re the one with the attitude.” She grumbled.

However turning around E did look at the new girl as well as her sister. She gave her a smile that was a lot like Atty’s but held just a bit of a slightly sardonic edge.

“You’re not from around here are you, Miriam?”

Atty sighed.

“Was that whole story about a child from ‘back home’ wasted on you?” The ‘younger’ sibling asked.

“Whatever.” Was the elder’s reply, but not before she spoke again. “That’s fine though if you want to eat with us. You have an lunch money…well you know what…forget it. I’ve still got a few bucks from the old part-time job. I’ll pay. But really folks, can’t we walk and talk…I’m really hungry.”

Atty rolled her own eyes then.

“Sorry about her again. She’s got a one track mind, all stomach, and attitude. I don’t think she’ll be paying attention that anyone says until she’s eaten and had coffee.”

E smiled.

“Black coffee, lots of sugar. Still after I’ve had it I promise to listen Miriam. And from your expression before I promise no more harsh language alright, we can and will help you out…but right now I’m a woman on a mission.”

"Ah, of course." Ignore her bad maners and coarse words. It would be hard, but perhaps she could.

She shook her head at E's question. "No, I lived in a small town in Romania until I was sixteen. Then I came here with a friend of mine because I wanted to see new things. We opened a clothing shop in the city, just by Saint Raine's Square. We do custome designs, taloring and the likes. Kaisa is a wonder with a needle." She said, practicaly beaming with pride.

"Oh yes, I have money of my own. You do not need to worry about that. I simply don't know the way." She said as they began to walk. Perhaps the offer to pay was the girl's way of appologizing? It was a kind gesture to be sure, but she didn't want to put the girl out of her money. And Miriam had enough of her own.

"Oh, I can understand that of course. Sometimes Kaisa gets that way too, and there is simply no dealing with her." But of course a hungry vampire was a lot more dangerous probably. She gave an honest smile as E promised to watch her tongue and bowed her head in thanks, but said nothing.

Instead of provoking the hungry one, Miriam turned to the more lady-like one, Atty. "What do you study here? Do they have all sorts of programs? I imagine going here would be truly exciting." She said brightly as they walked along.

Atty managed to give E her best smarmy glare, but followed along after Miriam and E followed doing her best to ignore her sister. Whatever, Atty was suddenly miss sensitivity and idol to the masses…

It was annoying, a lot like that habit of hers, always helping out and the like. But as annoying as she found it, E always went along with it. If only because she got an excuse to help without having to admit that’s what she might have done otherwise. After all she wasn’t a charity worker and besides more than that well Atty was just better with people. E would never admit it, but it was true and they both knew it.

Like Atty was the one that smiled lightly at Miriam’s question as she seemed to think about it for a second before answering.

“Well, I’m a Literature major. Guess I’m following a bit in my mom’s footsteps there, but I want to be a novelist. And yes we’ve got all kinds of programs here at DU. And yeah I guess they are pretty exciting.”

“That is if you like that kind of thing…” E added. “If you’re not work obsessed like my sister, it can get kind of boring. Especially Mythology, you probably don’t want to take that class.”

Atty rolled her eyes again.

“Don’t mind her again. Our mom teaches that class and Electra,” E noted that Atty made a show of saying her full name. It was annoying-but most people find out what E means eventually so no big deal. “She loves mom, don’t let her fool you, but I just think he never got over her name.”

“Easy for you to say Athena.” E shot back. Then just like that they both took a breath and then laughed in unison. It was a strange moment and decidedly duplicated despite their consuming differences.

E walked forward and put an arm around Miriam’s shoulders with a laugh.

“Sorry about that I guess we get off on getting at each other. Sorry Miriam. But really I’m not going to force you, but I’ll be glad to pay. Think of it as a gift from the goofy Morrison sisters.”

That made Atty laugh.

“Indeed I don’t suppose they come stranger than us, but please, tell me what do you make in your shop. Is Kaisa your friend? I mean you said you make custom pieces and that sounds really cool, but like what? And how much is it?”

That made E smile again, well that and the sudden scent of coffee. They’d made it to the cafeteria. Opening the door, Atty held it for Miriam and E. Opening the door alone let out a spill of noise, teases, shouts, and jokes, and everything in between.

Yet even so, the twins seemed unphased as they both walked toward the breakfast bar.

"Literature?" She said with a smile. "That sounds interesting. And I think that a mythology class would be facinating!" She gave a giggle though as she heard that their mother was the professor. Athena? Electra? Yes she had heard those stories. "But parents name their children after the things they love." Miriam pointed out. "My own mother and father prove this as well. I have four brothers and a sister. Do you wish to know their names?" She asked with a litte smile. "My Oldest brother is Moses, then there's Aaron, Joshua, My sister's name is Zipporah and my little brother's name is Jethro." At the last Miriam gave another giggle.

"I truly think I was blessed to have my name as it is in that case. Being Roma, my mother always loved the stories of the persicuted people who were saved by the hand of God, and what story is more popular?"

Miriam looked over at Atty's question. "Oh, We can make anything so long as we have a pattern and a design. I do a bit of the main peices that can use a stitching machine to do the work quickly, but Kaisa does the details and makes sure everything is just perfect. But it all depends on the fabric, the garment and the time it takes. We offer a fair price though I would say, but Kaisa could give you a rough esitmate before she does the work."

She stopped suddenly though as she heard the clamor of the food court. But she began moving after she took a slight breath. This whole event was new to Miriam, she hsn't seen this many people in one place since she had been to the mall nearly three months ago.

She caught up with the girls quickly and smiled nervously. "There are so many people here. How many students go to this school?"

E and Atty both shrugged, smiling despite one another. Mentally they had a moment of agreement, at least the 'rents' as they were called had a love for Greek Mythology and theater (their dad too, him being an Archeologist and all) rather than something less flattering.

E was pretty sure she would die if her name was Ginger and her sister had been Marie Ann. And Atty was more than sure that she was glad they weren’t Laverne and Shirley. But they both had to smile at Miriam’s story, especially Jethro.

“Biblical names are pretty common though,” Atty added. “You know Christianity being as wide spread as it is…I-well we,” She added that last glancing at her sister. “Have a cousin named Esther. Oh and David.”

E laughed.

“You forgot Uncle Michael…and Aunt Rachel…”

Atty looked a bit embarrassed, maybe it was because she was usually the one making points and E was usually just disinterested, but whatever the case, Atty nodded and smiled glad that her sister had moved on from foul language, grunting, and dark looks as she was sometimes inclined.

E gave Miriam a little smile then.

“Yeah, you’re right. That’s a popular story…and I guess we otta be thankful for our names, I mean at least they aren’t boring. Though I could do without all the Electra complex jokes mind you…”

That made her laugh again.

Then she perked up a bit at Miriam’s explanation of her work to Atty. All in all it sounded interesting and besides unlike Atty, E had a pension for shopping. And a love of great stage gear. Kaisa was as good as advertised she might just have herself a new customer.

Coming out of her thoughts, E realized Atty was talking.

“Well I can’t give you a full head count really,” She began. “But at least a couple thousand…though that’s hardly how many are here for breakfast…”

That last was a joke, a bad one Atty realized. It had sounded a lot funnier in her head. Oh, well.

E for her part lead Miriam toward the Breakfast Bar, Atty only a step behind.

“This,” She said motioning toward the bar which happened to smell heavenly with the scent of coffee, fresh doughnuts, muffins, bagels, fresh fruits, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and nearly any other form of breakfast known to man. “Is the breakfast bar. You see the food on the plates right? Well you get a tray and take what you want, the little writing on the glass at the top is the price of each individual thing and at the end of the line are drinks. And after that is the cashier…she takes the money.”

That explained E picked a big red rectangle from amongst the rainbow pile of trays and began loading up. The bacon smelt to good to give up, and pancakes, she just had to have pancakes, oh and blueberry syrup, not the sausage, because while she wanted it…she already had bacon and that was just too much grease. But she definitely wanted the fresh blueberries…those would be awesome with the pancakes.

Atty just stood and watched her sister a moment. Sometimes she was like a vacuum, still it was how she was.

Smiling at Miriam she said easily.

“Really, it is ok Miriam, this’ll be our treat, get all you want. It’ll be our own special hello. Well that and it’s good to meet you, plus I think my sister will be hitting your store up for all the outrageous stage costumes you can possibly make…so you’ll need the energy.”

She listened to all the talk between the two and to her with facination. Thousands of students here? That was amazing! That so many people came here to learn She knew univerisites were big, but she never really knew how big.

She moved along with them, gathering some simple foods, a muffin a bowl of cereal and some fruit along with a few peices of sausage and a glass of orange juice.

"Stage costumes?" Miriam asked, curious about the comment. "What sort of stage costumes? Does she act?" Miriam was interested simply because she too had a love of the stage. Well at least the arts of the stage. She was much too shy to get up in front of people she didn't know. Back home, she knew everyone and would dance and sing with Kaisa and the others. But here... Would anyone even be interested in her songs? Or really want to watch her dance?


((Sorry for the shortieness :unsure: Miriam's being kinda quiet...))

(OOC: No problem.)

Atty laughed.

“Oh, good lord no.” She smiled even as she said it.

That anyone would think that E was an actress, well that meant that they’d never had to sit through one of her rants about Hollywood and the state of cinema in general. Not to mention actresses, according to her; some of them were so plastic that they’d pop if you put a needle to them…

Ah, but looking at her sister, Atty was glad to see that E hadn’t noticed the question. But of course that didn’t mean that either of them had anything against the conventional stage, actually they both loved it a lot. Even if E wouldn’t admit it for the world.

But looking back at Miriam Atty realized how she must have sounded and she shook her head slightly.

“Sorry about that.” She said briefly, and then she began her explanation. “No, you see what Electra does, well the both of us really. We started a band when we were little and well it just never fizzled out.”

That made her smile.

“Truth is; we never wanted it to. It’s changed a bit since we first started, more punk rock now than it used to be, but it’s nice something that we do together with our friend Luna. We’ve actually even played some venues. Heh, I keep forgetting that you probably have no idea what I’m talking about…” She said then.

Looking at Miriam then, Atty thought of a way to explain and yet even as she did, they got to the fruit and she began loading her own tray as she searched for the words.

“Well you see we’re a band. A rock band, not like famous or anything, small really. But we perform for people, my sister plays guitar, but also sings. I play Bass and Luna plays drums, keyboard, and pretty much anything that you can hit with things…”

That last made her chuckle, but Atty then gesture to her sister’s hair. It was white like hers or at least it still was at the bottom where it had already began to grow again, but just a little up the strands it was a mixture of crimsons-of golds- and oranges. Spiked it looked a lot like flame. It was an affect that worked surprisingly well for a front man-er front woman.

“We just pull out all the stops when we go on stage as far as attire goes, it gets people paying attention and well looks good.” She said at last, taking a segment of orange and chewing briefly before swallowing.

"You guys have a band? That is so amazing! My sister and I would sing all the time with Kaisa and a few other girls and dance and everything. It is always so much fun!" She said eagerly. Maybe she would be able to help them out. She was sure that costumes and things like that wouldn't be a problem at all.

"Just because I was raised in Romania in a small little village doesn't mean I don't know anything about the world outside of my village." Miriam laughed. "I mean, I get a little overwhelmed at times with all the people and the noise, but I would read about so many things and I wanted to see the world. I wanted to see everything." Miriam said eagerly. "I heard Kaisa was coming here and I begged her to take me too. And my parents agreed and everything. So I came."

She looked over to where Atty pointed at her sister's hair and grinned. "Kaisa would kill me if I did something like that." She grinned as she tugged at a curl. "My hair is nearly impossible to manage and it breaks brush bristles like you couldn't imagine. A gypsie's curse really." She grinned. That was what she always called her hair. Thick, curly and unmanigable without serious assistance from chemicals and instruments her hair was too much sometimes to even bother with.

"But yeah, I'm sure Kaisa would be willing to help make costumes and things like that for you guys, business is kind of slow anyways and we just hired a new hand to help with the days so I'm not working every single day, which was why I decided to come check out the university." She said with a smile as they sat at the table. "I never thought it would be so big though."

((Sorry I hadn't gotten to this sooner, Buttons. Just really been thinking it over.))

E paused swallowing a gulp of orange juice, even as she reached for another to put on her tray. What could she say, Atty was always exercising all the time, but for her, well her metabolism was just high. Being obsessively hungry had always been her thing, besides she'd start to worry when and if she ever started putting pounds on.

However something was missing. The reason she'd paused, and then just like that it hit her. Atty wasn't prattling on about her making a pig of herself or even telling her that she needed more fruit and less meat, in fact Atty was conspicuous or even suspicious by her lack of badgering. It was this that made E turn and look back at her, well her and Miriam. They were talking. But as was her nature, E immediately wondered what about. And well also as was her nature she really wasn’t above snooping or letting others know that she was snooping.

So with a movement as subtle as a sledgehammer, she turned back, slowed her pace and put on the best smile she could manage. Though as Atty was always telling her, it was weird when she smiled, still it was necessary, if only for Miriam’s sake.

“So what were we just talking about?” She asked then, as if she’d been a complete part of the conversation.

Atty of course simply rolled her eyes at her sister and smiled at Miriam, a smile that suited her a lot more than her sister’s did.

“She’s just nosey now.” Atty commented, glancing at her sister. “And sorry Miriam, I didn’t mean to imply anything…well I’m just sorry. Heh. Most people I talk to don’t get performance lingo…so saying a venue…well it’s just always a little bit of explaining. So sorry. Besides none of those people come from Romanian Villages…”

“Well that was a crappy apology…” E sighed.

Atty looked at her, eyes narrowing.

“Don’t start, dear sister…”

E laughed.

“Miriam when she says dear sister like that, watch out…it usually means she going to jump me. Just a warning so that you’re ready to move out of the way.”

Atty blushed. Looking embarrassed.

“Just ignore her. If we didn’t look exactly alike I’d claim I didn’t know her…”

E chuckled then.

“I love you too sis.”

Atty sighed then.

“Alright Electra, were were just talking about the band. Miriam thinks that her…um that Kaisa, her boss could help us out with stage gear and the like. They have affordable prices and well yeah…”

E perked instantly.

“Thank you Athena…”

Atty laughed.

“Yes, whatever.”

E smiled at her then and then looked back to Miriam.

“Personally I like your hair.” She said, looking then at Atty, to say that she’d at least picked up enough to know the bare essentials. “Curly can be really pretty, even tangled…so the curse can be a blessing…actually all in how ya look at it.”

Atty didn’t say anything. Actually she was surprised that E was behaving herself so well, but that didn’t stop her from wondering how long it would last.

Electra smiled then, and it was a lot less forced. It was probably the one and only smile that didn’t look strange on her, but she was happy now, new costumes always made her happy, even if they were only theory at this point. And she looked at Miriam thoughtfully.

“You’ll get used to it.” She said. “You just have to stop focusing on how different it is and take it a day at the time. You’ll do great, like my sister said. But not to be rude or anything Miriam, but Kaisa. What’s up with her? Is she a friend of your family? A relative? Sorry I’m just nosey and you talk about her a lot. Plus I guess I want to know who I’m begging to make stage costumes…”

Atty rolled her eyes at that last one, but didn’t say anything. Truth was, she was a bit curious too.

Miriam laughed cheerfully. "Oh I know. Don't worry. I just did a lot of things back home with dancing and all, so performing is something I'm really familliar with." She said with a grin.

She turned to E then. "But those who stick their noses where they aught not be are eventualy going to get them bitten off." She said with a little grin to the other as she watched the exchange between the two. It was really just like watching her brothers. The way they fought... It was a pitty that she wasn't really close to her sliblings like they were to each other. If she had, why was she half way across the world from them and had no desire to go home?

"Oh, she's a friend of the family. She lived in the same village as me. She came here when she was... Younger, and she wanted to come back so I begged her to take me with her." She told the two. "She can be a little... Irritable at times, but usualy she's really nice and all. She acts a lot older than she is, had a really rough life and all. But she's one of the most tallented seamstess' I've ever seen. Even better than my mom."

Actually, Kaisa had taught her mother, but that wasn't something that needed to be said. The two didn't need to know Kaisa was a vampire. Besides, something told Miriam that even if she were to tell them, the two probably wouldn't believe her.

The two sisters nodded then at Miriam’s words. They didn’t do it in unison or anything, but it was close and the same kind of nod. The one that said they were listening and actually interested, rather than the rip off some people give and pretend that they care what you’re saying.

Next, Electra couldn’t help the little, disregarding shrug she gave.

“You might be right. But then I can always bite back…” The albino girl gave a decidedly savage grin then. “And I bite hard. Really hard.” She gave a flash of flawless pearly whites then as if to drive the point home. But it didn’t work at least probably not like she’d hoped it would.

Atty almost laughed. If she hadn’t been listening, going just on looks it looked a lot like E had been propositioning Miriam. Indeed her sister’s smile had that quality of guys that are over confident, in love with themselves; when they hit on you. But of course the words brought it back to where it was. E was confident, like those jerks, just confident she could handle herself. An arrogance backed by the fact that she always had. As long as they’d been together, Athena would admit, her sister had always been a tough cookie. Indeed she’d acted like an older sister always, and one older than the few minutes that were the reality of her seniority.

Not the athlete of the two of them, Electra always had been the tough one. Always.

Atty must have been looking to hard. Or maybe E wasn’t as attentive to Miriam as she seemed, whatever, she gave her sister a look that asked: Why are you staring? Atty had the grace to be embarrassed, but that didn’t stop her from listening as Miriam spoke about Kaisa and the story made her smile.

“She sounds like as dad would say: Good people.”

E laughed then.

“Yeah, Dad would say that…” She shrugged. “But then he’d be right. It’s pretty cool of her to come half way around the world and just bring you along. Especially if she’s just a friend. I mean remember Aunt Rachel and Uncle Michael? Well I mentioned them…anyway. They live in Ireland and we used to visit sometimes…but well I don’t know what those people’s problems are. But mom and Aunt Rachel aren’t exactly on the same level and that’s family.”

Atty sighed.

“What the bluntest woman on earth is trying to say, is that she sounds nice. I for one really want to meet her.”

“Yeah, I guess that was what I was saying.” E finally agreed, giving her sister a hard look. “Besides none of that matters right now…”

E looked reverent then.

“After all it’s grub time. And grub time waits for no man…” Her voice was decidedly melodramatic, an actress on the stage. And bad at it.

Atty simply sighed.

“Let’s get a table then.” He submitted.