CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 11, 2013 21:29:44 GMT -8
For that matter, Cal was blonde, pretty, and quite certain that he would have looked glorious in a short skirt. He had also been extremely tempted to try out for the cheerleading team, even if only because most of the men there would be gay and most of the girls there would be cute. It had sounded exactly like his kind of thing, and he had been highly disappointed when he'd learned that track practices mostly collided with being on the cheer squad. Never mind, there was next year. Alas Cal was no reader of minds, and the conversation could not have taken that rather interesting (and quite revealing) direction. Contract assassinations and ninjas would have to do in terms of the topic of conversation.
"So what kind of assassins do you plan on hiring. You not going to do any of the work yourself? Doesn't that kind of defeat the point of being a ninja though? Unless you guys have expanded so far that you guys have managed to get the pirates to do your dirty work for you." She continued on about reputation, and he swore, in that moment she sounded sagely. "Heh. Time for you to quit school and become a full-time philosopher. I like that idea. Take the whole old-woman-on-mountain thing and shoot it to the next level."
On the contrary, Cal couldn't help but feel like he was still a lost teenage boy, struggling to find his feet in the real world.
"Dude, The Last Airbender is the bomb. I've watched all the episodes. And yes, Legend of Korra is coming out soon. Can't wait. You'd be surprised how much work goes into that stuff. It's a fun show to stream when you're bored at five in the morning and sleeping seems like it's for the weak--" His ramble was cut off by the most beautiful sound in the world.
Your destination is ahead.
"Fuck yeah!" Cal exclaimed as he pulled up into the parking lot, stepping out of the car. "Lead the way?" he asked, giving Allison a small sideways smile. He was so hungry at that point, he would have been prepared to eat the barbecue raw. Didn't people do that in some bits of Korea, anyway? Cal was quite sure that he'd had bimimbap with raw meat on more than one occasion, though he had to admit that this was probably going to be completely different. He took a whiff of the air.
"Smells amazing."
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 12, 2013 5:03:35 GMT -8
"Telling you what kind of assassins make up my shadow association completely defeats the point of operating in secret." A neat inky brow arched, "nice try but not quite subtle." Her lips upturned into a sly smile, "And information comes at a cost. If I remember correctly, that was your first lesson." He followed it up with a suggestion for her to retreat into the mountains. If only she could.
"I think controlling a clan of ninja assassins would be a lot simpler than being a philosopher." She also realised that the blond male was one who could talk; she wondered if it ever got tiring, especially when surrounded by people who didn't articulate as well. But that was not happening right now, the banter between them was quite enjoyable. She supposed it wouldn't be such a bad thing to make this a more regular occurrence. Though, that truly remained to be seen. Suddenly, the sat nav announced their arrival and the somewhat the charming young man turned into a hungry puppy. She really wasn't prepared for that but she did as asked, getting out of the car first before leading the way to one of her favourite haunts in the city. It was the sweet aroma of marinated meat that hit their olfactory sense before the sizzling reached their ears. Two things Allison could almost always say was welcomed.
The owner gave the pair a genial, if not a little knowing, smile and seated them in a secluded corner after her still somewhat shaky greeting in Korean and courteous quick half-bow. It's been a while since Seoul but there were little bits and pieces of Hangugeo. The matronly woman had brightened and returned the gesture. It was only when they were settled, then she realised the significance. Oh. Well then. She wasn't going to say anything to affirm or rebuke the assumption, it wasn't worth the time. "So, do you mind if I ordered?"
The content of the menu encased in transparent plastic folders was not unfamiliar to her and she did know what was best. After all, she has been here more than a few times, though she's never been served by the owner herself.
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 12, 2013 5:28:37 GMT -8
Oh man, this was going to be good. Any sense of his earlier self-reproach and negativity disappeared completely as he wandered into the restaurant, the scent of marinated meats and sesame oil growing stronger with every step. It took every ounce of self-control he had to not start jumping up and down with excitement: he had to make do with the large grin spreading across his face. Few things made Cal as excited as food. Yes, even sex. Food was better than sex, though he would never give up either. But if he had to choose between starvation and celibacy? Hand him the habit, he was going to swear an eternal oath of being a virgin if it meant that he could dine on filet mignon every night. Allison greeted the owner in a language that was definitely not Mandarin-- whoa, was that Korean?
"I didn't think you were Korean, actually," he said once they were done with the greetings. "I could have sworn you'd mentioned somewhere that you were Chinese, to tell you the truth. And I'm quite sure that wasn't Mandarin or Cantonese you were speaking to the guy." The perks of being multi-lingual, he supposed? "I did the I.B. diploma, so we had to take another language. I chose Mandarin, and I almost died." Well, he'd almost died for that 7, but Allison didn't need to know that part. Last thing he wanted to do was to sound boastful about his grades. As if she didn't think he was enough of a nerd as it was. The two of them were led to the table, and his eyes scanned the menu for a moment, wondering what to get until Allison asked if she should older. Cal nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes. You've obviously been here before, and I haven't. Sounds good to me. Though do you mind if we try some of the marinated spicy pork? Or is that," he said, pointing towards the item on the menu, "Is that something that isn't really authentic? You know, stuff that caters to white people."
It was quite amazing, how his thoughts and moods cycled from one thing to another in the matter of a few seconds, but truth be told it was a coping mechanism. He'd be hit with that giant wave of sadness when he got home later, so right now all he could do was distract himself until he was okay. And he was having fun: Allison was definitely a great distraction. Speaking of distractions, they'd never finished the talk about ninja assassins had they?
"Oh come on," Cal grinned, "You already know everything about me and the MI6 as it is. Surely you can spare a couple of little secrets. It's a trade-off, right? Information," he said, leaning in just the tiniest bit, "Information this time round comes at the price of my dignity and your clan. Why don't you take my word for it this time, Allison?" He said her name with the slightest bit of cheek, a casual reminder that even the authenticity of that was in doubt.
Your move, beautiful. He would see what she could cook up on the spot. And considering they were eating Korean barbecue, that pun had been fully, fully intended.
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 12, 2013 6:40:59 GMT -8
He was entirely too curious but it was kind of cute. Sort of. Like an inquisitive scientist looking for data. And he didn't need to know that she thought that. Then she was distracted by the prospect of food; it was getting better by the second. She guessed he was doing okay in the conversation, but that was before that comment. Allison had to bit down on her bottom lip to stifle laughter before she replied, "Take a look around you."
Everyone else had dark hair, dark eyes and was of Asian descent. Chopsticks and various Oriental dialects all around. Congratulations, she decided that he could probably win the prize for being the most unobservant right now. A+ on that non-test. "Really, I don't think they have that in here. Sorry for disappointing, maybe next time?" Her tone did not sound apologetic at all, in fact, it was outright teasing. How was that for throwing back right in his face? Two can play this game. But alas, he was saved by the owner, who came asking for their orders. Allison resolved to use some Korean. Here's to nothing.
"We'll have a serving each of Galbi, Jumulleok, Chadolbaegi, Deunsim gui and Daeji Dulgogi." The pen of the owner flew on paper, approval obvious on her face as she took down their choices, "We would like some Banchan and ssamjang for sauce. And yes, vegetables for grilling too. Thank you very much."
So her grammar was a little off, at least her vocabulary was still okay. The lady was patient, smiling as she stuttered slightly. "Good choices, young lady. Now I will leave you and your boyfriend to yourselves. Enjoy the meal." She gave Cal a sideways knowing smile and walked off. Allison blinked, bewildered at the turn of things. She resigned herself to blaming one thing:
Asian aunties.
Recovering quickly, Allison made a decision to advance the conversation to put what just happened behind her. She will distract him with his own curiosity.
"What would you like to know then?"
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 12, 2013 7:15:07 GMT -8
Well crap, she was right. Cal had to resist the urge to palm his face as he glanced around, and saw that everyone was of some form of South or East Asian. He was a beacon of white light in the middle of brown and yellow, shining bright in his privileged, colonising glory. He wasn't sure if that was something he was supposed to be proud of, but said nothing more about it. Avenue Q might have told you that everyone was a little bit racist and he definitely agreed, though being a little bit racist was never exactly socially acceptable. If you asked him, as long as you treated everyone with dignity, you were probably doing okay.
Sure, it probably wasn't that simple, but what else was there to say? He was definitely no expert on the subject of race. He was in foreign territory now, and he would have to deal with it. Cal could only grin sheepishly in response, chuckling a little. "Okay, good. I'm excited to try the authentic stuff. This sounds like it's going to be amazing already." The pressure was on, Allison. Luckily she didn't seem like the type of person to mind a little bit of heat, and now this joke had been completely unintended. Cal smiled back in response to the Korean lady, even though he had absolutely no idea what she was saying. She could have said that he was a fucking kwai-lo and had no place in this establishment, and he would probably have smiled back. Judging from Allison's reaction, however, she had probably said something somewhat surprising.
"Are... Are you okay?" Cal asked, blinking back in response. However, she quickly changed the subject, asking him what he would like to know. Cal tapped his chin. "Hmm," he muttered. Ooh, there was a lot that he would have liked to know about a person: maybe it was the scientist in him, but he did find people fascinating. Learning about others was just like collecting data. He didn't want to scare her off just yet, though, and so he started with a basic question. "You never answered me earlier. I didn't think you were Korean. Are you?" Or had she simply spent some time there? People learned and picked up languages all the time. "I mean, I speak Chinese, but that doesn't make me Chinese." Someone had once called him an honorary Asian back in freshman year, but that had been more of a joke than anything else.
"That and what exactly did you order, because I'm starving." Yup, the scientist would start small before moving on to asking about bigger and better things. Was that what you were supposed to do on a date? Was this even a date?
Damn ninjas.
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 12, 2013 7:41:31 GMT -8
"I'm half-Chinese." He can keep guessing about the other half, "and I have no Korean blood in me. I lived in Seoul for a bit when I was younger." Not that she was that old but sometimes, she just felt as such. After all, her life before she started college had a lot more momentum than most. "So some things just stick after a couple of years studying it." Allison shrugged, spirits dropping a little when a few memories were triggered but she recollected herself and gave the blond sitting across a wry smile as she explained their menu of the night.
"Galbi is sliced beef short ribs, marinated in a sauce that may contain soy sauce, water, garlic, sugar, and sliced onions." She started picking off the items one by one, "Jumulleok is short steak marinated with sesame oil, salt and pepper, Chadolbaegi is thinly sliced beef brisket, it's not marinated and cooks almost instantly, while Deunsimgui is sirloin steak slices and Daejidulgogi is your spicy pork ribs. I also took the liberty of ordering some Banchan which are side dishes, then some vegetables to grill and ssamjang which is a bean paste and chilli sauce." Allison retraced her words and nodded, "That should be it."
A waitress scurried over to start their grill, turning on the heat and the ventilation fan that will suck up the fumes. She thanked the girl and saw the other giving Cal a once-over. Well. He did make something nice to look at. She'll admit that to anyone who asked her, it's just that no one has yet to, and no one should.
It's as simple as that.
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 12, 2013 8:21:58 GMT -8
Her accent was delectably ambiguous. She sounded American, that was for sure, but it didn't quite sound like the typical Southern California accent. Which was fine, because his own accent was hard to place as well, seeing as it was just American enough but then not quite. The few times he'd visited England again, though, he'd slipped back into his boring old Standard English accent. Good times, if you asked him-- he really preferred how it sounded as compared to most of America, but hey. He'd learned to slip into the accent while he was here, and this was the kind of thing he probably couldn't train out of his voice. She rattled off the list of meats and porks, and Cal nodded, grinning with excitement.
"I don't know about you, but I really can't wait." It was barbecue, right? Which meant that this wouldn't take all that long. The waitress came over and started the grill, and Cal voiced a quick 'thanks' before the girl scurried off. Now it was about six or so, the restaurant was starting to fill up with customers. Man, this place was going to be so good. He could already tell. And then it was when the woman came over once again with the starter dishes, as well as some raw meat that definitely looked like pork. With a pair of tongs, she placed it on the grill: Cal picked up some of the pickles to try first, placing some of the bean sprouts in his mouth. Good stuff. He had to admit, this was fucking fantastic.
And the meat looked amazing too. He caught a whiff of the pork, the grin on his face only growing as he did so. It was only a matter of seconds before the waitress picked up the meat once again, placing it on her plate, and then his. "Go ahead," he said, motioning for her to begin. After she did so, Cal took a bite of the pork--
"Oh my god," he muttered. Yeah, definitely. Sold. Food > sex. He would go the rest of his life without ever touching another woman (or man) if it meant that he could eat like this every single day. "So if you lived in Korea, is this closer to how people eat, or is how people usually eat more like dishes? Bimimbap and stuff. My housemate likes that stuff a lot."
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 12, 2013 9:00:53 GMT -8
The expressions on his face... she could only describe them as orgasmic. Allison honestly did not know what to think of this. The sounds, too, weren't exactly appropriate, especially taken out of context. She had to stop herself and concentrate on the food. Yes, that would be the best course of action. Eating. Moving on, please. This is really taking a turn for the bizarre. Thank god for food. If she knew what was going through his head, she would be inclined to agree except, unlike him, she didn't really have the experience to back up her claim.
"This is actually feast fare. People eat this to celebrate an occasion, they don't eat like this everyday." The thought horrified her, could you imagine eating that much meat everyday? It would be terrible for one's health. "And the cuts are quite expensive. Usual fare is soup, rice, kimchi, and or other types of pickles, a few dishes of vegetables and one meat to share with the entire family. Yeah, I guess Bibimbap is closer but still, not everyday food either. And it's generalising, the specialities varies between cities, depending on the local produce. One of my favourite cities is Jeonju, it's famous for its Bibimbap and really good vegetarian. Some parts of the place even have fantastic seafood stews and soups."
She was warming up to him, offering him a bit more information without prompting as she bit into a juicy slice of rib and sighed inwardly, it really was good. The company wasn't too bad either. Something is still missing though and then she knew what it was: Ice-cold coke. Not the most healthy beverage but the fizz was wonderful as it cut through the savoury with its sweetness, refreshing the palate. Once in a while won't hurt. That was what she kept telling herself. Shush.
"I'm going to have some Coke. Would you like some too?"
Allison also had the niggling suspicion that someone between the two of them is going to have to quench the fire that came with the spice, and it wasn't going to be her. Right now, it's about getting as much flavour as one could from the grilled selection, and there were plenty.
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 12, 2013 9:30:38 GMT -8
For once in his life Cal's mind was not in the gutter but was on the dinner plate, though if he did know how Allison felt about the sounds he was making he would have quite gladly supplied her with some more. He wasn't exactly known for being generally tasteful with his actions and words, and he did enjoy riling people up and shaking them around. Then again, he was on a date-- okay, something that did have the potential to be some sort of date, but he just wouldn't know. It was a mystery. "I could probably eat like this every day," Cal said with a dreamy sigh. Maybe in his next life, he'd get to be some ridiculously wealthy Korean, and he'd get to eat like this whenever he liked. Too bad he didn't believe in reincarnation, or he would have spent the rest of his glorious existence working towards that goal. What a pity. "If there's one thing that I really miss from when I visited China as a kid, I thought the food was fantastic. I was probably a little too young to appreciate everything else properly, but man, that food. Sometimes I still have dreams of it." That, and his best friend at the time had needed to poop really badly while she was on the Great Wall of China, and there had been no toilet in sight. In the end, the poor girl had pooped her pants, and was forced to waddle back with her pants soiled. On the way out her parents had bought her a new shirt and shorts, reading 'I conquered the Great Wall of China'. Oh, good times. ( Back when he had been young and innocent, and his family had yet to break apart. ) "So where in China is your family from?" Talking about homes and ethnicities and the little bits that made a person whole was always fascinating to him, and he would have been lying to say that he didn't want to know more. "I visited Beijing and Shanghai on a tour with my family friends. It was really cool." It was then when she suggested Coke, and Cal shook his head. "Not actually that big a fan of soda most of the time. But," he said in a low voice as he glanced at the drinks menu, "I heard that soju goes really well with this stuff. I'd have that with Sprite any day." As though on cue, the waitress walked up to them and set the Jumulleok on the grill. It was good timing for if Allison wanted to grab something to drink.
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 12, 2013 10:18:22 GMT -8
"I still have family in Shanghai." Make that a crap ton of family. Her great-grandfather had been a man with six wives. Her paternal grandmother had thirty-six siblings, so just do the right thing and leave it at that. Though, she had a feeling that Cal would admire the man. He did live to see his hundred and sixth birthday; all the exercise must have done him well. "Beijing and Shanghai are good places for culture and food. Did you manage to swing by Xi'An?" A crisp Chinese accent escaped when she named cities, offering another dimension to her lingual abilities. For her, languages were something of an interest, and she had been able to learn alongside absorbing the culture that came along with the words. It certainly accelerated her progress. Though she rarely stayed long enough to gain fluency aside from her mother tongues but all in all, she got by pretty well. Allison took another bite of steak and then remembered something. She couldn't believe she actually forgot about the bottle in her bag. Reaching down to rummage through her carrier, she retrieved a container of creamy sauce. It was a recipe for sesame sauce she learned from the grandmother who supplies her Aunt with fresh sauces.
It was legit. And she receives none of the credit.
"Here, have some of the sauce with the unmarinated slices." She offered, taking his reactions in stride. She took her food seriously, alright? Almost everything was made from scratch and with love, she monitored her intake carefully and enjoyed the making process. Some foods were triggering, especially when it screwed with her hormonal balance. Not a good thing for someone with a history of panic attacks. Win-win for her. Her attention was then attracted by the waitress who kept coming over to help them with the slices. That is odd but Cal was an anomaly, so she just ordered a can of Coke with some ice and watched the whole situation with amusement in her eyes. Want to bet the blond male was going to leave with a number tonight? And it wasn't going to be hers.
Then she waited for his verdict. Drumrolls please.
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 12, 2013 21:27:03 GMT -8
"I didn't manage to, unfortunately. We were on a tour and I was like eleven so it wasn't as though I could go around doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted." Cal shrugged. "I kind of want to go back, though. It would be fun to do that. Man, I know how it feels to have family far away though. I've got relatives back in England and we go and see them every so often. One of my childhood friends is still in England and every time I see her again it feels like I never left." Yes, it was Great Wall of China girl, but he hadn't told Allison that story yet and probably wouldn't for a good long while. It was then when Allison rummaged through a bad, and brought out a creamy sauce.
HAH, creamy sauce.
But seriously, who took their own sauces to restaurants? Cal raised a brow, but said no more. She probably knew what she was talking about, anyway, he thought as he reached over to dip the unmarinated meat into the sauce. He lifted it to his lips, and then... "Wow."
This was even better than what he had had earlier. Once again his face lit up as he grabbed another slice and dipped it into the sauce, before eating the entire slice of meat in one bite. "I can't even. Oh my god." The blonde nodded, making an 'Mmmm' noise as he chewed. "How do you even know how to do all of this? You're like some sort of epic food resource. Do you get this in ninja training-- where to find the best food? Because if so, I really have to find some sort of way to sneak into your clan. Bye bye MI6, if ninjas get food like this I know where I'm going to be down to party.
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 13, 2013 20:04:34 GMT -8
"Going back to China now, it would be so different. A decade or so is almost like a hundred when it comes to China. Buildings keep popping up every six months or so in the bigger cities. Everything just moves so fast." It felt like that as well for the people around her, her siblings moving on and her mother making a new life with a new husband while she was still clinging onto the memory of her father. She curbed that train of thought as soon as it started, distracting herself with nibbling at a piece of kimchi. Food. So what if it could be seen as odd, to bring your own sauces? She was not one to care, it's about the food. Anyways, she kept the little tidbit of having spent quite a handful of summers in her father's hideaway in London. The children could always choose which parent to follow since the two were also separated half the time, her father usually spent his summer months in Europe, tucked away in a comfortable private apartment as she went to summer classes and he managed some boards. So England held a special place in her heart. Allison shrugged, "I just like my food."
Make that very much. Maybe she even harboured a secret desire to go into the culinary world and make a name for herself but that seemed a tad impossible from where she was standing right now. It would be something that she will always dream about, until she could actually do it.
"But there may or may not be secret scrolls." She took a dainty sip of her soda, before primly saying, " You never heard it from me."
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 13, 2013 22:24:09 GMT -8
"It's probably interesting to see how the country develops and changes. It's like exponential increment-- suddenly, when you least expect it, bam the development goes right up. You whirl around and it's a completely different place. I'd like to go back to take a look some day, definitely. Especially cause I'd be old enough to appreciate the sightseeing and stuff. As a kid, you don't really see what's interesting about a Forbidden City, you know?" He nodded as Allison mentioned that she enjoyed her food, taking another bite of the meat dipped in sesame sauce.
"Why keep a love of food from the world? Everyone loves food. Don't think it's anything new." Cal asked, raising a brow. "Unless you're saying that the sesame sauce combo is some sort of ninja clan secret, in which case, yeah I can imagine why. Seems like the kind of thing someone would need to climb up mountains and scale the hills to try to find." Family recipes were somewhat important to him. His mother was an okay cook, but back when he'd been back in England, his best friend's mother had made a spaghetti carbonara that was absolutely to die for. He sometimes had dreams of it when he slept at night.
It was why chocolate cake was officially his favourite food: he hated most carbonara now, simply because that stuff had tasted like heaven.
But Allison didn't know that. It would require a long and tiring explanation and for a first not-date, that was going to be far too much. Nope, she could think what she wanted of his history. Was she even thinking of his history? The waitress came over and started serving the rest of their meats, placing them all on the grill. Cal nodded in thanks as she started scooping the food onto their plates, and he gladly dug in, taking another bite. "Man, I've probably been spoiled for life. I'm going to be dreaming of this for months on end. I've always wanted to go to Korea to visit, just because of the food, and this is making me want to do that even more. Tell me more about Seoul."
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 13, 2013 23:24:07 GMT -8
Okay, that comment about scaling mountains to find a recipe had been pretty funny, her lips curling into an involuntary smile, showing teeth this time. Though she quickly ate another piece of beef, and continued the conversation. Nodding as he made a few valid points about change. His theory wasn't limited to cities and landscape but to people as well. You take a look at another direction and when you come back, it's not the same anymore. Sometimes, you just have to move on.
And why keep a love of food from the world? It was just the way she was, private and not prone to shouting things from the top of the world. Her personality profile included reservation and cautiousness, and she didn't see a problem with it. Some are just less likely to offer information as if it was nothing to them.
"Well, I doubt you could have been tall enough to look over the walls." An unbidden image of an eleven year old Cal was unexpectedly cute. She wondered if he had been even more mischievous back then, or was it a more recent thing with the newfound freedom that came with college and parents being states away. "Korea is a nice place to visit." She conceded and then paused when she was asked to elaborate about Seoul. Again, her father popped up in her head, how her first experience of snow was in Namsan Park, and their first pet. She found it hard to speak for a moment but did so anyways because it would be rude to keep him hanging for long.
"I was eight when i moved there. So... all I remember really was struggling with the language and my pet Samui really. He followed me everywhere I went when I wasn't at school. I liked the winters there and the steamboats that came with the weather. What about you?" She realised that he has been asking all the questions, guess she didn't really think beyond the 'why not?' she had used to persuade herself to do this.
"Do you miss England?"
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 14, 2013 11:02:13 GMT -8
"Tell me about not being tall enough man. I wanted to try climbing the walls, but I wasn't allowed to. Apparently I would have been breaking the law. That made me sad. I mean, why hold a young adventurer back?" Cal chuckled. He had been an excitable, manic little kid, always in search for something to see or something to do. Letting him loose in China with his childhood best friend had been a terrible idea, to say the least. He wasn't sure whether the country had recovered from the glow of his glorious presence just yet.
"Pet? What animal? I've got a pug back home," he said, pulling out his phone to show her. Cal was kind of like a proud father when it came to his baby Puggerpillar, and now that he was reunited with the dog, both owner and animal were happier than ever. Or at least, owner was happy. You could never tell with Puggerpillar; it was just his face. "But yeah. One thing I don't miss is cold weather though, so I imagine you must have mostly eaten steamboats when it was practically freezing. I suck at withstanding the cold," he found himself admitting.
"When my family first moved from England to Michigan, I really missed being able to go out in just a couple of extra jackets in the winter."
There, he'd said it. He'd actually talked about something that had a substantial impact on him. Then again, Allison had asked; she'd actually asked him for something rather than just allowing him to keep asking the questions. Surprising, really, considering he was the one who usually initiated the conversations with people and kept them going, and she had seemed like she would allow him to do the same.
"So to answer your question, yes I miss England. More so when I was younger than I do now, because it's actually warm here, but I once thought that winter was actually fun instead of me bundling up under blankets and drinking mugs and mugs of hot chocolate." Did he care about revealing that? Not really. Sure, it might have meant that he seemed less manly for it, but it was true. She could think what she wanted.
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 14, 2013 19:37:40 GMT -8
He probably was a hell-raiser when he was younger, judging by how he described his shenanigans even from a young age. It must have been nice to be allowed to romp and think about the consequences later. Allison had to smile again when memories of her first pet, a gorgeous Samoyed, resurfaced. The white ball of fluff had been a puppy when they first met, when all it could do was yip instead of bark. She literally grew up with the dog, her best friend besides her red scarf and her father.
"Samui was a Samoyed. He passed away a few years back though," not long after her father. "Now I have two cats. Not quite the same with a dog but it's more than fine," she softened at the mention of her two spoil babies at home. Then she nodded when he revealed more about himself. Ah, so he moved around before too. That was certainly something she could empathise on a deeply personal level. If she knew what he thought about it potentially coming across as slightly emasculating, she would have laughed and shook her head, thinking about men and their egos. There was nothing wrong with missing the important things.
"I used to spend my summers in London with my father," why she deigned it appropriate to tell him something she decided to keep to herself just hours ago was lost on her, "it does seem like milder. Hyde Park is gorgeous, we didn't live too far from there." It's been a while since she returned to that city, maybe one of these days she should make a trip, to relive some and to create more. It was part of moving on, wasn't it?
She doubted that she would ever fully recover from the loss of her father but it was a slow, tenuous journey; she knew her father wouldn't approve of her moping for too long. Besides, at least they had some time together.
"I actually love the cold."
Funny how they were slowly finding out that they were quite the opposites.
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 14, 2013 22:54:55 GMT -8
"Oh god it really sucks losing a pet." Cal pulled a face. "I used to have a dog back in England. Her name was Snoopy because I was a really unoriginal kid, but I was completely heartbroken when we moved and had to leave her behind. Luckily my friend's family were family friends and Lexa used to send me pictures of her, but she died a couple of years ago and I felt like shit when I found out."
Well, he was getting emotional. No, stop it Cal, stop. He'd just met her, this was crazy, and if he was hoping for a call me maybe he sure as hell better not spill too much from the get-go. Quickly pushing the thoughts aside, Cal suddenly perked up, almost unnaturally. "Want to see pictures of my pug though?" he asked, opening up the 'pictures' folder on his phone and scrolling to a picture of Puggerpillar in a fairy dress. "My brother did this before he brought Puggerpillar to my house. Best thing ever. I got him when I was fourteen-- my other brother felt bad about me having to leave my dog behind, so he managed to talk my mother into letting me have one when we moved. He's been with me ever since." He didn't mention that the other brother was dead, but hey, there was no need to get into soppy subjects. She'd probably laugh in his face, anyway: why the hell did he still care? Besides, they'd moved on to a topic that he could relate to more. Ah, England.
"Dude what. You lived near Hyde Park? I was born pretty near there, at St. Mary's Hospital. My family was from Surrey though, but we used to go down to London fairly often. Who knows," he grinned, "We could have passed by each other without knowing it." It was a scary thought, but wholly possible. "We used to spend a lot of time around the area too. Once I almost got attacked by a flock of geese when we ran around. To be fair, my friend and I walked up to them and tried to make friends, which probably wasn't a very smart idea in hindsight." As for the cold? Well then. He parted his lips, ready to say baby you can warm me up with your touch--
Wait, this wasn't just a hookup. Never mind.
"I'll be in my mancave, covered up and freezing to death."
Talk about a close save.
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 15, 2013 5:00:37 GMT -8
She was lucky that her father insisted to have Sam come with them no matter where they moved, she would have hated it if the Samoyed left her side. He did seem rather melancholic but only for a few moments, as he suddenly perked up and if she found that odd, she did not say anything. That picture of the pug in a tutu and fairy wings was adorable, her hand came up to cover her mouth as she just melted right there and then. That didn't last long though, for she straightened herself and handed the phone back, solemnly intoning,
"He is very handsome."
The pug was the cutest pug she has ever seen, even if the droopy face folds characteristic of the breed did make it look perpetually sad. Then he mentioned St. Mary's Hospital. She froze. Her father's apartment was just a stone's throw away from the medical establishment. Talk about the degrees of separation and no, she wasn't going to reveal that about her because it would just be too easy and too dangerous. What if they had actually passed by each other without knowing it and not just once? The possibilities were frightening but nowadays, everyone was connected, nobody lived and died in a small town anymore. The conversation swung back to the weather, she guessed that there were just some things that didn't change, especially if you were English. Her lips curved into a half-smile as she shrugged.
"Wouldn't you be better off moving in the cold? I'm actually horrible at keeping warm during winter as well, my hands and feet just freeze no matter what I do but the zing of ice has a nice waking effect. And that cup of hot cocoa just tastes twice as good after a stroll in the park."
It was a good thing that she really did not read minds because she definitely would not have stood by the quip and, to an extent, objectification. It's not entirely the fault of men and women these days, not when the media they are exposed to are encouraging and promoting such a perspective.
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CALLUM SNOW
Civilian
BIO CHEM MAJOR
never gonna give you up!
Posts: 137
MINI INFO - GENDER: Male
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: December 9
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Student. Moron.
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Post by CALLUM SNOW on Sept 15, 2013 5:28:15 GMT -8
So they both had something in common: a sense that they had been uprooted from their original lives and left something behind. He thought of maybe asking her why she'd been in Seoul, but decided against it. Common sense would tell him that it was probably for a parent's job, or that maybe the other half of her was Korean, but then again, it didn't sound like she was-- if she had been, she would probably have informed him of that fact by now. Then again, you had common ground with everyone. It was why Cal always made it a point to try to get to know people, to reach out to them and be friends: much as he felt that he and Allison already had some sort of rapport, didn't you have something like that with everyone you became friends with?
He was being stupid. Okay Cal. He was just flipping a shit because he hadn't been on an actual date since high school, and it had somehow managed to cross his mind that this could potentially be one.
"Yeah, I'd be better off moving, but you can't exactly walk around in a giant blanket can you? Much as it would be fun to do my best Abominable Snowman impersonation as I stalked the streets, I don't know how practical it would be to drag my blanket around." Nope, if he was ever forced to go back to Michigan for the winter, he would never leave his room again. The Californian excuse for the winter months had spoiled him for life. "If you ask me, I'd spend the rest of my life here, where the weather is actually palatable for actual human beings."
That, and he didn't exactly want to live in close proximity with his mother ever again, but details, details. Allison didn't need to know that. Who wanted to hear his sob story right from the get-go? If only he would open up he might have learned that he and Allison shared something more than he would let on, but he wouldn't and he hadn't and it was probably his loss.
Shame how guarded he was had a tendency to hold him back. The same waitress came over with the check, handing it over to him.
"This one's on me," he said as he put his card down for the girl to take away. "I just got paid, and you sat through three hours of my rambling on about science at the museum."
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ALLISON CHEN
Civilian
POLITICS MAJOR
Posts: 141
MINI INFO - GENDER: Female
MINI INFO - D.O.B.: 1st July 1992
MINI INFO - OCCUPATION: Pastry Chef Apprentice
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Post by ALLISON CHEN on Sept 15, 2013 5:47:35 GMT -8
He certainly had a way with imagery, she will give him that as she could easily visualise the picture that he was painting alternatively: Him being wrapped in a blanket even with a snow jacket on, trying not to fall over his feet as he waddled on the streets of Michigan. That, she had to admit, was funny. California's winter was not even autumn for some countries she's already been to. Two years before Occidental at San Diego, three hours away, had informed her as such.
"Home's San Diego actually, with my Aunt," she knew that probably hinted at a great many things but hey, it was a fact and she definitely was not ashamed of being able to live with a lovely person such as her mother's younger sister. The woman was still unmarried but her business of an Asian supermarket chain was her baby. "So I can see where you are coming from. It's a nice change, extreme weather isn't for everyone."
When she saw that he was picking up the tab, she hesitated, frowning slightly as she looked at him and asked, "Are you sure?" He explained that he just got paid and he was just making up for three hours of her life that he supposedly imposed himself on as a guide. She still didn't think it was appropriate because that gesture could mean a whole lot of things but she also didn't think that it would be too polite to push payment for her share of the food. Especially when he seemed so adamant on paying entirely. Men and their egos.
"Alright, but I get to pay for dessert and a couple of boxes of tidbits that equals the price of my share."
Just as his voice was firm, hers booked no space for arguments either. Like she said, two can definitely play the game. Or Tango.
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