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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Dec 16, 2013 14:12:41 GMT -8
When Aimee was growing up, she had always begged her mother to take her to one of those traveling carnivals that always passed through. You know the ones; they set up for a few weeks trying to attract as many visitors (children) as they could and then one morning when you least expected it they were gone. Aimee's mother knowing best told her 'absolutely not' and kept on doing whatever she had been doing at the time, letting Aimee return to her room to sulk. Now the Santa Monica Pier wasn't some crappy traveling carnival, it was much more magnificent but it shared the same magic that the traveling carnivals had had when she was younger. As she wandered slowly up the boardwalk, Aimee gazed at the dazzling lights surrounding her. A few were moving, others were at a stand still, while some changed from color to color. If Aimee stood in one spot and lifted her camera to her face and made everything out of focus, it looked as if the lights were coming alive and dancing amongst each other. The click of her camera brought Aimee back to reality as she pulled the camera away from her face to glance at the moment captured through her view finder. Satisfied she pushed the camera and it’s strap to the side of her body and continued on her merry way down the boardwalk. Aimee wasn’t accustomed to having a free night of her own as she usually had to work so this was an absolute treat to her. Speaking of treats, Aimee spotted a old fashioned little ice cream stand not to far from where she was and had no choice but to pull her camera out once more and snap a fun picture of it. As Aimee crossed to the other side to get over to the ice cream she once more looked through the view finder. As she got closer she took another picture, this time a close up of the colorful sign promoting the tasty treat. ”What will it be Miss?” A slightly older man asked her when she got to the cart. He had a protruding belly and graying hair and fit the part of your stereotypical grandparent well. Aimee just stared and blinked, as she hadn’t even begun to consider her options. ”Oh..err…” She started and noticed a sign on the front of the cart. ”How about a small chocolate in a bowl. With a small side of whipped cream please.” She said excitedly like a child about to receive a gift on Christmas. When treat and cash had been exchanged, Aimee went in search of something else to do, or look at, or even photograph. When her ice cream was done and thrown away, She set her sights upon the gigantic ferris wheel towards the end of the boardwalk. It was big, bright, and absolutely gorgeous. Aimee knew at that moment that a picture from the top would be absolutely breath taking. With a new adventure in mind, Aimee turned towards the direction of the Ferris wheel and set off. Once she reached her destination, she was met with a loooooooong line of people. As she took her place in line she began to wonder if it was really worth it. Of course it was. She looked around her and noticed everyone around her was chatting with a partner or group. Hopefully these weren’t one of those Ferris wheels where you had to have a partner or she’d be in trouble. In an effort to look busy Aimee pulled out her camera again to snap a quick picture from the bottom of the Ferris wheel (An interesting angle she noted) and start flipping through he various pictures of the night. Hopefully the line went quickly.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Dec 28, 2013 19:16:32 GMT -8
Keijiro had stopped sleeping well around the time that he'd realized what his mirror could do. It had seemed an innocent enough object when he'd bought it. A simple mirror, a little over a foot long, looking plain and lacking any sort of style. It existed to do a job, to reflect, and Keijiro had bought it for that purpose. He liked simple things, disliked fancy decorations, and he'd needed a mirror.
It had seemed perfect until the night he'd realized that the mirror did more then reflect. If he thought about someone--anyone at all--it would show him them. No matter where they were or what they were doing, they would appear, as if reflecting the room they were in. He had seen Jun Shi, his friend, and then he'd checked on members of his family, each asleep in their bed. He had thought of people long dead, and seen only himself, and then thought of famous people and seen them in their own private moments.
It was an alarming realization, to know the power the mirror held. He had never been terribly religious, but it seemed obvious that the mirror was an ungaikyo, and he'd made a point of treating it with all possible respect. He'd placed offerings in front of it, and he'd taken to carefully wrapping it before taking it with him in a small bag, afraid of leaving it at home. He'd taken it to one temple already, a tiny little deal whose priest had been just as oblivious as Keijiro had at the start.
The mirror was still in his bag when he'd chosen to stop at the pier, staring up at the ferris wheel. He rarely visited such places, preferring the quiet of home, but there was something appealing about the chaos of humanity. He kept his hood up, hiding his scar away, and if he didn't speak you'd have thought he was normal enough--an average American, and nothing to stare at.
He wandered near the ferris wheel line, pausing beside it as he glanced up, the bag over his shoulder tucked against his side. It looked interesting, but he wasn't sure there was a point to going up by himself.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM | LET ME KNOW IF THE DATE DOESN'T WORK |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Dec 30, 2013 1:34:32 GMT -8
As the line slowly moved, Aimee bid her time by taking pictures and just in general acting as if she had something to do. All around her people were laughing and chatting with their partner or group and at time she felt awkward and alone. Every now and again Aimee considered leaving line just because she thought how odd it would look for someone, especially a female, getting on the ferris wheel to ride alone but then remembered how beautiful it would be at the top and quickly changed her mind. As she neared the front she grew more and more excited.The lights, the music, the different carnival sounds, it all made Aimee feel like a child again. This was it! Aimee was all but quaking in her sandals as she was next in line. This is it. I'm next. She thought as she moved to take her place as first in line at the beginning. Once the car was sent up with the group that had been in front of her, Aimee moved to get into the caged contraption. The mechanical worker who was starting and stopping the ride looked at her. "No partner? He asked? Aimee looked to him and shook her head and before she could request to ride alone he was already shouting out "Single! Do we have any singles?! Aimee bowed her head and hoped no one would look up at her. The excitement she had been feeling moments ago quickly evaporated as the ride operator with clearly no life kept shouting out single. As if she needed any reminders. She could feel her face turning red and before letting this get out of hand any further, she asked him quietly to stop. This was absolutely humiliating, of course there were no other singles! Who went on a ferris wheel ride alone!?…except for her who was a photographer who was going up with a specific purpose she rationalized. Finally Aimee resolved to sitting down on the ride and letting the operator do what he wanted. He wasn't going to stop just because she asked nicely and for that, he was the biggest asshole on the face of the planet in her eyes.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Dec 30, 2013 11:23:57 GMT -8
If asked after the fact, Keijiro would have stubbornly insisted that what made him hold up his hand was not pity. Absolutely not pity, because Keijiro thought that pity was patronizing, and he'd never admit to flat out pitying someone. Having someone pity you was demeaning and insulting, and he didn't like those emotions pointed at him--so why would anyone else enjoy them being pointed at them?
At the time though, it absolutely was pity that made him step into line and raise his hand. The ride worker either didn't realize how awkward he was making the girl, or didn't care, and Keijiro wasn't the sort of person who could just stand there and watch someone suffer. And she was--the girl looked a little bit older then him and looked downright miserable. Was it that bad to be a single? He'd never thought about it that way--that it was something to be ashamed of--but it was definitely giving him something to think on.
"I'll go." He offered, ducking under the line to step up to the front. The ferris wheel wasn't exactly what he'd have chosen to go on, given the option, but it wasn't like he hated it or anything. He wasn't afraid of heights, and he quickly showed paid the fee before slipping into the cart across from the girl, setting his bag down beside him. "There, no more single." Because having one single person was holding up the ride, and it didn't seem like anyone else was at all interested in riding with a stranger. AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Dec 30, 2013 19:53:56 GMT -8
Aimee sat there slowly taking in the scene. This was humiliating and yet here she sat just letting it happen. Had this happened to one of her sisters they would have put an end to it quickly. Aimee just wasn't vocal and when it came to these things. Plus what was the problem with being single? Was it a crime? It made Aimee realize just how alone she was and that was not a good feeling. Coming from the high of making a new friend so quickly in a new city to this was quite disappointing. Perhaps she wasn't making any process at all. I'll go.Aimee looked up and offered the fellow who had raised his hand (she thought it was a him?) a grateful forced smile. It wasn't like she had wanted this and she hadn't been embarrassed to be single. All she had wanted was to get a picture from the top and enjoy the view. Why did she have to do that with someone? As the man (yes, it had to be a man, the features she could make out from beneath the hood had masculine touches to them) entered the car, Aimee shifted around her camera bag to make room to make room for him and his stuff. "Thank you…" she murmured gratefully as the door was closed and they began the slow ride up. Was there anything to say? Not really, he had saved her from anymore humiliation but there was no way to really thank him, at least not from the inside of a ferris wheel so they sat in awkward silence. As they slowly start-stopped their way to the top, Aimee began to click away trying to capture the magic of the pier from the top as best she could. As they climbed higher, she could see the lights of the city and the outline of the skyline of Los Angeles. While the ordeal had been embarrassing, the view from the ferris wheel as they climbed up higher and higher made it almost worth it.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Dec 31, 2013 16:05:55 GMT -8
Keijiro was thankful he didn't have much stuff to carry around with him, because the car wasn't terribly big to begin with. Just his bag with the mirror in it, packed with several other things to keep it from breaking. He left it on the far side, well away from the girl, not entirely convinced that the mirror was safe. He'd have felt silly saying it aloud, that he wasn't sure a mirror was safe, but nothing about the mirror was normal--it was a bizarre and strange thing, and it weighed heavily on his mind.
He hadn't noticed the camera when he'd volunteered, and now that he saw it he half wondered if he'd have even volunteered at all if he had. Keijiro was camera shy. He didn't like them, and as far as he was concerned, they didn't like him either. Most people with large and prominent scars tended to be camera shy, and Keijiro was no exception to that rule. The burn scar took up most of the left side of his face, and no amount of 'getting his best side' would hide it. His hoodie did a half decent job when the hood was up, ad he didn't plan on dropping it. "You're a photographer?" He wasn't sure if she was professionally, or if she was just a hobbyist, but photography was an art, and he could appreciate it in that light... just as long as he wasn't the subject.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Jan 1, 2014 9:57:42 GMT -8
Aimee had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she had barely heard the man across from her. "Hm?" She questioned lowering her camera to her lap to face her companion. It took her only a minute to realize he was looking to her camera. "Oh, yes. Yes I am." She nodded placing a protective hand over her camera. It was her life, a way of living for her, though of course she didn't verbalize this. "Thank you again by the way…" She said looking back out over the pier at all the rides and people below them meandering around. "People who enjoy humiliating others…they must live a sad life…" She murmured almost feeling sorry for the ride operator. Her mind traveled over the various reasons he was that way or the different tragedies he'd encountered. Perhaps he lived a very sad and lonely life and seeing others who were similar to him, alone, unwanted (though she didn't feel unwanted) made him happy. Perhaps it made him feel not so alone. Aimee's brows furrowed as she considered the possibilities. What a very sad way to live one's life. Pushing the thoughts away, Aimee looked back to the stranger. "Is there anyway I can thank you? A portrait for your significant other or family? She asked. She secretly hoped he would say yes. As she studied him, he had a certain look to him that she enjoyed. It was different, it was a personality, and she really wanted to capture it though she wished it would have been more candid. Perhaps after they got off the ferris wheel and parted ways she'd let him go and try and find him again later on and capture a more candid natural portrait. He was different, and Aimee could appreciate that.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Jan 4, 2014 8:46:15 GMT -8
It was a strange way for her to word things--that she felt sorry for people who spent their time humiliating others? It was an odd way to look at things as well, and Keijiro found himself thinking on it for a moment. "I don't know that he was doing it on purpose. Probably he just didn't care. It's easy to think of people as different and less then you when you don't have anything to humanize them." He knew all about that. He was different, and for that he'd faced a lot of hardship.
The offer of a portrait was almost enough to make him wince. No, he didn't want any pictures of himself. He couldn't blame her for asking though--she probably couldn't see his scar. It would be rude to simply decline though, so he shifted, moving his bag as he let the hood 'accidentally' fall down. The scar would be obvious and impossible to miss, taking up the majority of the left side of his face, and trailing down his neck underneath the fabric. Just saying no would be rude--politely declining after indicating the reason for it would be significantly less so. "No thank you." Hopefully she would understand. He didn't like pictures, and those that existed were few and far between. The few pictures he had were always group shots, and he tended to try and be facing away to avoid drawing attention to the angry pink flesh that made up half his face.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Jan 8, 2014 12:39:32 GMT -8
Aimee pondered his words and shrugged. "I suppose so. Then again I didn't ask him to stop either…" She added. "Still, if he didn't care he should let people ride alone in peace. This is a ride not match.com" She murmured to herself. As they reached the top, the ride calm to a halt to let whomever was at the bottom off. Though she was appreciative for the man in front of her for quickly raising his hand and volunteering, she felt slightly awkward with her camera and taking pictures. She didn't mean to ignore him but this was the entire reason she came on the ride to begin with: to take pictures from the top of the ferris wheel. When she turned back to face him, she noticed for the first time the scar. The long drawn out scar that covered the majority of the left side of his face intrigued her but she knew better then to ask ask questions. She let her eyes drop to the view finder on her camera to look at the pictures she had just taken. "I see…well if you ever change your mind, here's my card." She said pulling out a card with her information on it and handing it over to him. She doubted she'd ever hear from him again but at least she offered. She personally found the scar to be interesting; not in a freak-show kind of way but in a way that told a story. It gave him personality and automatically made him interesting. If he ever needed a picture taken she could always photoshop the scar out though she'd be severely disappointed if he asked her to. "For what its worth" Aimee began. "I think your profile is fantastic. I honestly mean that." She said simply as she continued to flip through her own pictures. She kept her head down but glanced up through her bangs to gauge his reaction to her words. She was positive those were the words he was expecting least after removing his hood and showing her his scar.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Jan 10, 2014 17:14:59 GMT -8
Despite the reference being one that could have easily flown over his head, Keijiro actually knew what Match.com was. It was't a place he'd ever visited, but they did have a Japanese version, and he'd been forced to listen to several of his friends go on and on about their profiles. Dating was serious business in America, but it was even worse in Japan. Women didn't want to get tied down, and the corporate culture made dating a ridiculous prospect. Keijiro had gone on only a few dates, all of them in a group setting, and he'd never so much as asked a girl out. It just didn't seem plausible to him.
Strangers never did ask questions, and he was happy for it. He didn't want to talk about it, and it was always particularly awkward when someone decided they'd known him long enough to ask about it. He'd become a master of dodging the questions, evading them with plenty of experience. He reached out, taking the card carefully and flipping it around. Business cards were good etiquette, and he'd actually had a whole stack back in his apartment that he hadn't though to bring with him. Most people in America didn't seem to use them--certainly not people as young as he was.
"A..." He started off before frowning, squinting at the letters. There were just so many vowels, and he was suddenly worried he was going to flub it. "Sorry, how do you say your name?" It was probably something simple, but he found it more polite to ask then to take a guess and get it terribly wrong. "I'm Keijiro." If his accent didn't make his nationality obvious, his name certainly would.
The comment on his profile was enough to make the right side of his face blush a fiery red, but he didn't comment on it. Fantastic? She thought it was Fantastic? She was dead on when she thought that he wasn't expecting them. No one had ever called it fantastic. They'd called it a lot of things, some polite and some less so, but the most positive it got was that it made him look 'dignified'--the way an old man with greying hair looked.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Jan 12, 2014 10:30:01 GMT -8
"Aimee." She assisted. "My parents have a thing for A names and vowels I guess. I have two sisters, Annalise and Annie. Kind of their thing." She informed realizing after the fact that at that very moment she was probably over sharing. When he shared his name Aimee only smiled. There was no way she was going to try and repeat that back to him. "Well it's nice to meet you." She said putting her camera down into her lap. She cast a glance up to Keijro and was satisfied to see a blush. She hoped he wasn't embarrassed, that hadn't been her intention. She was attempting to coax him into letting her take his portrait but more than that she wanted him to know that he was an altogether attractive guy and he shouldn't be ashamed or try to hide the scar. Then again Aimee probably wasn't the best judge of who was and wasn't attractive in terms of general public's opinion. She found something interesting about almost everyone. Then again she could see why he would try and hide it considering the attitude of people here in Los Angeles. Be pretty or get out…or hide. She considered this for a moment before deciding it was best to move on from the subject altogether. Probably not something he wanted to talk about. "Isn't the skyline beautiful?" She asked turning her attention away from his face and onto the skyline dotted with lights from various office buildings. "That's one of the things I love about Los Angeles. Cities in general I suppose. Skylines. Especially at night." She attempted. She was obviously not a pro conversationalist. Well, at least she tried.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Jan 12, 2014 11:51:20 GMT -8
Aimee then--that wasn't terribly hard, and it was more or less his first guess, even if he hadn't been confident enough to take a stab at it without asking to clarify. The thought of parents who named all their children with the first letter seemed a bit odd to Keijiro--didn't people normally use initials for things? They certainly couldn't do that in the Winters household. It would just be a stack of 'A's.
He definitely didn't want to talk about his scar, and he was happy that she seemed to move on. It was the polite thing to do, and she didn't even bring up the blush, which felt vaguely incriminating on his face. It was like he was guilty for it--for the fact that he hadn't given her a compliment in return, and for the fact that he felt like she was lying. He'd never flat out say that to her face--or anyone's face, really--but what else could it be? It wasn't anything good. It was ugly.
"I'm used to cities. The Skyline is nice here, but I prefer Tokyo's--You have a lot more skyscrapers, but then you have Mount Fuji in the background." Which made for amazing photographs--the kind that someone who was a professional photographer would die for. Such a modern city, only to have a snow-capped mountain in the background? The setting of the picture couldn't be better if they'd designed it themselves.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Jan 15, 2014 22:14:29 GMT -8
Aimee watched the last of his blush disappear as he began speaking about skylines. Aimee hadn't been lying, she did think he had a fabulous profile but had she only said it to possibly make him feel better? Aimee wasn't sure. Sure she wanted his picture for her own artistic reasons but she didn't have to compliment him to get that. She could have always found a way to get a candid if she were that determined. Aimee bit the inside of her cheek as she pondered this for a minute. It wasn't like her to just throw out her opinions; most people didn't care, especially when it meant calling out something that most considered unattractive or ugly. Aimee let it go knowing there was no point to continue thinking it over. The moment had passed and they were moving onto a different topic altogether. Aimee caught the tail of his sentence and sighed a happy sigh. "Mount Fuji…my goodness. That must have been beautiful." She said enviously. She couldn't even imagine it. The tall skyscrapers with a huge mountain behind them? Sign her up! Aimee made a mental note to one day visit Tokyo for the skyline and of course Mount Fuji. "Do you miss it?" She asked curiously. "Tokyo I mean…" She clarified. Surely he wasn't from the United States, not with the way he spoke of Tokyo and well with his name was a dead giveaway. Aimee's curiosity was once again peaked but this time she bit her tongue in an attempt not to be too nosy. If he wanted to share he would and if not oh well. In such a large city such as Los Angeles the likelihood of ever seeing this very same man again was slim. He probably hadn't planned nor wanted to share his life story with some perfect stranger anyway. Even if she was curious to know how he'd managed to wind up in Los Angeles after being in such an amazing city like Tokyo. That was quite a big change after all.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Jan 16, 2014 10:58:49 GMT -8
Mount Fuji was beautiful. Keijiro had long ago stopped paying attention to it, having lived in and about Tokyo for almost all of his life, but after having been away, he would have been more then happy to look on it again. He missed Japan, and even if Los Angeles was intriguing, and had it's own perks, he'd have picked Japan over it any day of the week. He nodded, unconcerned by the fact that most American's would consider that information personal. He had few people to speak to, and if someone was going to show interest in him, then so be it.
"Of course. It's home. And it's beautiful. And the foods better." As far as Keijiro was concerned, the food was undeniably better. Everything was fresher. Things were less greasy. Even the fast food was of a higher quality. "America has it's own upsides, but Japan is home." And to Keijiro, it went without saying that home could never be replaced. It would be held forever on a pedestal, representing everything that was good in the world.
He was being rude though--he'd spoken a fair bit about himself, but not given Aimee the ability to do so in return. He gave a little half nod that would have been an indication of light apology in back in Japan before speaking again. "You are a visitor to Los Angeles as well?" It was an assumption, and a slightly silly one. In Tokyo, people who carried cameras were tourists and visitors. Simply seeing someone with a camera was enough to make him think they were visiting as well, even if he already knew that she was a photographer.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Jan 17, 2014 10:31:18 GMT -8
Home. A word Aimee hadn't thought about in awhile. She'd been so busy running around and doing her job that she had completely spaced on home and what wonders awaited her if she chose to venture up to Washington one week for vacation. Most likely her mother's cooking, a screaming niece and nephew, bickering sisters, and relaxation (though that last one may be hard to believe, she really is most relaxed at home). Aimee sighed a happy little sigh as she pictured the scene in her head and made a mental note to check on flights later on that night for prices. Once again Aimee had spaced off and she snapped her attention back to him. Aimee wasn't normally this rude, she was actually quite good at listening. Starting from a young age she played mediator between her two sisters and now as a photographer she was required to listen to what the client wanted and create exactly their vision. "You've just never had Chipotle I see." She said matter-of-factly. "God's gift to fast-food. And I swear it isn't the crap you'd get at the corner McDonalds." She promised. "Nor have you had my mother's cooking." She said as an afterthought. She was practically salivating at this point. Sure she'd just eaten ice cream but nothing came close to her mother's cooking or Chipotle. Mmmm. "I'm sure it's beautiful though. I would imagine you miss it tons. And your family. I know I miss mine…and they're only a few hours north. I couldn't imagine a whole ocean." Aimee sympathized. Sure her family was kooky at times but they were her family and she missed them. When he asked her if she was a visitor she shook her head. "Oh, no… She shook her head. "I'm a photographer for the local papers and magazines." She shrugged. "I act like one though." She offered. Plus she was]/i] hugging her camera like it was her best friend. It would have been easy to just assume she was a tourist. "How long are you going to be in America?" She inquired.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Jan 17, 2014 18:44:13 GMT -8
Chipotle? Nope, he definitely hadn't had that. He didn't go much for fast food, having long ago learned to cook for himself, and that was what he did the majority of the time--he cooked for himself. Fast foot was a rarity. It was just so greasy, and while Keijiro wasn't exactly health conscious, he was used to smaller, healthier portions then what American fast food and restaurants put out.
He could only shrug in response to the whole thing. "I don't really like fast food. It's always just... greasy. I'd like to say it's an American institution, but Japan loves it too." Even if he didn't see the appeal at all. He just couldn't understand it.
In a way, he couldn't understand how much he missed Japan. There were so many things that hadn't even been on his radar as things he cared about, things that'd found he missed intensely when he'd left. It was stupid little things, like the money or the food that had caught him off guard. He'd expected to miss family and the scenery, never mind the language, but not the little things.
So a professional photographer then. Not just a tourist, like he'd assumed. Well, that changed things a bit, didn't it? "Four years. That's how long it'll take to get my degree, and then I'm going back." LA seemed nice, but he was already missing home. He'd planned to stay the whole time, but it seemed unlikely--he'd have to go back next summer or else he'd go crazy. AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Jan 23, 2014 11:22:26 GMT -8
Aimee shook her head. "No, no, no. Chipotle isn't your average fast food. You can't even drive through. It's so wonderfully delicious. Beans and rice…with maybe a wee bit of chicken in there and guacamole. And cheese!" Everyone loves cheese. She added as she thought about Chipotle. Her stomach was starting to grow hungry and the thought of a chipotle bowl was sounding rather tempting. She pondered this as she let the magic of Chipotle settle in. If that wasn't his thing though, more for her. "And no it's not greasy." She added as an afterthought. While Aimee wasn't a fan of fast food either sometimes it was just the most convenient. She tried to avoid it when she could but In-N-Out burger was just so damn easy for nights when she didn't want to cook (he up frozen dinners at home because lets be realistic, Aimee doesn't 'cook') and just wanted to get something quick and easy. Perhaps she shouldn't have asked him about home. Now she was going to be the reason he would get sad. Being a whole ocean away from your family? She'd be downright depressed the whole time if that had been her in his position. She loved her family and knowing they were only an hour plane ride away and his wasn't made her realize she took that for granted sometimes. "Well I'm sure you'll warm up to LA. There are plenty of things to do and you'll meet fun people here." She encouraged. While that hadn't exactly been the case for her, she was sure he would make some music friends. Plus he was at school, college was the place to make lifelong friends. "Plus it's a great way to make a break into the music industry." She added with a bit of hope for him. It was true; LA was the best place for music as there were so many producers here. She didn't know much about the music industry but it was Hollywood. They made movies here and movies had music? Big record labels were around LA too, she was confident he was in the right place even if she knew nothing about music. _________________________________ Sorry this took foreverrrrrrr. FORGIVE ME. please. (:
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Jan 23, 2014 12:11:16 GMT -8
Rice was good, but beans... well, Keijiro wasn't entirely sold on Guacamole either. While he enjoyed cheese, cheese in Japan seemed a lot different to him then it did an America. American's seemed to put cheese on everything, and he wasn't entirely sold on that. What was wrong with eating some camembert by itself, or maybe with some crackers? Did they really have to put it on everything they ate?
He still found himself frowning, not at all convinced it was good, although he was slightly more open to it then he was to most other fast foods. If he had to chose between chipotle and another place, he'd probably have picked chipotle... but he'd also have been in for one heck of a surprise. Keijiro had never so much as tried a burrito, and it was going to be a wild ride when he actually did find one. Mexican food simply wasn't that popular in Japan, and while Tex Mex was a shade more so, it still wasn't popular enough for his traditional family to have eaten one.
"I'll consider it." He declared politely, not wanting to shoot her down entirely, despite his reservation about the whole idea. He could manage--and it wasn't as if he'd ever meet her again, to have her check in on if he'd tried it.
Her encouragement was welcomed, although the last bit was enough to make him smile. "I suppose I would be considered already in the industry. It's more about getting my name out now." But even that was doing fairly well. When you were one of less then ten koto players in the whole of California, and the only one who had trained in Japan, you went right to the top of everyone's list. He had no aspirations to be a popular musician, but he was simply happy to have his music integrated into movies or music. "Is it a good city for photographers as well?" Was that why she'd chosen to stay in LA, rather then going elsewhere?
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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Post by AIMEE WINTERS on Feb 2, 2014 11:22:39 GMT -8
When he said he consider it, Aimee broke out into a genuine smile for the first time that night. It wasn't forced, it wasn't polite, it was genuine delight at the fact that she was helping someone discover something culturally new. She was also an avid supporter of Chipotle and all of the fresh ingredients they used. To say Aimee loved food didn't quite cover it. Aimee adored food. She wasn't one of those models that you would see on the covers of magazines or you saw walking around LA who were stick thin. She was a healthy size but boy did she love to eat. Unfortunately Aimee was not a cook, Annalise had inherited of the culinary talents from their mother in the family whereas Aimee had been graced with the gift of art. While Aimee wouldn't trade her talents for anything she thought it would be nice to not get takeout every night of the week. Perhaps her bank account would appreciate it as well. Until that little miracle happened though, she was stuck waiting to go home for home cooked meals and eating takeout. When he smiled at her she found herself lifting her brows in surprise. So the man can smile and look pleasant… she thought to herself trying to focus on his words. As he said he was already in the industry Aimee wondered if she'd ever heard of him. Probably not. After the incident with the Japanese band last week and Leon and all of his shenanigans, Aimee thought it best to remain silent and let him go on. The chance of her having heard of him before now was slim to none. "What do you play?" She asked When he asked her about photography she shrugged. "It's alright." She said. "The city is beautiful enough if you allow yourself to the beauty it has to offer." Aimee looked out over the tops of the trees as the descended. "Not as beautiful as Japan though, I'd imagine." She added as an afterthought. Why would he ever leave Japan? Sure music was a big thing in the states but if you were talented enough, surely you wouldn't have to leave your home and everyone you love to make a living out of it. "I'm not homeless and I have a steady income." She finally said though inwardly she scolded herself for not being more grateful for the opportunities she's had through her photography. While she has been given the chance to explore LA through her photography, she hoped to one day branch out and see the world. Perhaps working for a travel magazine or blog. She kept these aspirations to herself and let the noise of the boardwalk fill her ears. There was no need to share such things, it wasn't as if she'd ever see him again. So why bore him things that didn't really matter? She sat on this thought for a bit before looking up to him again. "I do well enough." she concluded.
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Post by KEIJIRO WATANABE on Feb 4, 2014 10:29:46 GMT -8
What he played was a rather large question. What he didn't play would have given a much more specific answer: Nothing wind. He'd played a bit of percussion, once upon a time, but now he played the strings almost exclusively, with several instruments in his repertoire. Most people had never heard of. It was fairly rare for anyone to have heard of them at all, but they'd certainly heard them before. They made up the sound of every historical Japanese movie to have ever come out.
"My specialization is in traditional Japanese instrumentation--strings, to be specific." He wasn't going to bore her with the specific instruments. Most people wouldn't know the difference between a yamatogoto and a shamisen, and he was doing his best not to bore her to tears. He knew he could be passionate about it, and he could easily talk peoples ears off. He let himself listen to her explanation about photography, rather happy that despite being a musician, he'd picked a path that paid relatively well. Even as a university student with limited time, the sheer specificity of his instruments, coupled with the high demand meant there was always work of one variety or another. At the moment it was mostly small things--TV shows, commercials, and internet bits, but he was fairly confident that a degree would get him into proper movie work. Video games were another obvious one, and he knew there were parts enough for that in LA.
"That's good." He responded politely. "I can't say that I know much about photography." He had a camera on his phone, but he'd never had a standalone camera of his own. He had little love for his own appearance, and had never felt the need to become a shutterbug.
AIMEE WINTERS | MAY 26TH, 8 PM |
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