Shut Down the City Lights

[Alena Milosz]

What a beautiful day! Alena had made her way down to Pilot Ridge, enjoying the Vermont weather and deciding to take a few photos.

Okay, so she was a little…ambitious at times. So a few photos really meant dozens. She wandered through the streets of Pilot Ridge, camera in hand. The Russian took pictures of just about anything of interest, snapping away. Vermont was beautiful. So much green. Even this town was quite remarkable.

After chasing a cat down an alleyway and finally catching a picture of it. Alena nodded to the small screen on her camera. Perfect. Now she could go back to the school.

Turning on her heel, she walked out of the alleyway, looking left and right down the street.

[“Oh no!”] She brought a hand to her head, running it through her hair as she continued to look around, taking a few steps one way before quickly switching directions.

Yup, she was lost. Completely.

[Kailin Bishop]

Kailin, upon discovering her need for fresh air and shopping time, decided to venture out and head out to the town. Kailin had gotten a ride from her elder sister Claudia, since the car was already taken, to the mall and treated her to a small shopping spree that consisted of a few dresses to prepare for the upcoming heat wave, and some cute chuck taylors.

After shopping, she still managed to hold onto $70, which was usually a shocker. If Kailin was anything, it wasn't a bargain shopper. Because of this fact, she immediately thought of a way to spend some extra money. What better place to go than Velvet-tone for a caffeinated treat?

She was walking down the street when an sudden figure caught her eye; in the distance a girl was looking around, seemingly lost, with a camera in her hands. It could have been the approachable vibe that the girl gave off, or maybe it was the camera in her hand, but the blonde felt the need to approach her and offer some sort of help.

"Lost?" She asked, balancing her bags on a single arm.

[Alena Milosz]

The moment she heard a voice, the Russian visibly jumped, having not expected someone to speak. Her head whipped around, staring wide-eyed at the girl. After a few moments, she offered her an embarrassed smile.

“Ah… I am.” She said, her Russian accent clear as she spoke. Her fingers curled around the camera in her hands, pulling it closer to herself as she glanced down at the girl’s bags before back up to her face.

She was always told to never talk to strangers, it was something most children were told while growing up. However, it was something Alena never listened to. She was naïve in that sense. So when this girl approached her, she was genuinely happy that someone offered to help. “I am trying to head back to Hammel Institute.”

[Kailin Bishop]

The first thing that caught her eye, or rather ear, about the girl was her accent. For an illusion manipulator with a desire for perfection, accents were essential, and the more often she heard them, the better she would get at replicating them.

A smile was immediately put on her lips when she spoke her intended location. She was actually quite far from Hammel on foot, but not too far by car. "I could give you a ride, if you want. I'm heading back there myself. Well, after I get some coffee." Kailin could call one of her siblings to pick her up with the car in an hour or so, but that was the earliest because all the cars were in use at the moment.

With the idea she might make another friend in mind, she offered up her name. "I'm Kailin, by the way."

[Alena Milosz]

Alena's eyes lit up as the girl offered to give her a ride. Had the Russian stopped and thought about it, she likely should have declined and called Valentia, but why would she when there was a perfectly good stranger offering to help her?

“Thank you!” She replied with a wide smile. She nodded enthusiastically, her fingers curling around the camera in her hands. Barely two minutes into meeting this girl and Alena already wanted to snap a photo of her. She resisted the urge, however. At least for the moment. “Coffee sounds good.” She could use one herself.

Immediately, the Russian stuck out her hand as to offer a handshake. “Kailin.” She repeated through her accent, trying to match the way this girl pronounced it. “My name is Alena.” The energy constructionist replied lightly, “It is very nice to meet you!”

[Kailin Bishop]

Kailin immediately blushed when the girl tried to reach for her hand in an attempt to shake it. During the brief time they were speaking, Kales had moved some of the bags to her other arm to balance the weight out. "The bags," The blonde laughed, glancing down at her arms, "I'm sorry, Alena."

Kailin found that the name slipped off her tongue very easily, but she wished she could replicate the way Alena was able to; Kales had a mundane accent in comparison, and at that thought, there was a slight pang of jealousy that formed, and was quickly diminished the minute it had appeared. Alena was far too cheerful for the blonde to actually feel jealous for very long.

"It's nice to meet you too. So, the coffee shop is this way," She gestured with her head to continue down the sidewalk, a kind smile gracing her features as she looked at the Russian. "You enjoy photography?" She asked in hopes to start up a conversation while they walked.

[Alena Milosz]

Alena kept her hand stuck out, it taking a few moments for her mind to catch up with what the girl was saying. But she quickly glanced down at the bags and realized, letting out a laugh and brining her hand back to her side. “Oh! It is okay!” She chirped.

The Russian nodded, beginning to follow Kailin down the sidewalk. As usual, there was a light bounce in her step as she began to look around at the town. Even after having been there months, Alena still found it just as beautiful as ever.

She had already begun to pull her camera up when Kailin asked her about photography. Immediately, she grinned, holding her camera out as much as the strap around her neck would allow. “I do!” She declared. “I have been using camera since I was little." Alena raised her eyebrows curiously. "Do you?"

[Kailin Bishop]

Already, from the way the girl was speaking to the way she was walking told Kailin all she needed to know about the stranger. She was happy -a happy, go lucky soul- and really didn't seem to let anything bother her. If it were Kailin, she would have been so frustrated for losing her way by that point, even if somebody did come to her aid. It was the fact that she made a mistake that would have bugged her, but this girl? It didn't seem that way at all, and to be completely honest, Kailin needed a friend like that.

"I've just taken up photography for school, but I really like it. I mean, when I can get a decent picture, you know?" Kailin laughed quietly at herself. She could take twenty photos and if she managed to snap two good ones, it would be a miracle. She had a problem with angling the shot, and she just couldn't manage to get lighting -just like in her illusions- on point.

"When we get to the shop, do you mind if I see some of your photos?" She quickly added, "If that's alright?"

[Alena Milosz]

As Kailin spoke, Alena’s eyes widened with excitement. She had yet to find a photography buddy, but she desperately wanted someone to go out and shoot with. “It takes practice.” She gave warm smile. Alena was the type to snap dozens of photos a day; it was the only way she knew to how to get better; to actually go out and do it.

So that’s what she did. All the time. There was never a moment when the young Russian didn’t have some type of camera with her. Even if she could only take a photo on her phone, she would still set up and frame her shots like she was using a better camera.

“Of course!” Just as much as Alena loved taking photos, she loved showing them. It was why she blogged. She wanted to share these experiences with the world. To anyone who was willing to look. She gave a thumbs up, raising her eyebrows. “I’d love to!”

[Kailin Bishop]

The russian girl's enthusiasm for practically everything had put Kailin in an even better mood than she had been. Potential friends always excited her, but her vibe was just undeniably refreshing. "Awesome!" She responded, laughing lightly at not only herself, but the way the girl gestured her acceptance.

The trip to the coffee shop was relatively short considering the amount that she asked about general camera questions, lighting techniques, anything that she could to hopefully help her own skills in using the camera to thrive.

While Kailin hadn't ever been the most creative, she found that photography was something she was relatively good at and she liked. A picture spoke more than words ever could, and she found that concept fascinating, especially since she relied so heavily on them to convey meaning in anything she did.

They reached the coffee shop, and she attempted to open the door. "These bags may have some nice things, but they are really getting in the way right now," Kales huffed. She ended up asking Alena to open it for her, feeling incredibly bad for almost having her as a 'butler', though she probably wasn't coming off that way to the girl. Hopefully.

"So do you know what you like, or do you want to just wait and look?"

[Alena Milosz]

When it came to photography, Alena could go on about it for hours. The fact that this girl had interest in it only made it better; for once she wasn’t rambling to somebody who didn’t care, but instead to someone even went as far as to ask questions.

She tried her best to give appropriate answers. Although she had been using a camera for as long as she could, there were still weak areas with her photography. Lighting was always crucial to a good shot; and she couldn’t stress that enough. Yet there was always the ability to manipulate the camera to help it out.

With the language barrier, she struggled slightly as she spoke. She knew the terms, but saying them was a completely different story.

“Not a problem at all!” Alena replied brightly when asked to hold the door. “I should have offered to hold some of your bags.” She added, thinking further on it. The girl had quite a few of them, and after all that she offered Alena, the Russian could have at least lightened the load.

“I am good.” She raised a hand, giving Kailin a thumbs up. Really, Alena hadn’t the slightest idea of what she wanted; she’d just choose something when it was her turn.

[Kailin Bishop]

The Blonde shook her head when she offered the idea of her holding the bags. Kailin was never the kind of girl to use those around her, and to have a girl she just met carry the bags with her clothes in it felt a little too much. Kales definitely appreciated that the girl was as kind as she was, but they were at the coffee shop already, and she could relieve herself of the weight.

Coffee shops were far different from starbucks, and it still seemed to trip her up when come to face the decision of choosing. Kailin was learning, yes, but she was attempting to experiment and find a favorite. Today she was going to try the a latte, because why not? Last time, she had a cappuccino.

"I'm still trying to get used to the terms used in these shops. I regret my love for starbucks now. It made the transition so hard." Kailin offered with a laugh. The line was somewhat long, so she'd be waiting, but the blonde didn't mind too much. There was more time for her to figure it out, yeah.

"The hot chocolate, if anything, is really good. You can have it in dark, milk, or white chocolate."

[Alena Milosz]

Alena stepped into the line with Kailin, standing on the balls of her feet as she looked at the menu with curious eyes. Her nose scrunched to one side as she scanned the menu. She was a coffee fanatic – favoring lattes. It was just a matter of choosing what kind.

“Starbucks?” Alena turned to Kailin, raising her eyebrows at the name. They had them in Russia, but she had never stepped inside one before. She had always preferred local coffee shops. “Is it that different?” She asked, genuinely curious. Then again, different coffee shops, local or not, varied greatly. And this one had different kinds of hot chocolate. Now the pressure to make the correct decision was really on.

The line continued to move slowly, but it didn’t seem to bother the Russian in the least. “How long have you been at Hammel?” She asked curiously.