[dohtml]<center><div style="text-align:justify; width: 400px;">She hated this so much. The first thing that came to her mind was that it was crowded. The small area was way too crowded. People were bustling everywhere, trying to figure out where they were going. The crowd moved in a systematic wave. People were used to it and flowing through the crowd without running into anybody. The blond was jealous. Amara didn’t know how to move about the area. She could do the busy streets of Tokyo. At least there, she could move around the crowds. Here, both the walls and people were against her. There were people walking in this and that direction no reasonable flow that the twenty-three year old could see. She bit down on her lip, looking over the crowd. That was one good thing about it. She was taller than most people and could look over the mass of people. She wasn’t even fully to her destination yet. It had been possibly three minutes sense she stepped inside and a long way remained to get where she was going.
<p>
Where was she? It was simple. She was at one of the most common areas of transportation in Japan: the subway.
<p>
Amara hated it. She couldn’t remember the last time she took any public transportation. She was taken around by her parents while she was younger, mainly her dad, and after that she had her own car. That was the whole reason she was here in the first place. Her car was unusable at the moment and getting repairs across town. It was there instead of the usual place she took it to. When she got into her last little ‘accident’ it was too far away to tow it to the normal local spot. It would have been way too expensive. The place she ended up bringing it to had one small problem once she wanted to pick it up. She couldn’t walk there. That left one option when her father was busy and couldn’t take her, public transportation. Damn, public transportation. She was lost and confused. On top of all that, it was crowded! She hated crowds.
<p>
She finally reached her destination- the ticket booth… things. Amara was not aware of what they were called. It didn’t matter. To her, they were torture devices. An elderly Japanese citizen walked up to the one next to her. She tried to watch what he was doing but he did it so fast that he grabbed his ticket and was gone a second later. He must be a regular. It was easily said that more than 90% of the city dwelling citizens in Japan used the public transportation systems. It was easier than private vehicles. Bullshit. Amara could not see why. The electronic-mechanical-whatever devices in front of her were so confusing. There were too many routes on the map that she didn’t know what one to take and how to translate that into the machine. She felt idiotic for not knowing how to use it. She had to once before... in high school. That was years ago. She blocked out the memory because it was a traumatic experience. Now, she could not recall it. She wanted her car back! She needed to get passed this obstacle first.
<p>
She irritably ran her hand through her hair. She wanted to be home. She didn’t want to take the lousy subway. After she got done with the ticket, she had to get on the train. It was even more crowded. If she was a weaker person, she would have cried by now. Amara was not, she’ll get through this. She had to push her pride aside to do it. She randomly grabbed a person close by, which wasn’t that hard in the crowded station, and pulled them closer. “Can you tell me how to use this damn thing?” She hoped the person didn’t think her as a foreigner. Her hair was not that blond. It was dirty blond. Plus, it was not her problem if she had easier modes of transportation ninety-nine percent of the time.</div>[/dohtml]

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<img src="http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss65/sarahdoll_requests/ND/NDicons/Nina_Dobrev_52.png" style="position: relative; top: -20px;"> <img src="http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss65/sarahdoll_requests/ND/NDicons/Nina_Dobrev_29.png" style="position: relative; top: -20px;"><p>
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<div class="lightheading">in the shadows</div>
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<p>It was nice to have a weekend off. No class, no clubs (at least until next week), no pressing homework assignments and with no one around her, there was no pressure. She could exist in her own space and not have to pander or put herself on display to her entire school and the teachers. She could breath and do things for herself and enjoy being just another face in the crowd. While some people didn't deal well with being completely alone, especially in one's own head, Rebecca relished it. She hated being on display and if it weren't for the fact that she now had the opportunity to run St. Teresa's as she wished, she would never have put herself forward in student government. Though it would be nicer if I could go beyond Tokyo. Then I wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone from school. After all she had to keep her reputation intact at all times and as much as she relished the opportunity to do some weekend shopping that afternoon, certain stores she could not go into just in case. Which sucked because she really did want to see the inside of the revamped Dynam!te store (where she had bought that amazing pink top) as well as pick up some new music at the small store tha boasted the cheapest prices in town. However someone who preached like she did could not be seen with a Dynam!te bag or entering/leaving the small store that looked like the poster child for the home of satanic rituals. She really hoped the store manager grew out of the goth obsession soon.<p>

Of course to get anywhere, public transportation was needed. Not that that really bothered the girl. Since the death of her parents nearly ten years ago, Rebecca had not willingly stepped into a car. They were too small and too easily crumbled. Besides, in a city like Tokyo, using a bus or monorail was both more responsible environmental (not that she was a major activist) and - quite frankly - cheaper. She had a pass, paid each term as she was in high school still, and thus didn't have to pay for gas, insurance, parking and didn't have to worry about parking or speeding tickets. Nor did she have to worry about someone stealing a train or bus as they were a little more noticeable than cars when stolen. Sure it was slightly slower and less direct a route to get anywhere, but to Rebecca, the benefits far outweighed the costs. Besides what did she need with her own car anyways? It wasn't like she could afford one with the money she was putting away for school. And even if she wasn't afraid of them, she didn't think she'd need one. Even if taking the bus each morning put her at a disadvantage to some of her peers - a couple of whom were chauffeured to school and a few of her classmates who drove. But I can work with that. Play the ecologically responsible angle. Could work in my shake up of the council... she thought, pulling her pass out of her pocket.<p>

As she was moving towards the gate to get her train, she felt someone grab her arm and practically wrench her out of the cue. She barely hung onto her pass and purse - which slid down her arm and nearly clipped someone as she moved sideways. Once she regained her balance she looked up at the person who had yanked her with her typical, no nonsense glare stare, not caring that she was substantially shorter than the...Is this a very effeminite man or a very masculine woman? (It was hard to tell with the short hair and the clothes.) She was about to demand what the meaning of being yanked out of line was all about when the person asked the strangest of questions. Masculine woman it is. It took all of her willpower not to laugh. "Are you kidding me? Is this a set up from someone at school? Did Kurozuki or Hino put you up to this? Or Nanahara?" Waiting for a response got nothing. "You're serious? You live in Tokyo and you don't know how to use the subway token/easy pass gate? " Now she did laugh, not at the young woman per say - She looks kind of familiar... - but at the absurdity of the situation. This was once the home of the fastest train in the world - and would be once more, she was sure of it - and the subway system was the envy of many cities around the world. How could a local not know how to use it? "Are you some kind of tourist? I can make a go of translating the writing on the token dispenser if need be." she offered once she was under control, but wondering how she got herself into these sorts of situations.<p>
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<div style="width: 420px; background: rgba(255,255,255, .1); color: #ffffff; padding: 5px;"><div class="lightcredits"><b>Tag:</b> amara<b>Words:</b>826 <b>Notes:</b> 1st post!<br><b>Credits:</b> <a href="http://z10.invisionfree.com/CAUTIONTOTHEWIND/index.php?showuser=27246" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 100%; color: #618382;">lumos</a> OF Caution.</div></div>
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[dohtml]<center><div style="text-align:justify; width: 400px;">Amara was planning to quickly get some help without getting much attention. That would not cause a scene and she could go on to get her car and never worry about coming here again. That was going to be simple and quick. It didn’t look like that was going to be the case. Why couldn’t she be smart enough to look before she randomly grabbed someone? That way she could look for a friendly helpful face and not run into any trouble. Maybe it was the generalization that everyone was rude at the station. In a rush and wanting to get going… she certainly met the qualification herself. It was not that hard to ask that someone else could push that aside for the time being. She sent a return glare at the younger woman. Amara guessed she was a college student or finishing up high school. Either way, there was a superiority there that dictated people at that age. “What? No one put me up to anything. I just want some damn help.” She was a little shocked at the first assumption that she was speechless for a moment before speaking. She wasn’t like that that often. Unless she was paranoid of being set up, there was no reason the dark haired woman should be thinking that.
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The twenty-three year resisted the urge not to strangle her. There was no reason to be so interested in why she needed help- and make fun of her for asking in the first place. If she just gave the instructions she could be on her way. Amara could do the same and not have to deal with her. She took a small intake of breath while holding back a sigh. Her hand tightened into a fist and she stuffed it in her pocket to hide her frustration. Amara did not get easily embarrassed. If she had, her face would have gone red when the high school student laughed. Her next instinct would have been physical but she didn’t want to cause a scene. She wanted to get her car so there would be no reason to worry about things like this again. She gritted her teeth, trying not to let the frustration show. “Yes. I am serious. Now do you have to make a big deal of it or will you just help?” Her voice remained steady but there was seething notes bellow that. She really wished she grabbed someone less questioning and more helpful.
<p>
She let out an annoyed breath. The worst thing about this was that she felt like the stupid one. Amara liked to think she was at the top of conversations and simply in the ‘right’. Now, she felt like an idiot for not knowing how to use the stupid ticket things. She knew that beforehand while coming here, especially since she was not a tourist. Yet, she did not need that to be pointed out to her. That only got her more frustrated. She should have allowed herself to calm down but someone, younger than her no less, could not insult her pride. That was how she saw it. She brushed her hand through her hair in agitation. “Oh my God. I am not a tourist! I just never bother using public transportation. I’m on my way to get my car- why should it matter? It is a simple favor that should only take a few seconds.” She had a bad feeling whoever the person was would blame her for being a tourist. Now that it was confirmed she was even more annoyed. Seeing she came in extremely annoyed in the first place that was saying something. This should have taken a minute or so to get some help. She felt that this would take several. She did not care when she got out of here. As long as it happened soon, she will be happy. Maybe not happy but she will be relieved once this mess was taken care of. She hoped that the smaller woman will miss whatever one she was trying to catch. It will be her fault for not being productive in her help.</div>[/dohtml]

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<img src="http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss65/sarahdoll_requests/ND/NDicons/Nina_Dobrev_52.png" style="position: relative; top: -20px;"> <img src="http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss65/sarahdoll_requests/ND/NDicons/Nina_Dobrev_29.png" style="position: relative; top: -20px;"><p>
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<div class="lightheading">in the shadows</div>
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<p>While it was certainly a relief to hear that this was not some prank by someone angry at the fact she won the school council election fair and square, Rebecca certainly wasn't impressed with the woman in front of her. In fact she she was almost wishing it had been a set up because how could a lifelong resident not know about the metro system? Then there was the attitude itself. With all her inherent superiority complex and moral authority Becca immediately snapped "You watch your language.There is no need to speak in such a vulgar way, especially in such a public place." She sounded patronizing and she knew it. But she didn't care; public morals had degenerated and had a negative impact on their society - and fixing language and personal presentation was certainly the best way to start putting things back together. Sure people had many negative things to say about the way things were in the past, especially when it came to gender equality but for Rebecca it wasn't about coming to a full return; obviously female empowerment was something she wanted, but it was about making sure society didn't devolve further. <p>

Holding up her hands in a defensive gesture, Rebecca responded to the older woman's response to her initial reaction. "I am sorry for laughing but you do have to see it from my perspective. We live in one of the cities with the best public transportation network in the world. Surely everyone has used it at some point and really the ticket counters haven't changed all that much so that people who were able to afford cars in high school should have retained some notion of how things worked. Usually the only people who have trouble are tourists. So tell me what was I supposed to think?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and even, slipping into her "politician" voice as she gathered steam. It was a force of habit, really. A way to give herself confidence and project authority. It was very effective among her own peer group - so perhaps this would be a good time to see if it worked on older people as well. "Look I am willing to help you. But you need to stop with the aggression. Or no one will help you local resident or not." she finished, crossing her arms over her chest.<p>

"Given that you said you have a car - though why you drive with gas at the ridiculous price that it is is beyond me - you obviously don't have a bus pass. Which means you're going to either need cash - at least ¥360 for a super long trip - or a credit card." she started, dragging the girl into the line, oblivious to a few people behind her who started to object to being cut in front of. "When prompted by the machine, select the station you will need for the end of your trip. For example I'm going to the South Tokyo Mall. So I'll enter Ryutsu as my end destination and it will print me a ticket with the distance I will travel, the platform I need to go to and any transfers I will need to make. Cash goes in the slot at the bottom. Top is for passes, middle is for credit cards." Rebecca recited. "Though why would you drive a car anyways? she asked. "Didn't gas go up to something crazy like ¥175 a litre? Filling a car once would give you an unlimited pass for a month! Not including insurance costs and the like." Not to mention cars were tiny little death traps that would explode in balls of fire at the least provocation. Ever action movie or show included at least five exploding cars - unless it was fantasy, then an equivalent was found. Disaster movies with trains? Particularly subways? Those could be counted using fingers. Not to mention you never heard of drunk subway drivers causing accidents or being involved in hit and runs. Sure there were isolated incidents, but much, much fewer than cars. Ergo much safer than cars and that was how Rebecca was going to travel when at all possible.<p>
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<div style="width: 420px; background: rgba(255,255,255, .1); color: #ffffff; padding: 5px;"><div class="lightcredits"><b>Tag:</b> amara. <b>Words:</b>699 <b>Notes:</b> the approx rate in us for the quoted gas price is $8.45/gallon <br><b>Credits:</b> <a href="http://z10.invisionfree.com/CAUTIONTOTHEWIND/index.php?showuser=27246" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 100%; color: #618382;">lumos</a> OF Caution.</div></div>
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[dohtml]<center><div style="text-align:justify; width: 400px;">Amara had to bite her tongue so she didn’t say anything that prolonged this conversation any further. She hated to be chastised. It was like she was being talked down to. It was simply annoying. Her mother did it all the time and that was one of the reasons she didn’t get along with her. This was different though. The dark haired woman in front of her was younger, not quite as tall and a complete stranger. The twenty-three year old could partially understand her parents doing it. That was part of their annoying job. A younger stranger on the other hand, who knew nothing about her on the whole, she could not stand it. Amara was strongly tempted to list a string of swear words just to provoke her. She held back though. One, it was rather unpractical and rude in public for no apparent reason. Two, she did not want to prove the teenager right. Instead she gave a half smirk and overly sweet smile, “Right.”
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She was surprised that she apologized but she still felt a sharp undertone in the words. It was not a voice she could easily snap back at and that annoyed her. Amara was not an argumentative person. She just didn’t back down from one once it started. This made it so she did not exactly make them but she ran into tense conversations. Even though the younger brunette’s voice was light and forgiving there was the feeling that she remained to being talked down too. Returning her voice back to normal she replied, “Well, I guess I’m lucky then. When I was younger most places I went to were in walking distance and I hitched rides with family or friends when it wasn’t. I have had private transportation myself once I was old enough.” This was true. Amara rode with her father when she wanted to go somewhere far away. Going to school with her mother mostly meant having a ride too. She only went with her when they had some nonpublic form of presentation. Other than that, Amara was an introvert and spent most of her time at her or going a walking distance to the park or some other place for fresh air. She did not require to go everywhere on the other side of the city for a shopping or whatever else girls were after these days. The final reason was that she can become highly claustrophobic. The public system that was used by too many people at once made it easy for the phobia to kick in. There was no way she was going to say that part though.
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She rolled her eyes at the aggression comment. Amara knew she came off as harsh and blunt. She really did not care. That was how she worked. It was as much as a communication mechanism as a defensive one. She only wanted to deal with people in the long run who could deal with her personality. There was no reason to change for someone else. Her line of thought was quickly broken off as she was pulled to the next closest… ticket booth thing. She opened her mouth in protest but closed it a second later. She was asking for help, cutting her off now that she was finally getting it would be a bad idea. She stared blankly at the machine, trying to register what was being said. Now that she was saying something useful the directions seemed to be faster paced than her voice a minute ago. Why? Why did idiot bossy words people said have to be registered like single prominent drops in a pond and once something useful was said it speeded past like a roaring river? Amara pulled out her wallet, nodding dumbly to show she was understood what was being said. She didn’t but that was not her problem. She will not look like an idiot. She already felt like one asking for help in the first place.
<p>
“Okay,” she stated after she was done. She registered about half what was said. Amara could figure the rest out solo. She glanced up at the large subway map- that looked like a bunch of squiggly or straight lines- and tried to pinpoint where she was going. Looking back to the brunette again she shrugged. “I guess you could say I grown up around car access and I’m used to that kind of access and transportation.” She knew the gas prices were high. She would be stupid not to but she dealt with it. There was no way Amara could survive without her car. It was her baby. All she wanted was to pick it up at the auto place and get back home. The public transit was still in her way. Amara failed to understand why people would want to ride it as much as the brunette teenager could not understand why she drove. It was indirect and could have several stops until you reached yours and it was so damn crowded! She guessed the teenager was brought up in a way that her preference was public transportation. She was too bossy and superior not to have money for one so it had to be for purely different preferences besides money. She could not understand it.</div>[/dohtml]

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<img src="http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss65/sarahdoll_requests/ND/NDicons/Nina_Dobrev_52.png" style="position: relative; top: -20px;"> <img src="http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss65/sarahdoll_requests/ND/NDicons/Nina_Dobrev_29.png" style="position: relative; top: -20px;"><p>
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<div class="lightheading">in the shadows</div>
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<p>As the young woman in front of her continued to expound the (unfounded) merits of private transportation, Rebecca knew they would never agree on a point of view. "To each their own then." she said with a shrug. "I've just come to prefer public transit over time." Truly if she could help it Rebecca was never going to drive a car, much less own one. Not unless it could withstand an impact and thus not snuff out her life in the manner that had happened to her parents and uncle. Heck there were even times buses gave her trouble given how close they got to some of the cars on the road and over full ones would bring up the slight claustrophobia she got when seated in the back of a small vehicle. Even cars at amusement parks weren't totally immune - the first time she'd ridden a bumper car after her parents death she'd trembled badly before her competitive spirit and the fact there was a classmate laughing at her before she could get into it. But that had certainly been a stretch.<p>

Before the conversation could go much further in its circular fashion, the line finally moved so that it was Rebecca's turn. With perhaps a little more ostentation than was necessary, Rebecca angled herself so that the blonde behind her could see what buttons to press and which slot was which for the payment options. When her ticket was spat out of the machine, Rebecca gripped it tight. "Remember credit card in the middle, cash on the bottom. I suggest you pull your wallet out now." she advised as the machine finished processing her own transaction. "Hang on to your ticket and guard it with your life." she continued, stepping out of the way, slip of paper in a death grip within her fist. "You can't change trains without it and getting a new one means paying again. I've got the feeling with your car in the shop you'd prefer to avoid extra spending as much as possible." She leaned against the machine to wait for the girl to punch in her information just in case anything went wrong. I still can't believe that someone university student age wouldn't know how to use transit. Isn't parking at KO even more outrageous than downtown?<P>

Once everything was finally ready, Rebecca stepped through the gate and onto the main platform. People were milling about, some heading to the upper platforms, other below. Some were also using the stairs to get to the platforms in the middle for trains going in different directions. As they walked, Rebecca pointed out the various signs and unfolded her own ticket to show the older girl where they matched up. Despite the fact that their conversation was rocky at best - it sort of felt like she was talking to one of Andrea's hangers on, only without the airhead giggling - Rebecca was feeling comfortable since everything was impersonal and related to a subject she knew quite a bit about. The perfect storm in other words. However a chiming noise made Rebecca cut off her explanation rather abruptly and practically squash her ticket into her palm. "Hold on to yours tight." she advised seconds before a train came blasting down the track, rippling clothes and pulling Rebecca's hair along it's wind current. Once the air was still again, Rebecca pulled her hair back into place and gave a quick glance to the sign. Not her train. "Is this one yours? Mine's going to be a little ways up at the next platform. If this one is yours, I hope you enjoy your trip. Even if you'll be driving again shortly."<p>
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<div style="width: 420px; background: rgba(255,255,255, .1); color: #ffffff; padding: 5px;"><div class="lightcredits"><b>Tag:</b> amara. <b>Words:</b> 616 <b>Notes:</b> thread end <3 <br><b>Credits:</b> <a href="http://z10.invisionfree.com/CAUTIONTOTHEWIND/index.php?showuser=27246" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 100%; color: #618382;">lumos</a> OF Caution.</div></div>
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[dohtml]<center><div style="text-align:justify; width: 400px;">Amara thought that driving had more positives than just the time. The problem with driving in Tokyo was that half the time pedestrians far outnumbered the amount of cars. It made getting around and not running someone over a challenge. Not that she ever imagined running someone over… that she could remember. Amara just liked the control of her own vehicle and not worrying about her severe claustrophobia around people to kick in. It was not that close to rush hour… hopefully when she got on it would only be slightly crowded. No other people at all will be creepy. No more than ten or so. Thinking about it made her nervous and she grasped her hand in a fist, release and back again. She glanced over at the teenager, the one that was too bossy to be that young. She was right though, the conversation would just continue going in circles. The twenty-three year old would keep the same opinion of public transit of being evil.
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Amara focused her attention on the brunette when she started the process of getting her ticket. It looked simple enough… she guessed. She was so unsure right now. It was almost as frustrating as being surrounded by this many people. She licked the dryness from her lips mutely nodding to what was being said on getting her ticket. She did not want to lose her ticket and she took that piece of advice seriously. The last thing she wanted to do was pay more money and having to go through this strenuous process again. If she did, hopefully whoever she grabbed to help wouldn’t be condescending. She slowly took out some yen, glancing up at the map as she did so. Amara had no idea which one to choose. It was a confusing bunch of squiggly lines. Noticing one name that looked familiar, and one relatively close to where she was going she decided to go with that one. It was the best she could do right now; she did not want to hold up the line. Not that she cared that much. People could be patient. She- somehow- got the process right. From what she could tell, it was right. She glanced down, keeping the slip of paper in a tight grip. Yes, she did not want to go through this process again.
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Amara was grateful for the help and did her best to listen and try to understand this craziness when it was being explained. She bit her lip gently, feeling like a little kid that was lost and confused. It was better than nothing and sooner rather than later- she hoped- this will all be done with. That mantra kept going on in her head. It helped keep some of her sanity intact. Amara got the gist of what the different signs and stops meant. That one meant she had to wait for the next two trains and get off… she was not sure where. She was positive that she could figure it out on whatever route showed inside the train. She hoped. The rush of air, causing her short locks to fly up momentarily calmed her. That rush of air was something she was used to. That soothed her even if it was delivered in a different way. She glanced which train it was and confirming it was not the one she wanted. She shook her head, glancing next to her helpful companion. “No, I don’t think so. I should be good from here though. Thank you.” It was not the most ideal help she could have gotten. Either way, she would not have managed without it. She gave a brisk nod before glancing up to make sure she would be getting on the right one. This was being a long five or so minutes. She wanted her car and she wanted to get home. Almost there.</div>[/dohtml]