69 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Male
"Spots"
Watchdog-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charles Carter on Jan 9, 2019 21:09:25 GMT -4
It's Gonna Take Some Time
In contrast to the sea of normal Japanese folk around him, Charles was blinding to look at. For one, he was clearly a foreigner by the way he held himself and spoke- his thick, Midwestern accent making his English even harder to understand. Furthermore, rather than wearing a suit or even normal casual clothing, he was wearing what appeared to be some ripped up old western style cowboy clothing, with a ragged and worn green cape tied around his neck and flapping in the wind to boot- complete with ten gallon hat. If that wasn’t already enough to make people give him curious sideway glances, Charles’ somewhat revealing outfit that exposed the majority of his arms and torso put his decrepit, unnatural body in full view for all to see. The American was already fairly scrawny, but due to the nature of his quirk his skin was thin and papery- colored gray from a restricted flow of blood and a lifetime of the gray, rubber spots that adorned his body rubbing against them. These spots were a darker shade of gray and made the man look as if he’d been painted polka-dotted, though the majority of said spots were concentrated around his torso and face. To top this off, his irises filled up nearly the entirety of his eyes, only a little bit of white showing beside the large, pale yellow shaped in an almost perfect circle. He was a strange one, to say the least.
Of course the Japanese were a fairly polite people, and weren’t ones to record or ridicule him, but he definitely received many questioning or somewhat fearful glances, some people clearly more fearful and uncomfortable to speak with him than others. Despite trying a large number of passerby, nobody seemed to understand English- or at least not the English he spoke through his thick accent, though to be honest most of the citizens he approached more or less wanted to stop talking to him as soon as possible to get away from him and back to their busy lives.
Charles held no grudge against them, of course. He knew what he looked like- and being a foreigner didn’t help. The treatment he got now was still far better than he’d ever received throughout middle and high school, and this situation was partly his fault for rushing to Japan as soon as he felt called to without spending any time studying Japanese. Of course he intended to learn the language now once he got here, but having zero experience, little to no cash, and no place to live- things looked grim. The American had managed to get some part time work at a convenience store thanks to the owner being a friend of his father’s and getting things worked out ahead of time, but if Charles didn’t learn Japanese fast then even the owner’s kindness wouldn’t be enough to keep him there. Furthermore, it was hardly enough to keep him put up somewhere for more than a few months at most- meaning eventually he’d have to find more substantial and long term work. He preferred to get started with his actual righteous duties as soon as possible, but finding his way around the city and figuring out how he’d support his stay here took priority for the time being. Just getting a visa to even be in Japan had already been a struggle- and again if it hadn’t been for his father’s business connections could’ve taken a lot longer or not even happened at all.
Seating himself down on one of the few empty benches scattered about the park, he put his hands to his heads and looked down at his knees, wondering how he was going to figure this all out. Sure he’d come here on an impulse- but he could feel his righteous cause beckoning for him to come. If it was God’s will for him to come to Tokyo, then he just had to trust that in some way or another the Lord would help provide for him.
Word Count: 880 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2019 15:37:29 GMT -4
Since moving to Japan with her enrollment in Yuuei, Rimma had spent the vast majority of her time within the school grounds - something that was not as restrictive as it might sound. She had spent weeks running about, familiarizing herself with the layout and where everything was and meeting everyone she could. While she could confidently say she had accomplished the former, she could not really even say she was half done on the latter!
Even so, recent interactions had her venturing out into the city more and more - invitations from friends to go get pirozhki, try authentic Japanese ramen, and spending new years eve enjoying the public festivities. While her enthusiasm for pirozhki had led to her immediately learning the way too and from that particular bakery, the rest of the city was still unfamiliar enough that she had to think about where she was going or occasionally ask for directions. Not to mention, so many of the actual businesses and services were completely unknown to her.
To fix this, Rimma was spending her free time today simply exploring and committing the city layout to memory. Bundled up in multiple layers of coats and looking not unlike a marshmallow as a result, the Russian girl had her fluffy boots on her feet, fluffy white scarf around her neck, and her knitted hat on her head. It was not quite cold enough to warrant gloves, so she settled for simply stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets.
Between her state of dress and the long red hair left to freely drape across her shoulders and down her back as she walked, Rimma stood out amongst the crowds of Japanese people going about their business as she walked. Round, gray-blue eyes took note of the different buildings she passed, sometimes having to stop and stare for a moment to parse some kanji she hadn't perfectly memorized. Eventually, her wanderings took her to Tokyo Park - a place she had been before in an attempt to give away free freshly made ice cream, but it was so large that she felt it worthwhile to visit again.
Walking along one of the pathways through the park, past benches spread out to allow for places to sit, Rimma eventually spotted someone who managed to stand out even more than she did - a rough looking man decked out in western apparel right out of a movie. Normally, she would just idly note his appearance and carry on her way, but the man's demeanor seemed... Distressed? At least, his hands on his head and the way he was staring down gave her that impression.
Brow furrowing in concern, she approached just enough to remain at a polite distance while stepping off to the side of the walkway. Clearing her throat to speak clearly and politely catch the man's attention, she gave voice to her concern. "Prasteete..." She began, excusing herself in Russian on the off chance she was intruding on his thoughts. "Is something the matter, sir? Forgive me if I am off base, but you seem distressed."
Of course, Rimma knew full well not to talk to strangers and all that - but it was a public place with plenty of people around, and it wouldn't sit well with her to ignore someone who might simply need a kind word or two.
Word Count: 555 |
|
69 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Male
"Spots"
Watchdog-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charles Carter on Jan 11, 2019 1:09:49 GMT -4
As Charles struggled to come to terms with the reality he faced, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention. Slowly moving his gray, wrinkled hands away from his face and looking up towards the noise, he saw a young girl- maybe fourteen or fifteen- who clearly wasn’t from around here either. Caucasian with long red hair, she spoke in a language he vaguely recognized as either Russian or German- or some sort of eastern European language- before following up in English. His eyes widening, revealing his peculiarly large irises to the young lady, a toothy smile stretched across the lower half of his face. Finally, someone who he could understand! Taking extra care to speak clearly and hold back his usually thick accent, he started to answer her inquiry slowly to make sure that she could understand him. ”Indeed, little lady. I’m new around here and can’t make heads or tails of where I’m at or where I’m goin’, and I could use a little help finding my way” he said, his dialect and manners of speech still clearly making their way into the conversation.
The American man placed his hands upon his knees and pushed himself up from the bench, revealing a tall but scrawny figure that towered over the young woman- though despite his concerning appearance, he didn’t seem to be trying to intimidate her. Rather, as far as his speech was concerned, he seemed to be taking extra care to speak politely towards Rimma. For one she was a woman, and his papa had always taught him to treat ladies with the utmost respect. For another, she was his savior in this situation- the only person that not only could seem to understand him around here, but that had actively concerned themselves with his dilemma. The last thing he wanted to do was run her off by acting too hasty or speaking rudely. ”I reckon you could help me figger out how to get where I’m s’posed to go. I’m tryna find this place called-” he said, butchering the name of some Japanese convenience store that Rimma could probably more or less make out if she was familiar with the location herself. ”The people there are gon’ take care of me for a few days ‘fore I can set myself up in the city” he explained, a hand reaching to prop his ten gallon hat further up his head, revealing the majority of his forehead and a little of the tops and sides- showing that aside from a small ring of hair around the back and center of his head, the man was pretty much bald.
Of course, Charles wasn’t one to rely on others- even if it made things much more inconvenient for himself, but given the situation he didn’t really have a choice. He vowed to himself in his head that after today he’d become as independent as possible- finding his own way around the city and scoring a better job to afford his own place so he wouldn’t have to leech off his father’s old friend any more than absolutely necessary. He’d prefer not to have involved a young lady in his struggles as well, but seeing as she was the only one who seemed to be able to help him, he didn’t have much choice in the matter. ”I’d ‘preciate if you could help me out a lil’. I have some pocket money left I could pay ya for your time- if you don’t mind lending me a hand” he offered, at least wanting to compensate the girl for her help if she was willing to lend it.
Word Count: 608 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 10:25:23 GMT -4
The man's open surprise followed by obvious happiness confirmed to Rimma that he did, in fact, need some kind of assistance. Something the man himself confirmed a moment later, in a slow and gravely voice that had her wondering if he was a heavy smoker. Although, it was a voice that suited his appearance at least - between his rough appearance and cowboy apparel, a smooth and light voice would have been jarring and strange.
Rimma gave a nod to show she understood and was willing to try to help - after all, if all he needed was a little help finding his way around that wouldn't be difficult or dangerous at all. As he stood up, though, she had to crane her head back just to keep eye contact. As he explained himself further, her brow furrowed as she tried to parse what name he had attempted to say.
After a moment, her eyes lit up in recognition. She was fairly certain she knew where that was, or at the very least that she knew the language well enough to ask around. It wasn't likely the man himself knew it very well - not with how badly he mangled the name of the place he was looking for, and ending up sitting on a bench instead of having gotten directions sooner.
Then her eyes widened in surprise at the offer of compensation, and she was quick to shake her head. Keeping a polite tone, as she was talking to an adult after all, she replied. "Oh, no, you do not have to pay me - showing someone where to go is no hard thing, no?" She gave a small smile, hoping that he wasn't one of those adults that could be particularly insistent about when they got things like that into their head - especially as he seemed to be on the older side, and her experience with her own grandparents left her with the impression that people that old did not take no for an answer.
Or maybe that was just a trait unique to Russian grandparents. Either way, she took a step back and swept her gaze out across the park contemplatively for a moment - trying to recall where the place in question was. Then, with a nod to herself, she turned her attention back to the man and gave a gesture for him to follow her. "I think it is this way - but I am a little new here myself, so please forgive me if I do not remember right and need to ask for directions."
Word Count: 425 |
|
69 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Male
"Spots"
Watchdog-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charles Carter on Jan 12, 2019 18:46:45 GMT -4
Learning to Lean on Others
Charles was nothing like the heroes in the Old Western films he admired so much, and knew that his appearance and current lack of strength and training already made living normally hard. More than that, being the vigilante he desired to would not only require him to become stronger, but eventually learn to rely on and work with others- if he could even find any comrades that shared his ideals.
Even knowing all of this in his head, accepting the Russian girl’s help for free was still incredibly difficult for him. Every bone in his body wanted to insist that she take the cash or some form of compensation from him, but for the sake of not causing a scene and to hold onto the precious funds and supplies he had now, the wannabe cowboy forced himself to bite his tongue. ”That’d be most ‘ppreciated, ma’am” he answered, tipping his hat slightly out of respect for her kindness.
He watched as her eyes scanned the area around them, making him wonder if she was perhaps new to the area as well. After all, not only did she speak English, but just by looking at her it was pretty obvious she wasn’t Japanese or any kind of Asian ethnicity for that matter. Rather, she appeared to be somewhere from eastern Europe if he had to guess, though Charles wasn’t terribly familiar with the world outside of his home country, leading him to be somewhat unsure in his guess. His estimate was soon confirmed when the girl stated that she was new here herself and may need to ask for directions, to which he simply chuckled and gave her a thin smile, ”That’s not a problem- I can’t even seem to find anyone who understands me ‘round here, so just havin’ someone who knows Japanese and can help me ask around is a great help” he responded as he followed behind the girl. A few suspicious glances were tossed his way as the two went off. The sight of a strange looking and much older man following behind a young girl like that certainly drew attention, especially since they didn’t look even remotely alike enough to seem like relatives of any kind. Nevertheless though, because of how crowded the place was, nobody spoke up or called them out. A few sideways glances and the occasional whisper were all that came of the strange sight as they made their way through the city.
Word Count: 535 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 11:24:30 GMT -4
The cowboy not only didn't press the issue of payment - a small surprise all on it's own - but he tipped his hat respectfully and actually expressed appreciation for it. Being treated politely was one thing, and something she was used to, but it was rare for an adult to actually show a kid what seemed like genuine respect. That, along with his willingness to accept her refusal of payment, suggest to the bundled up red-head that the man did not have much money at present and really did need help.
Rimma noted the odd glances as she led the much taller man through the park, and in an effort to inform them all was she flashed small and hopefully reassuring smiles their way as she passed by. As she walked, long red hair bouncing and swaying along with her steps, she listened to the man explain some more about the problem he was facing. It prompted a raised eyebrow, and she briefly looked away from where she was going to peer back at him with a quizzical expression on her face as she asked. "I do not mean to cause offense - but did you not think to learn Japanese before coming here?"
If the man replied she would listen to whatever his reason might be as they approached the edge of the park. If he simply ignored her, she would let the question drop and continue to lead him anyways. Either way, once they were entering into the city proper again she would pause to glance around once more and get her bearings - brow furrowing and cheeks puffing out in concentration that would likely look like pouting to the cowboy and anyone else glancing her way.
Should the cowboy have indicated he already had a translation guidebook, Rimma would simply continue leading him to where he wanted to go once she got her bearings. If he did not, however, she would instead perk up as an idea struck and instead lead him first towards the nearest corner store. In the event of the latter, she would not think to explain her intentions until she already had retrieved an English-to-Japanese book from a shelf and attempt to pay for it - promptly turning around to offer it to him if he did not interfere sooner.
Word Count: 383 |
|
69 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Male
"Spots"
Watchdog-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charles Carter on Jan 14, 2019 13:19:28 GMT -4
The young girl’s reassuring smiles didn’t go unnoticed, and Charles was thankful that she was putting forth an effort on their behalf to let passerby know that nothing strange was going on here. Her first question was expected, and he was already well aware that she had a point. ”It was a mistake on my part. I tend to be more of a thinker, plottin’ things out ahead of time ‘n focusin’ on the details, but for some reason I just felt this sudden impulse- like I was called to be here. It’s somethin’ I’ve never done before, and now I’m dealin’ with the consequences” he admitted, deciding that honesty was the best policy. Rimma would be able to distinguish his clear embarrassment over the whole situation just from taking one look at the jumbled up expression on his face. It was clear the strange cowboy was out of his comfort zone in a new environment which he tackled in a new and unfamiliar way. Not knowing all the details of a plan before delving into it was something he’d never experienced before- and admittedly it was frightening.
He remained quiet for a moment before speaking up once more: ”Little lady, do you believe in God?” he asked before explaining the question further, ”Err, don’t worry- I ain’t here to try ‘n convert you or somethin’, it’s just an honest question” he continued, giving Rimma time to respond before speaking up again. ”I do. Maybe you’ll just think I’m crazy, but I truly believe He called for me to be here. I don’t know why myself, but my running theory is that Japan is one of the most hectic places in the world since quirks came ‘round, and that He sent me here to help dispense justice as needed- but truthfully I don’t know if that’s really the case” he said, looking up towards the sky for a moment before shaking his head and turning his gaze back towards his companion, ”Sorry, I reckon that was a lil’ uncomfortable for two strangers who just met- you can ignore my ramblin’ lil’ lady.”
Soon enough Charles had been dragged to a corner store that clearly wasn’t the place he was looking for- but before he could ask what the deal was, Rimma darted inside and out of sight. Rather than chasing her and risking more suspicious glances or trouble, the American stuck his hands in his pocket and waited until she came back out, some sort of book in hand that she began paying for. He tilted his head to the side in confusion, wondering if this was for one of her classes or something given her age before she made her way back up to him, offering the book she’d purchased. Now that it was close enough to properly make out, it seemed to be an English to Japanese translation handbook- which caused the older man to smile. ”Why, that was awful kind of ya, lil’ lady. Thanks a million” he answered her, giving a curt head nod as he took the book in hand, flipping through it here and there as they continued to make their way forward.
Word Count: 529 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2019 0:51:07 GMT -4
The answer the cowboy gave her made her want to sigh and roll her eyes and even chastise the older man - but he was older, and it would be completely and unacceptably rude to lecture him. Especially when that would only really serve to create negative feelings, and the man seemed to already be aware of his mistakes. That was enough, really, so she simply nodded along and held her tongue as she started to lead him to the corner store.
Along the way, he asked her a question she didn't expect. Faltering for a moment, his quick reassurance dismissed a possible concern before it could even enter her mind. Brow lightly furrowed and gray-blue lips pursed, she tilted her head to one side and glanced at the cowboy still following her. "I suppose I do."
It was a vague answer, but she hadn't really thought too much on the question before. Listening to the rest of what the man had to say, and his apparent reason for bringing it up, her expression first lit up at the mention of helping dispense justice - before composing herself and giving a soft smile and a light shake of her head that sent her red hair waving from side to side as he apologized. "No, no, there is no harm done. I do not know what faith it is you follow, and I myself am not... An avid practitioner." Here, her tone turned a little sheepish. "Not for any particular disbelief so much as lack of dedication to it, I suppose."
She gave a light wave of one hand to dismiss her own lax behavior in regards to religion, and as they arrived at the corner store she popped inside to buy the translation book for him. After handing it over and receiving his thanks, she peered up at him with a soft smile and replied. "Pazhalooysta - Ah, I mean to say you are welcome." Then, turning gesturing for him to follow her once more she resumed leading him to his actual destination.
As they walked along, assuming he followed her again, she would resume their earlier conversation. "What is important, I think, is that you want to do good and make the world a better place, no?" She paused for a moment after the mostly rhetorical question to glance about and get her bearings again, taking him down a turn at another corner. "So even if God did not call you, He would be happy with you, no?" As with her previous question it was mostly rhetorical - in her mind, there was little doubt that a higher power would approve of a man seeking employment as a hero and dedicating time towards the apprehension of criminals and enforcement of law and order.
Word Count: 460 |
|
69 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Male
"Spots"
Watchdog-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charles Carter on Jan 17, 2019 17:18:42 GMT -4
Personally, Charles was a pretty understanding guy. If Rimma wasn’t religious at all or believed in another religion, he wouldn’t have minded- but the fact that she said she didn’t lack any belief but just wasn’t dedicated to it did make his face flash concern for just a moment. C.S Lewis once said, in the context of talking about Christianity, that faith was either of infinite importance or none at all- but that the only thing it couldn’t be was moderately important. Still, this girl was clearly from another country, half his age, and had been kind to him so far- so he decided to reserve his wisdom for now to avoid chasing her off or starting conflict.
Once she’d returned and given him the translation book, he’d thanked her- which caused her in turn to say something in another language he couldn’t understand before explaining that she was essentially saying “you’re welcome”, at which point she gestured for him to continue following her. He took one last look inside the shop she’d entered before facing Rimma’s back once more and trailing behind her- hopefully this time towards their destination. As he did so of course he’d occasionally flip through the book for some simple, common phrases while still paying attention to the environment around him.
Suddenly the young Russian lady had spoke up again, continuing where they’d left off before their detour, mentioning that what was important was Charles’ desire to do good and make the world a better place. The lanky man slowly nodded, continuing to hear her out. Her next statement elicited a softer smile than usual- one that appeared more natural and genuine rather than out of trying to be polite and friendly. Even though this girl was young and had a lot to learn, she was wiser than he would’ve originally believed- which revealed how much of a hypocrite he may have been. Often times others judged him for his unsightly appearance, which he believed to be unfair and unjust- yet even though he hadn’t thought anything negative of the girl, he had already formed an opinion on her knowledge after only talking to her for a few minutes. It felt strange, learning something from someone much younger than you, but Charles supposed that God did work in mysterious ways and that everyone could teach each other a thing or two, regardless of their age or circumstances.
”Not bad, lil’ lady; you’re pretty smart fer your age” he responded, ”Awfully polite and kind, too. You know, I heard there’s some kinda fancy shmancy school ‘round here that’s tryin’ to raise young people into proper heroes that’ll serve society some day. If even a fraction of those heroes possess hearts like yours, I ‘reckon we’ve got a future to look forward to.” He quieted down for a moment, giving his words time to sink in a little before speaking up one last time: ”If you aren’t already a part of that school or don’t know whatcha gonna do yet, maybe you should give it a look.”
Word Count: 510 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2019 6:46:58 GMT -4
Since she was in the middle of leading him around, Rimma didn't notice the flash of concern that briefly appeared on the tall cowboy's face. After their brief detour to get a translation guide, she similarly missed the slow nod and the soft smile. She was simply too focused on making sure she didn't get the both of them lost in the middle of Tokyo.
While the man had been nothing but polite, she didn't expect her reasoned out reassurance to garner compliments and praise - and certainly not for that to act as reason enough to refer her to Yuuei if she wasn't already attending! Faltering for a moment, she came to a stop as she gave a half-twist at the waist to glance back and up at himthe barest hint of pink to her pale cheeks. She almost wanted to refute some of it since all she was doing was helping a lost new arrival to Japan find their way somewhere, and briefly opened her mouth to do so.
It struck her that actually saying something about it would be refusing his gratitude, not to mention being rude, so instead she just cleared her throat and gave a slightly sheepish smile as she replied. "My papochka always stressed the importance of being polite and kind, so I try to do my best in that regard." She twisted back around to face forward once more, ready to resume walking - only to quickly pause and glance back at the cowboy to add. "Ah, papochka means father."
Then, she really did resume leading the way once more. Long red hair bobbing and swaying as she walked, Rimma gave a nod as she replied to the other part of what the cowboy had said. "I am enrolled at Yuuei, the school with the heroics program. I only recently transferred here to Japan..." She tilted her head to the side slightly as she walked, cheeks puffing out in thought as she trailed off. "A little over a month, I think?"
Her expression turned neutral again and she straightened up, pausing to peer at another set of street signs and reference her mental map.
Word Count: 359 |
|
69 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Male
"Spots"
Watchdog-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charles Carter on Feb 4, 2019 17:20:32 GMT -4
What in tarnation? It’s our destination!
The little redhead went on to mention that she had already been enrolled in the heroics school, which was apparently called Yuuei, for about a month now, and that she too had only recently transferred to Japan. Of course, properly studying the language before heading over and having a whole month head start gave the Russian girl a huge advantage over Charles. ”So you’ve already chosen to walk the path of justice and righteousness yourself. Like I said before, if even a fraction of this new generation of heroes have good hearts like yours, then I’m bettin’ we’ve got a future worth stickin’ around for” he reiterated as he continued following her.
She stopped for a moment to scan the street signs, presumably trying to recall which way they were supposed to head. The lanky American once again felt bad that he wasn’t able to be of much help- at least, that is, until he spotted something familiar towards their right across the street. ”Wait a second, ain’t that it right there?” he asked, lightly nudging his small companion as he pointed a wrinkled finger towards a convenience store that Rimma would most likely recognize as their destination. ”Is that it right there? Looks like the place I’ve seen in the photos they’ve shown me.”
Word Count: 346 |
|
245 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
Storyteller-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Dessen on Mar 20, 2019 3:42:09 GMT -4
|
|
