You're Pretty When You're Wet, [AW]

[Miakou]

Miakou had ditched the school the moment the bell rang, transforming a caterpillar on the grounds into a cute little vespa, yellow to match the off the shoulder shirt she'd changed the wife-beater she'd been wearing into. An advantage to being a shape-shifter was she could always travel lightly, but she had to make sure no normal person saw her. Then she would be thought of as a freak rather than a princess, and that certainly was not true. She was special, she was gifted, she was better than normal, but no one would ever know outside of school. Even the kids in school were undeserving. A frown tainted her pretty features as she parked, checking her wind blown hair in the mirror for a moment before stopping. She forced a smile, blowing a kiss to herself in the mirror before turning away. She had brought her book bag with her to the fountains, a place where she could escape and be alone in peace. Well, not alone, because the fountains were always swarming with tourists, but she could easily block it out with her I-pod. She walked to the benches close to the fountain, giving a group of tired kids a menacing glare until they took the hint and moved away from the bench, reluctant and cursing her under their breath, but moving no less. Being intimidating had it's perks. She took her I-pod out, turning the volume up all the way as she took out some homework. She did not need to practice her powers, she used them all the time, but she had regular studies as well. Shifting was her favorite class, but it was not the only subject she was good at. Mia glanced around for a moment, chewing on her pencil's eraser as she thought of what she wanted to do first. She was good at school, and she liked it enough, she just hated being so far away from home, trapped in a school with were-wolves and vampires. They were disgusting creatures to her, but with a snap of her fingures she could transform them into a bunch of roses...maybe. That was pretty advanced magic, and she didn't even know everything about shifting yet. She didn't doubt students from school would be wandering about here, in one of the main squares of Venice, but none of them would dare taunt her for being a nerd. She was perfect in all her classes, and she was anything but one. If they dared to tease her about her school work, then she could find out just how good she was at transforming people into different objects.

[Oliver]

Oliver patted he back of his hair down with his hand- the part that always seemed to stand up, as he walked around the sites of Venice. He had skipped the last two classes of school, which was the reason he had gotten down here so fast. If the clock in the coffee shop had been right, then school would have ended just about now, or maybe a couple minutes earlier. Still, it wasn’t like he even needed to go to those classes. For one, everyone knew the first week of school was always just going over the rules again, so that they were ‘strictly inforced’. After the first week, the teachers generally gave up on those rules such as tardies and dress codes, so it didn’t really matter anyway. And, also, he already knew almost everything he would learn this year. Everyone said junior year was the hardest year, but he had already taken those classes. This year, he was taking two junior classes, one college class and four senior classes. And yet, every class he felt like the teacher was repeating itself of things he already knew. That was probably one of the reasons the teacher was quick to pick him as their favorite. He knew all the answers, and he was easy to get along with. Not to mention his exceptionally good looks. Oliver glanced up at all the tourists, which depending on size, was generally how he found his way around. If he couldn’t remember landmarks, then he could just look at all the tourists. For example, the huge groups of tourists already told him that he was in the very popular Amante Corte. There always seemed to be tourists here, even though it wasn’t as interesting as Occupato Square, it was known for its beauty. And it was gorgeous…. They had fountains streaming with water everywhere, luch green vines running up the sides of the various resteraunts and café’s over here. Oliver liked it better over here, even if it was smaller then Occupato. As Oliver’s topaz eyes scanned the various decorations of the fountains, he was surprised to see a familiar face among the statues and tourists. Knowing Mia, she probably hadn’t skipped class. She had probably transformed herself in to a bird, or something, which was the reason she got down here so fast. Although Oliver and Mia were both much to smart for the classes they were taking, unlike Oliver, Mia seemed to think there was a point to school. Well, classes anyway. Obviously Oliver thought there was a point to coming to school… whether it was seeing his friends, or getting away from his broken family, though, he didn’t know. Walking over to the fountain where Mia was, he wasn’t surprised to see her doing homework. Normally, kids would do that sort of thing in their dorms, to embarrassed to show that they actually did homework in public. Mia, however, did it right out in the open. She might even look forward to someone spotting her, daring them to say something about her homework. ”Mia,” Oliver said with a grin, as he sat down by her, ”I didn’t know you could read” Oliver joked glancing over at her homework. Although Mia hated to be teased, sometimes he just couldn’t help it. Besides, what would he try on her that he didn’t already know? That always seemed to be the problem between him and Mia- they were both too alike. Oliver glanced at the clear water behind them, as it fell in to the cereluan pools below. It made Oliver thirsty, and he suddenly craved a good cup of coffee. Mia probably wouldn’t want to move, but he decided to try her anyway, ”Wanna go get a cup of coffee?” Oliver asked lazily, glancing back at Mia curiously.

[Miakou]

Sorry for the wait ^^ Mia had chewed on the eraser for a second before completing her heading on her paper, her cursive neat as always. She dotted her "i" with a heart, and then began to write in the flowing script what the assignment required. Many tourists were here to see Italy's llovely fall, and many of her classmates would be wandering around in the fresh air as well. They would see her doing her homework, obviously, but it had never given Mia a problem of being called a nerd before. A hard student, a good student, a perfectionist, yes, but never a nerd. And she was a perfectionist. She had finished her introductory paragraph when she felt the warm presence of another person near her and she looked up, a smile spreading across her lips as she spotted Oliver. He teased her and the smile faded for a second, her eyes narrowing as she replied. Even from him, she hated being teased, and she was sure Rosie was one of the only people who understood that about her. "That's funny Oliver, I didn't know you could fly, or did you skip class to get here?" A small smile brightened her features again as she shifted her stuff aside so Oliver could sit if he wanted. Normally she put homework ahead of other people, but with her friends and people she was trying to impress, she could shove it aside for a little while. He was still standing, and she could fully appreciate his height now as she looked up at him. God, his eyes were gorgeous. Oliver was completely oblivious, but everytime she looked at his handsome face she regretted their break-up. He glanced away to the water for a second, breaking the spell, and as he looked back at her she did not meet his gaze. As he asked her if she wanted a cup of coffee she tilted her head to think about it, then nodded. "Alright, hold on a second." She hastily threw her stuff in her bookbag, but even in her haste she put everything back in it's rightful spot. Then she stood, the height gap between the two considerably less, but still enough to make her look up at him. "Where are you thinking of going?" She asked. She was not familar with this place much, she mostly came here to admire the fountains. Still, a coffee shop in Venice was not a hard thing to find.

[Oliver]

As Oliver sat down in the space Mia cleared, he glanced at her picture-perfect cursive, and her early start on her homework. It was no wonder that teachers loved her, and no wonder that they loved him, but for different reasons. Oliver suspected it was his personality- he was a know it all, without acting like he knew it all. He had a charm, and confidence that could rub off on anyone. They liked Mia because, even though she acted like a know it all, she could prove that she was right, and she too seemed to charm the teachers until they were wrapped around her finger. Mia’s dark eyes narrowed as he teased her, he knew it was one of her pet peeves. One of the many, but unlike himself, Mia was a perfectionist, so everything seemed to go her way. And if it didn’t go her way, she would make it go her way. "That's funny Oliver, I didn't know you could fly, or did you skip class to get here?" Oliver smirked slightly at her witty answer, and her face seemed to brighten a bit after she said it. ”Ah, never underestimate me, Mia.” Oliver joked, though a little absent-mindedly as he glanced around the tourists. With their Italy T-Shirts, cameras and bird seed, they weren’t hard at all to miss. Still, he was surprised to not see many of his classmates around here, after school this place was generally filled up, but oh well. Oliver was a little surprised that she put away her school work already. It didn’t seem like she was done yet, and he simply assumed she would make him wait to get a cup of coffee until she was finished. Still, she put everything in her book bag, yet still managed to keep it orderly as she did. "Alright, hold on a second." Oliver gave a grin, flashing his fangs as he did. He stood up, waiting for her to do the same once she had gathered everything in her book-bag. Even when she was standing, he was still a good few inches taller then her, but he was used to that. Being a vampire, he was generally taller then most people. He didn’t tower over them, though, he was just about the perfect slow-dancing height. Taller then the girl he was dancing with, but the perfect height for a boyfriend. Then again, everything about Oliver seemed to be perfect. "Where are you thinking of going?" Even though Mia lived in America somewhere, he was still surprised to see that she didn’t know her way around here yet. Oliver lived in France, which wasn’t that far away, but far enough that he only went to Venice for school. Anyway, he knew his way around here just as well as the people that lived here, but that also might be the fact that he skipped school often enough to explore around here more then most. ”Hmm… I know of a place.” Oliver said with a smile, a mischievous glint in his stunning eyes. He grabbed Mia’s hand, walking beside her flirtatiously. Even when he had a girlfriend he was still flirtatious, but with looks like his, it’s not like he could help it. Still, he liked to start out the year single, so at the moment, he was free to flirt with whoever he felt like.

[Miakou]

Miakou could see Oliver's eyes drift down to her paper, and she secretly felt glad she'd dotted her "i" with a heart. It was the first week of school and Mia wanted to keep an eye on her options for relationshio potential. Of course, she and Oliver could never have anything more than a fling, but that might not be such a bad thing. She stuffed everything into her orderly bookbag, carefully storing her I-pod in there as well. There was no way she was going to let Oliver drag her off so fast she got all unorgainized. He seemed a little impressed with her answer, and she gave him a true smile as he joked, his eyes wandering through the crowd. Sometimes she missed them looking into her own. God, she shook herself from the feeling. She'd been lonely over the summer and she wasn't going to make a fool of herself because of it. Honestly, Mia loved being single, she loved being able to flirt with guys, but she also liked having a boyfriend, having a special guy to run to. Oliver gave her a grin that she refused to fall for, and as she stood he reached out to her, leading her through the crowd. At first Mia was suprised and lagged behind a little, but she didn't want to appear like a sullen child and so she quickly adjusted her pace to match his own, and enjoyed the attention he was giving her. Perhaps not as rewarding as doing homework in the long run, but she was still enjoying it. Not one to want to walk in total silence, she looked over at him curiously. "So have you gone to school at all this week, or did you just come back to school to see me?" She was obviously teasing him, because she was sure even she wasn't that special, at least not to Oliver. "Are you rooming with freaks this year? I bet you aren't, you always get your own room. I have Rosie and this werewolf who acts more like a timid puppy dog," Another frown on her face, exaggeraing her dislike for Mary-whats-her-name.

[Oliver]

If there was one thing Oliver liked about Mia, it was how proud she was. Normally, pride was thought of as a bad thing. One of the ‘seven deadly sins’ even, but Oliver found it oddly sexy. Maybe it was just because he had an over dose of confidence too, but people also seemed to like that, so… Oliver waited for Mia to get her bag organized before she got up. He wasn’t exactly an impatient person, but not really patient either. More of… laid back. Still, he distracted himself by looking at the detail of the fountain they had been sitting on. He wondered, briefly, who had made it. And how they had so much time on their hands. Although Oliver understood most things, he didn’t understand sculpting. How it started out as a block, and ended up as these chisled statues. Wouldn’t that take years to do? Who had that much time on their hands just to make a sculpture? Personally, Oliver would rather be out doing something more useful. Sure, the fountain was beautiful, but the only thing it was useful for was a pigeon perch. Other then that…. It was just nice to look at. Mia sent a perfect smile his way, at his comment, and he sent an equally charming one back. She didn’t seem to fall for it, but either way, she was willing to go get coffee with him. And that was really all he needed- coffee, and company. Well, he didn’t need coffee. He just wanted it at the moment. Actually, for being a European, he really didn’t drink a lot of coffee. He knew there were a lot of people, especially in Italy, that practically lived off coffee. He didn’t like it that much. As he walked with Mia through the crowd of tourists, he noticed at first that she seemed to be dragging behind. He sent her a curious look, as to ask her what was wrong, but she seemed to quickly speed up and catch his own pace. His walk wasn’t nessicarily fast, but it also wasn’t leisurely either. Pretty much average. Mia looked fine, though, she actually seemed to be enjoying herself, so he just shrugged it off, listening to her as she brought up a new subject. "So have you gone to school at all this week, or did you just come back to school to see me?" Oliver laughed lightly at this, ”School? Is that where we are? Of course I came back to see you.” He joked. He had actually gone to school for the majority of this week, not wanting to make a bad impression. But, it was true, he did return to school mainly just to see his friends. And also to escape from his large, but seemingly empty house in France. "Are you rooming with freaks this year? I bet you aren't, you always get your own room. I have Rosie and this werewolf who acts more like a timid puppy dog," Oliver flashed another smile, even with shapeshifters, Mia always considered them freaks. If they weren’t as good as her, they didn’t deserve to be called anything other then a freak, it seemed. ”No, actually, I have a roommate this year…” He said with a small shrug. ”That Valde kid… he seems okay, a little reserved, though.” Oliver said, but he was basing this off one short meeting, so he couldn’t really be sure. Oliver gave a small nod when she mentioned Rosie, they had roomed together last year too. ”A werewolf?” He asked, when she mentioned her other roommate. He wrinkled his nose with disgust as he spoke this, although, even then he looked perfect. Still, he hated werewolves, it was a vampire thing. ”Well, I’ll have to do something about that.” Oliver joked, though if he wanted to, he probably could get the teachers to switch the roommates around. He could practically charm anyone to do anything that he wanted.

[Miakou]

Oliver was smiling at her, but she hardly glanced at it as she busied herself standing up. It didn't look like she was ignoring him, she merely didn't want to drown in his grin again. Damn him, she hardly could fall in love with his personality because it clashed too much with her own to be dating material, but he sure was gorgeous. He was the type of guy she would date just for his looks, because yes she was that vain. Instead she would focus on what she was doing- getting coffee with him. Oliver grabbed her hand in the flirty way that would slay a million girl's defenses and get them weak in the knees, but Mia didn't fall for it. Oliver could sweep nearly any girl off their feet, but not her. Been there, done that. She smiled at his joking response, having expected it, but she was still curious as to whether or not he really had skipped most of his classes. She didn't see that as being his style- he liked to wrap the teachers around his finger and then decide to cut class, but he did seem to tire of school quickly. His next response did suprise her, however, and she looked at him curiously. "How did that happen? And a Valde?" A coy smirk had spread across her face as she made herself a mental note to check out Oliver's room-mate later. The Valde's had a notorious reputation for being romancers, gorgeous and flirtatious, and those were the type of guys Mia wanted to be seen with. It was good for social status, for getting dates, and those were the type of guys Mia wanted to be associated with. Pretty boys were usually vain, but so was she, and they were generally good company if you befriended them. "What race is he? Vampire?" she asked, curious. Oliver seemed disgusted with Mariette already, and Mia giggled. "Try Were-puppy. She's so quiet I'm scared one day she's going to snap and smother me with my pillows in my sleep." She gave a seemingly helpless shudder, wondering what his reaction to the big bad werewolf would be. He would be concerned for her, perhaps? Bent on sending a message to little Mary? She grinned internally, wondering just what magic a little pout on her lips could work. They had arrived at the coffee shop by now, and Oliver led her inside, into the cool air conditioning of a small, out of the way cafe.

[Oliver]

Mia seemed a little distracted, but Oliver hardly let that bother him. It was a new year, and she was probably dealing with admirers and others who were jealous of her, just like he did. He, however, didn’t let it get to him as much as she did. She seemed to smile at his joking comment, but it had seemed very predictable. It had been predictable, but she already knew the real reason he had come to school. It wasn’t nearly as funny nor flirty as his other answer, so he was glad he had stuck to that one, even if it was just a joke. Besides, so what if Oliver had skipped class? He already knew the teachers, and they already knew him. He had certainly charmed them all so far, if not already wrapped them around his finger. And besides, the first week was full of class expectations and things like that, so it wasn’t as if he needed to be there or anything. Mia seemed surprised after Oliver admitted he had a roommate, then again, everyone was. Oliver always seemed to be the lucky one with his own huge room on the top floor. It was a constant party dorm, but now he wasn’t exactly sure what his roommate would do if he threw a party. Probably tend to his robots the whole time? He wasn’t sure… "How did that happen? And a Valde?" Mia seemed instantly curious about his new roommate, though he didn't blame her. Everyone seemed curious about the infamous Valde's, and even more so now that one of them was attending their school. Felix didn't exactly fit the Valde stereo-type, though. Oliver gave a small nod and a shrug, "I'm not really sure." Oliver said, brushing the comment off. He knew that if he really hated having a roommate, he could always get one of the teachers in charge of that to change it for him. Still, Oliver found the idea of having a roommate this year oddly interesting. And, the kid had already made a name for himself in the school, which left Oliver a little impressed. Then again, he had too, so maybe that was why... "What race is he? Vampire?" Oliver laughed at how interested Mia was in him, he could already see her cooking up a few ideas. "Yes, he's a vampire- but he's not your type." He told Mia, already knowing exactly what she had been thinking. If she didn't believe him, fine, it might be funny to see what would happen when she met him anyway. Just wait until he pulled out his robot... "Try Were-puppy. She's so quiet I'm scared one day she's going to snap and smother me with my pillows in my sleep." Mia seemed happy that he was already digusted with her roommate, but shivered as she spoke of her. Oliver gave a half-smile at her overdramatics, but still kept a look of disgust on his face, just because of the fact that she was a werewolf. She gave a small pout, and Oliver gave another small frown. "Well, I'll just have to warn her, won't I?" Oliver said. If Mia was like she said she was, then it wouldn't be hard to intimidate the werewolf. After all, Oliver could be a pretty indimadating person because of his looks just think about when he got mad. Not that he would do anything too drastic to the werewolf. He wouldn't drink a werewolf's dirty blood even with a gun held to his head. They esaceped from the last of the summer's warm weather and into the air-conditioned cafe. It was one of Oliver's favorites, not because of the coffee, but because of the look. It was very modern-looking on the inside, not like one of those cafe's where they tried to look American, or French, or Greek, or something. It was modern, and authenticly Italian. Oliver allowed Mia too pick a table to sit at while he went up and ordered. "A large coffee, and a low-fat, iced mint mocha. No whipped cream." Oliver said, memorizing Mia's choice and saying it with perfect confidence.

[Miakou]

Oliver seemed amused about her interest in the Valde, which suprised her slightly. They were so similar, she would have expected him to be a bit posessive of her even after their relationship, especially with his room-mate. No one wanted their old girlfriend hanging around in their dorm with another guy, right? But perhaps he was jealous after all...now he was claiming the Valde wasn't her type. This made Mia smile. "Oh, I have a type now? Tell me, what is the type of guy I'd want to date?" A smug look of satisfaction crossed Mia's features now, as Oliver reacted how she wished him to again. Predictable? Perhaps, but Oliver was notorious for the wild card he could become at times. Wrapped around her finger? Of course he was! "Well you just might get a chance to warn her, because I'm going to throw a party on..." She bit for lip, thinking for a moment. "Friday night. Tell anyone you like, everyone's invited." It had been sort of a spur of the moment decision, but she had been meaning to plan one anyways. And the first party of the year would be open to everyone. The cafe provided a cool escape from the last of summer and Mia walked in gladly. Oliver gestured for her to pick a table, while he headed to the counter. There was nothing she liked better than being treated and not having to pay. Well, there were probably a few things she liked better, but she was content for right now. The cafe was not crowded, except for a few quiet italian businessmen, with their noses buried into news-papers or on their lap-tops. This was certainly an authentic italian cafe that was out of the way and intended for the natives, rather than the tourists. In some ways, Mia liked it better than the crowded Satrbucks on every corner in America, but the coffee would have to be up to her standards as well. Oliver soon brought their drinks to the table, and Mia sipped at hers, finding the coffee was really pretty good, since she'd been raised on Starbucks. "It looks like you know your way around town pretty well. Is that what you spend your time doing when you're not at school?" She was curious as to what he did outside of glass, since it certainly wasn't homework, but she was certain he didn't roam the streets only looking for coffee-shops. He was definitely looking for girls or someone to spend some time with, because he was too social to be happy about being alone for long.

[Oliver]

"Oh, I have a type now? Tell me, what is the type of guy I'd want to date?" Mis seemed halfway between surprised and amused when she said this, both of which he had been expecting. He didn't want to dissapoint her, and thought that it would probably be funnier when she saw Felix looking younger then her, and probably tooling with a robot, so he decided not to tell her that he didn't act at all like a Valde. Instead, he smiled slightly at the question she had smugly asked him. "Yes you have a type, don't you talk about this stuff at your little sleep-overs?" He joked at Mia, but then added, "Hmm... you'd probably go with more of a rebelious guy, charming, though, of course." He said, looking at Mia when he said this. "Then again, maybe you'd just go with anyone who looked good next to you." Oliver said with a smirk, knowing full well how vain Mia was. Mia sent him another smug look as he talked about her werewolf roommate with distaste. He knew it was what she wanted to hear, and besides, he hated werewolves. So why not frighten her a bit? "Well you just might get a chance to warn her, because I'm going to throw a party on..." Oliver glanced at her at the word party, wondering if she had planned this just now as they were talking. Her pause before saying the date led him to believe that she had. "Friday night. Tell anyone you like, everyone's invited." Oliver was surprised at how early it was, Mia usually liked to wait until everyone had gotten back in to the swing of things before throwing a party. Still, he wasn't one to turn down an offer like that. "I'll be there." Oliver said, flashing his fangs in a smile once again. As Mia picked out a seat in the cafe, Oliver waited for the drinks to come, paying for them too. He already knew what Mia would order, he had remembered it from the past when they were dating. That was part of why Oliver was so brilliant- with his memory, he could remember practically everything by heart, just at a glance. Maybe it had something to do with his nightvision, but he doubted it. He just had an excellent memory, among many things. Oliver broght the two drinks back to the table Mia had chosen, and set hers in front of her while taking a sip of his. Even on a warm day such as this one, he had chosen a hot drink. But, oh well, it tasted good and they were in heavy air-conditioning now, so he might actually need the warmth. Glancing at Mia, who sat across from him, she seemed to like her drink too, or at least approve of the coffee shop. "It looks like you know your way around town pretty well. Is that what you spend your time doing when you're not at school?" Oliver smiled at her next comment, "Not all of use live in America, Mia." He replied sarcastically. But, it was mostly his good memory that led him around town. He did come down here a few times in the summer, and he did remember where everything was from his past years at the boarding school, so he definitly knew his way around.

[Miakou]

Mia was smiling as Oliver told her what her type was, slightly amused at his perception of her. "Well if that was my type it's a miracle you ever ended up with me," she said coyly, taking another sip of the coffee. It was cold, and so was the cafe, but it was good enough not to make her care. Besides, she'd hardly eaten all day and she was taking whatever calories she could get. Although she was pretty slim naturally, she usually watched what she ate, but coffee should have been the eighth deadly sin, because it was certainly hers. Then again, pride had her written all over it as well. Oliver immediatly accepted her invitation to the party, which was expected. He had always brought the achohal, and his attendance was sort of nessecay. Mia wouldn't have been able to buy any, and anyways, she was still too worried about being a good girl to be sneaking too much achohal into her parties. Though she sometimes acted as if she disreguarded the rules completely, more often than not she cared enough about them to keep within their boundaries. Mia rolled her eyes at him as he replied sarcastically, knowing how much it irritated her. Her words were challenging, but not threatening. Mia fished around in her bag for a moment, withdrawing her cellphone and looking at the time. She had spent a while with Oliver, and now it was time to return to her dorm and focus on homework. Yes, she was sort of a nerd. "Well I think I'd better head back now Oliver, thanks for the coffee. Want to walk me back, or are you going to stay here?"