This one needs a blurb, so here it is:
To you or I, these swans are just ordinary birds, but to Doctor Valera, they are so, so much more.
All idea credit to my wonderful new anime-con-going friend, Rosalie. This is based on a manga of the same name, which seriously missed it's opportunity for a more awesome story.
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Doctor Valera
23
scientist
Penrith, NSW
Life achievements: | ...
Rosalie's fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen. She hit the backspace key.
Life goals: | ...
Rosalie couldn't think of one thing that would be worth her life's work. She was a scientist, she wanted to ... to ... do something with her life.
She sighed and looked out the window at the lake across the road. Swans swam merrily around in circles, playing and ducking into the water and eating bread that was tossed their way. Oh, the life of a swan, it was so simple.
She stood up. There was no point sitting and staring out the window. She may as well go enjoy the warm sun and the breeze outside near the water. Rosalie was a woman of action, and sitting and daydreaming wistfully had never produced the results she wanted. She hadn't studied all her life to stare at an almost-blank screen and feel sorry for herself. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her keys before rushing out the door. She stopped in the hallway halfway to the elevator and ran back, picking up a notepad and pen before finally leaving.
The swans were playful, as if putting on a show for the crowd enjoying the sunny day. One spread his wings in front of a boy in a red cap, causing him to squeal in delight. He would have thrown his entire sandwich to the beautiful bird had his mother not grabbed his hand at the last moment, convincing him to throw his crusts one at a time instead.
Rosalie, sitting cross-legged on the grassy bank, smiled as the same bird stretched out its wings again and swam alongside one of its friends, who copied the action as they moved in a circle together. That was some impressive showmanship. The moment overcame her and she gave a small burst of applause at the display.
The swans looked in her direction, as if they understood what she was doing. The scientist and birds looked at one another for a long moment, performing for bread seemingly forgotten. Rosalie felt a shudder down her spine and broke the staring competition to study her shoes. When she looked back up, the swans were clamouring for bread once more, as if the eerie situation had never happened.
Rosalie looked for patterns in the moonlight on her ceiling, trying to stop herself from getting out of bed and looking directly at the shining gibbous moon outside. If she got out of bed, her chances of getting to sleep would be greatly reduced. If she got out of bed, she'd stare at the moon for awhile, get an idea, turn on her computer...
Thinking about all the things that would stop her from sleeping wasn't really helping her sleep at all.
Rosalie sighed and rolled over, coming face-to-beak with a swan.
"Ah!" Rosalie sat up, getting a better view to confirm it was, actually a swan in her bedroom.
The swan honked in return.
"What are you doing in my bedroom?" The absurdity of asking such a question to a bird was lost on her frazzled mind.
The swan lifted a wing and spun in a circle. He honked again.
"So you're ... one of the swans from the park this afternoon?"
It was dark, and Rosalie wasn't sure if she was going crazy when she saw the bird give a nod.
"What do you want?"
With another honk, this one softer, the bird spread both his wings and hopped onto the end of Rosalie's bed.
"You want to stay in my apartment?"
The bird snuggled down into the twisted blanket, treating it like a nest.
Rosalie stared at the bird for a few moments more, then got up and rushed to her front door. It was closed, the deadlock still in place. She checked the balcony door. Still locked. She rattled it and it didn't budge. She felt a breeze and turned to the kitchen, where the window was open.
"Mystery solved," she whispered with a sigh. She closed the window and went back to bed. She'd deal with the bird in the morning.
As Rosalie wiggled back between the sheets, she glanced over at the swan. He looked content, lazing at the foot of her bed with his head under a wing. Maybe she had a new pet swan.
To you or I, these swans are just ordinary birds, but to Doctor Valera, they are so, so much more.
All idea credit to my wonderful new anime-con-going friend, Rosalie. This is based on a manga of the same name, which seriously missed it's opportunity for a more awesome story.
----------
Doctor Valera
23
scientist
Penrith, NSW
Life achievements: | ...
Rosalie's fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen. She hit the backspace key.
Life goals: | ...
Rosalie couldn't think of one thing that would be worth her life's work. She was a scientist, she wanted to ... to ... do something with her life.
She sighed and looked out the window at the lake across the road. Swans swam merrily around in circles, playing and ducking into the water and eating bread that was tossed their way. Oh, the life of a swan, it was so simple.
She stood up. There was no point sitting and staring out the window. She may as well go enjoy the warm sun and the breeze outside near the water. Rosalie was a woman of action, and sitting and daydreaming wistfully had never produced the results she wanted. She hadn't studied all her life to stare at an almost-blank screen and feel sorry for herself. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her keys before rushing out the door. She stopped in the hallway halfway to the elevator and ran back, picking up a notepad and pen before finally leaving.
The swans were playful, as if putting on a show for the crowd enjoying the sunny day. One spread his wings in front of a boy in a red cap, causing him to squeal in delight. He would have thrown his entire sandwich to the beautiful bird had his mother not grabbed his hand at the last moment, convincing him to throw his crusts one at a time instead.
Rosalie, sitting cross-legged on the grassy bank, smiled as the same bird stretched out its wings again and swam alongside one of its friends, who copied the action as they moved in a circle together. That was some impressive showmanship. The moment overcame her and she gave a small burst of applause at the display.
The swans looked in her direction, as if they understood what she was doing. The scientist and birds looked at one another for a long moment, performing for bread seemingly forgotten. Rosalie felt a shudder down her spine and broke the staring competition to study her shoes. When she looked back up, the swans were clamouring for bread once more, as if the eerie situation had never happened.
Rosalie looked for patterns in the moonlight on her ceiling, trying to stop herself from getting out of bed and looking directly at the shining gibbous moon outside. If she got out of bed, her chances of getting to sleep would be greatly reduced. If she got out of bed, she'd stare at the moon for awhile, get an idea, turn on her computer...
Thinking about all the things that would stop her from sleeping wasn't really helping her sleep at all.
Rosalie sighed and rolled over, coming face-to-beak with a swan.
"Ah!" Rosalie sat up, getting a better view to confirm it was, actually a swan in her bedroom.
The swan honked in return.
"What are you doing in my bedroom?" The absurdity of asking such a question to a bird was lost on her frazzled mind.
The swan lifted a wing and spun in a circle. He honked again.
"So you're ... one of the swans from the park this afternoon?"
It was dark, and Rosalie wasn't sure if she was going crazy when she saw the bird give a nod.
"What do you want?"
With another honk, this one softer, the bird spread both his wings and hopped onto the end of Rosalie's bed.
"You want to stay in my apartment?"
The bird snuggled down into the twisted blanket, treating it like a nest.
Rosalie stared at the bird for a few moments more, then got up and rushed to her front door. It was closed, the deadlock still in place. She checked the balcony door. Still locked. She rattled it and it didn't budge. She felt a breeze and turned to the kitchen, where the window was open.
"Mystery solved," she whispered with a sigh. She closed the window and went back to bed. She'd deal with the bird in the morning.
As Rosalie wiggled back between the sheets, she glanced over at the swan. He looked content, lazing at the foot of her bed with his head under a wing. Maybe she had a new pet swan.
