Лебединое озеро

henry was  on his fourth beer of the hour, continuously sipping on can after can as he met new people and wandered through the factory. his head felt buzz, though his vision and balance were still intact, as he ambled up the staircase in search of a beer to replace his now almost empty can. taking a swig of the lukewarm drink just as he reached the top of the staircase, he pulled open the door and looked around. the whole idea of the factory was wicked — there was no denying that. he could already see himself spending nearly every day here, never getting bored, always finding a new room to spend his time in, a new person to spend his time with. he almost didn’t see her — bent and contorted in what looked like the most uncomfortable position — and nearly toppled right over the girl sitting by the bookshelf, catching himself at the very last moment. “ are you, um… ” he cocked his head to the side, his eyes gazing over the stretch she was in. he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen someone bend like that. “ …okay ? that doesn’t look very comfortable… ”

          she sat upright as a new presence made themselves known, her legs still stretched flat on the ground. she cocked her head to the side at his question, not noticing his tipsy countenance. ❝ more zhan okay ! ❞ she laughed at his concern, finding it ironic since it was the most comfortable she had ever been in a position.  ❝ look like you need khorosho stretch, ❞ she commented, chirpily. standing up and almost crashing into the guy — if only she didn’t have perfect balance, she went towards the center of the room and beckoned for him to follow her.  ❝ set ! ❞ she practically commanded, pointing at the space in front of her.

dakota took a moment to listen and hear the name, it was pretty, a little complicated. she smiled at the girl but was a bit surprised by how froward and friendly she was. she scooted over bit, to give them both space. “—-no” she said after a beat, she might have been okay with help but this girl had no manners and it was rubbing dakota the wrong way. maybe it was a language or culture barrier but it was annoying. “do you mind sitting over there, please?” she was two minutes from just leaving the room and the girl behind but she’d give her the benefit of the doubt. “what is it you do bianka?”

           her face fell at the rejection, and it took all of her willpower not to bawl right then and there. it was certainly bianka’s fault for being too forward, for not respecting personal space — especially a star’s, when they were probably the ones who seek it the most. she just couldn’t help being excited by meeting an actual actress. ❝ s-sure, ❞ she practically squeaked, her face frozen into shock as she scooted towards the other end of the couch. ❝ i dance balet. ❞ she faintly lightened up at the question. 

her innocence was cute. it caused a slight smile to appear on the corners of her mouth and she shrugged a shoulder. “usually my face does the trick. i have a lot of rude glances. just kind of my natural face.”

          she tried to make her face neutral and squint-eyed just as she imagined how a ‘rude face’ would look like. it felt silly. and unnatural. she burst out giggling at her own attempt.  ❝ it is a gift, to hide behind a maskirovat', ❞ she concluded. a mask, bianka had said, but how could she be so sure that the girl in front of her hides her emotions?  finally letting go of the girl’s hands, she clasped her own together, as if she didn’t know what to do with them. ❝ i am bianka, ❞ she introduced.  

2. is your room messy or clean?

with her cheeks colored pink, she answers, ❝ a mess. ❞ 

41. top 10 favorite songs

her eyes widen. she doesn’t know too many songs. ❝ mmm… swan lake by tchaikovsky ? oh, and definitely ze nutcracker ! and… zhat song by buddy holly ! ❞ she has forgotten the song title, but she had loved it when river introduced it to her. ( @therivermurray )

75. are you going to change your last name when you get married?

she tilts her head to the right. ❝ you can choose not to ?! wow, america really is wonderful. ❞ 

location: the rooftop

last time he checked the clock, it was around 1:20 am. that was about three hours ago. he’s been there for quite the while now, spending his night with a copy of arthur miller’s all my sons, few pills, light joints and enough stella artois. currently, he’s sprawled out on a daybed, under a blanket, with eyes closed, the book resting in his lap. on a nearby table, a radio. it fills the space with soft static noise. it’s only painful if you mind. but todd? he’s too far gone, way relaxed, doesn’t even flinch at the sound of presence. seconds pass. eyes open, gaze moves slowly towards the person. he offers a small, polite smile. “oh. good evening.” he doesn’t seem familiar with the concept of time. he watches the other, kinda studying their expression, kinda zoning back out. “it’s been like this the whole darn day.” he informs, vaguely gesturing the stereo. “they’re trying to contact us, i assume. have been for hours, maybe… needed someone to talk to?” 

          she spent the whole day watching old film—completely enamored by the lack of color, the graininess, and the expresiveness of the actors. she thought it to be charming. hours pass by, and she realizes how alone she feels, and not in the physical sense. so she excuses herself, and seeks comfort elsewhere. she remembers the rooftop, where she’d last seen todd, and off she goes there.  she has only known todd for four months—a friend of greyson’s—but he had quickly become a precious person to her. she giggles at his greeting, deciding to just play along. ❝ dobryy vecher,  ❞ she returns, jumping into the daybed and nearly hitting todd. she watches him watch her, a slight smile on her face. she instantly feels comforted by the aura he emanates. ❝ i vould gladly talk with zhem !  ❞ she exclaims, unfazed. she had been living with him long enough to be familiar with his quirks. besides, she finds the device to be thrilling.

river smiled as the girl in front of looked at the records, she looked so enamored by them and he wondered if this was the first she had seen some vinyl records. he was lucky that his family was so into music that he had those laying around all the time. “yeah i play drums in a band and also sing sometimes but i can play quite a few instruments actually.” he figured she was looking for a player so he gently led her by her arm to the area with the vinyl player, by some couches. “here, do you want to listen to any of them? buddy has one of my favourite songs in that record.” he explained. “oh and i’m river by the way!” he said figuring they hadn’t even introduced themselves.

          ❝ i only know classical muzyka. but since coming to new york, i have heard many songs ! ❞ she beamed at him when he figured out what she had been looking for, inclining her head in thanks. bianka sank into the couch, still hogging the records. ❝ ooo, play buddy zhen ! ❞ she stared intently at the vinyl player, as if waiting for it to explode at anytime. her staring contest with the player breaks off when river gave his name, realizing that she hadn’t even introduced herself. ❝ ochen preeyatna, river ! i’m bianka. lebedeva. ❞ she added her last name as an afterthought. 

26. how many pillow do you sleep with?

she looks up, counting with her fingers. ❝ dzo stuffed toys count ? seven…? ❞ 

71. tea or coffee?

she shrugs, as if the answer couldn’t have been more obvious. ❝ tea, dukh ! ❞

79. do you believe in ghosts?

a shiver runs down her spine, and her face takes on a sick look. ❝ da. i vould share story, but some other time. ❞

99. what is your zodiac sign?

she perks up at the next question. ❝ dvoynyashki… gemini ! i was born on may 22. ❞

7. what color hair do you have?

❝ zhey call it… mussy brown ( mousy brown ) ? i hate it ! i vant yellow. ❞

46. what is your go to hair style?

❝ a low bun ! or letting my hair free. ❞

55. what is your dream job ?

❝ mmm… to be prima ballerina assoluta. ❞ her voice becomes softer towards the end, becoming unconfident and unsure.

58. do you have freckles ?

❝ da, on shoulders ! ❞ 

61. have you ever peed in the woods ?

she giggles at the absurdity of the idea, but considers it. ❝ niet, dzough it vould be fun ! ❞

YOUR STEREOTYPICAL MASCULINE SIDE

you love hoodies.  you love shorts.   dogs are better than cats.  it’s hilarious when people get hurt.   shopping is torture.   sad movies suck.   you own a car racing game.   you played with hot wheels cars as a kid.   at some point in time you wanted to be a fire fighter.   you owned a ds, ps2, n64, or sega.  you used to be obsessed with power rangers.   you have watched sports on tv.   gory movies are cool.   you go to your dad for advice.   you own like a trillion baseball caps.   you used to collect hockey or baseball cards.   baggy sweats are cool to wear.   it’s kinda weird to have sleepovers with a bunch of people.   green, black, red, blue, or silver are one of your favourite colours.   you love to go crazy and not care what people think.   sports are fun.   you talk with food in your mouth.   you sleep with your socks on at night.   you have fished at least once.

YOUR STEREOTYPICAL FEMININE SIDE

you love to shop.   you wear eyeliner.   you wear the color pink.   you go to your mom to talk.   you consider cheerleading a sport.   you hate wearing the color black.   you like going to the mall.   you like getting manicures and/or pedicures.   you like wearing jewelry.   you cried watching the notebook.   dresses are a big part of your wardrobe.   shopping is one of your favorite hobbies.  you don’t like the movie star wars.   you are/were in gymnastics.   it takes you around one hour to shower, get dressed, and make-up.   you smile a lot more than you should.   you have more than 10 pairs of shoes.   you care about what you look like.  you like wearing dresses when you can. you like wearing high heel shoes.  you used to play with dolls as little kid.   you like putting make-up on others.   you like being the star of everything.

APPEARANCE

i am shorter than 5’5”. i have scars. i tan easily. i wish my hair was a different color.   i have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.  i have a tattoo. i am self-conscious about my appearance. i’ve had/have braces. i’ve been told i’m attractive by a complete stranger. i have more than two piercings. i have/had piercings in places besides my ears.

EXPERIENCES

i’ve gotten lost in my city. i’ve seen a shooting star. i’ve wished on a shooting star.  i’ve seen a meteor shower. i’ve gone out in public in my pajamas. i’ve pushed all the buttons on an elevator.  i’ve kicked a guy where it hurts. i’ve been to a casino. i’ve been skydiving. i’ve gone skinny-dipping. i’ve drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour. i’ve crashed a car. i’ve been skiing. i’ve been in a musical. i’ve caught a snowflake or snow on my tongue. i’ve seen the northern lights. i’ve sat on a rooftop at night.  i’ve played a prank on someone.  i’ve ridden in a taxi. i’ve seen the rocky horror picture show. i’ve eaten sushi. i’ve been snowboarding.

HONESTY/CRIME

i’ve done something i promised someone else i wouldn’t. i’ve done something i promised myself i wouldn’t. i’ve snuck out. i’ve lied to my parents about where i am.  i’ve cheated while playing a game. i’ve ran a red light. i’ve witnessed a crime. i’ve been in a fist fight. i’ve been arrested.

DEATH AND SUICIDE

i’m afraid of dying. i hate funerals. i’ve seen someone/something dying. someone close to me has attempted/committed suicide. i’ve written a eulogy for myself.

RANDOM

location: the kitchen time: friday around 8pm

cheryl was sitting on top of the kitchen counter, with an almost empty jim beam bottle by her side. “you know what is worse than pain, anger, and confusion?” she asked the person who just entered the kitchen. it was an unsettling way to start a conversation, but her inebriated condition might have affected the perception of every social norm. she was talking out loud every thought, as they crossed her mind. “nothingness. the void. a state of being that there are no feelings. you’re just empty, your soul is hollow and nothing could ever fill it.” she continued, talking more to herself than the to the other individual. “in other news, i’m bored. let’s change subjects. c'mere, tell me something fun.“

          she had hoped to make a quick trip to the kitchen just so she could steal whatever food got left behind. with a rumbling stomach and the promise of cookies from a friend who had sworn they’d seen some, bianka’s countenance dropped when she sighted a tray with only crumbles left. she hadn’t even noticed the other person occupying the room until they had spoken, distracted that she was by her hunger. they used deep english words that sent bianka’s head reeling. if anyone were to describe her face in that moment, it would the face of a child who got caught eating sweets before dinner. she giggled nervously at the woman whom she decided has a model-like vibe,  ❝ Э... i is hungry... ? ❞ she shared, uncertainly, a slight lift to her shoulder, but a light smile on her face. ❝ i wanted cookie, but there is... nikto. ❞