The bustle of nighttime city life is as exciting as ever. The stars have been hidden behind a layer of clouds, but there's no worry for snow yet.
News:
The holiday season is upon travelers the world over, and excitement is building as news about an exclusive Pokémon event at Nintendo's headquarters in Japan begins to spread like wildfire. Nobody knows how to get in to this apparently selective event, save for people that have been invited already, and sources report that even they have no clue how they got in.
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:13 pm
(( The game starts........ NOW! And no, this isn't my character, just fyi. We'll be meeting my character in-game! {Surprise surprise!} ))
10:26 AM; Kyoto, Japan. Executive member Tajiri waited patiently in his office at Nintendo HQ for the recipients of his personalized letters. Ever the workaholic, as Japanese culture had made him, he had brought some of his work to this empty room in which sat the virtual reality prototypes that his lucky recipients would test. As he worked, he silently counted the minutes by, his secretary routinely updating him on the office dealings. His excitement for seeing how these kids would perform increased with every moment, but he forced himself to rein those emotions in. Professionality needed to be maintained at all costs, both for his reputation and the company's. Those kids would be arriving at any moment--he could not afford to lose focus now. The limo that had been sent to fetch the crew of "beta-testers" had left much earlier that morning, and would return as planned. The only question now was when.
Meanwhile, at the Kansai International Airport, a young adult Nintendo employee in his early twenties awaited the arrival of his boss's "hand picked gamer crew,"--at least, that was how the worker had come to know them. Idly, he reviewed the papers he had been given, each containing the profile picture of the young men and women Tajiri-sama had invited to the event. Though his real name was Eiji Minamoto, Nintendo had provided him with an embossed nametag reading "Eric"; this he meticulously straightened now as he waited. After a time, he saw the people he had been sent here to receive departing the terminal to collect their belongings. Eiji approached them, greeting them as best he could in his stilted English, before leading them all outside to the idling limo. Within the limo itself were the representatives from Honshu, who had been picked up prior to arriving here. Eiji had to commend them their patience--they had been waiting longest for the flights to arrive.
He could practically sense the excitement building between these young folk, and it made him smile. The event had not even begun.
➽EMIRKOURIღ I ＬＩＶＥ for the applause, αρρℓαυsℯ, applause I live for the αρρℓαυsℯ-ρℓαυsℯ, live for the αρρℓαυsℯ-ρℓαυsℯ
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ✦ ✦✦✦ ✦( ♚ )
SPEAKINGTHINKING Emir yawned as he waited for his suitcase to roll by on the slow carousel. The long trip had taken its toll on the usually energetic young man. He wasn’t completely awake and aware of the airport and the people that moved around him. He’d never really traveled to the other side of the world before so as they had neared Japan, he had dozed off wary of the jet lag that would follow the switch in time zones. Emir glanced at his cellphone, editing the time settings before picking up his luggage. There hadn’t been much instruction on what exactly he was supposed to do besides arrive and let the excitement kick in. The pinkette tugged his luggage, making way to one of the closest novelty shops that were set up. He really needed a pick me up. A chocolate bar or maybe a coke? Something that would just give him that much needed boost of energy. He didn’t want to look like a zombie when he met…whoever he was meeting. He recalled some friends skyping him about similar winner letters so there was that first impression to make.
The thought of meeting people he’d only spoken to online make his stomach knot. He’d never really shared much about himself with his so called friends. He barely recalled if he even clarified his gender. These thoughts had never really entered his mind until the letter from Nintendo had arrived in the mail. The young man took a deep breath trying to calm himself as he snagged a coke bottle and pulled out his wallet to pay. Really now, this wasn’t the way he wanted his trip to start. With that, Emir took a good chug of soda trying to drown all his negative thoughts with it. /I need to stay positive…/ he reminded himself as he stepped back into the crowds. Emir rubbed his eyes, quietly cursing the rushed application of contact lenses before eyeing his surroundings. No need to get lost in an airport. As he exited the terminal he spotted a Nintendo employee by the logo boldly pinned onto the man’s jacket. He didn’t really have to say much, only confirm his identity before being herded to a limo and told to wait before the other rushed off to pick up more kids.
As he watched his luggage be stowed away in the trunk he quietly bemoaned his situation. “First to arrive huh?” he thought leaning back against the limo and getting comfortable. He took another swig of his coke before beginning to play with his phone. After hours of nothing but playing his 3DS on the plane he really didn’t feel the need to pull it out of his backpack. The back of his neck still ached from nonstop action. “Maybe I should’ve worn a jacket…” he mumbled to himself as he typed up a quick text message to alert his parents of his safe arrival.
ⓄⓄⒸ: im sorry if i didnt do it right i got excited aahah /falls over
( ♚ ) ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
IＬＩＶＥ for the way that you cҺəəя and scяєαмfor me The applause,αρρℓαυsℯ, applause!
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:32 pm
₪ῙtzelϢakanda₪
You know you've had enough when you can't take it anymore.
►◄
The day seemed to be going by so long, the time slowed down for the 20 year old girl...somewhat posing as her long-lost sister Tasha. The now deceased girl could have been meeting these people that have been her friends for forever...better friends than the people living in Chattanooga could do. Instead, the oldest sister who still lives has to go in her place. The 20 year old wore a consists of an epaulet-sleeved white oxford shirt, with a open-necked collar. She also wears a long wool brown wrap skirt decorated in crow beads. The crow beads are wrapped around the skirt acting like a belt. And her shoes were modernized moccasins, tightened to fit her feet covered in white liner socks. The girl named Itzel sat next to her Mom whom seemed to look a lot more refined than normal. Of course, Itzel soon remembers she has to dress like that because of the 'party' work is throwing for their 10 long years of work.
Itzel stared at the window for the longest time, remembering how her Mother is pure Native American while her Father is pure African-American. A inter-racial marriage and family most white bastards would frown upon. But Itzel was lucky....because her Father came from a upper middle-class which gave her Mom a chance to get out of poverty, find work at some rich company, and be able to donate most money to the Native American Community she and her long lost little sister had grown up in. Itzel takes out a photo from the fold-up mirror on the 2004 GMC Envoy to reveal a picture of the long, lost sister named Tasha who looked more like her Dad than Itzel did with their Mom.
During her 'sight-seeing' her town one last time, she caught sight of the Lovell Field Airport where it will take her through a 15 1/2 hour flight to Kyoto...where she'll meet the other event-goers and perhaps even the executives of this so-called Nintendo. The airport she will be landing on is called Kansai International Airport....if she remembered it correctly. "I don't even know how to speak Japanese." She expressed concern to herself, but nonetheless...she just hoped it will be a bearable time over there.
Upon arriving to the airport, Itzel grabbed her things...a bunch of luggage and also a carry-on as her Mom came up and hugged her only daughter...like she had done when Tasha left the world. "Do be careful my pumpkin, do text me when you land and do send some pictures."
"I will." She responded almost obediently as she could only cringe at the fact she would have to sit for 15 hours. "I hope they let me walk.""I don't think so." Her mother confirmed her aggravation. "Not ever since 9/11. Now we are so full and scared of each other that it's ridiculous. But you can do it." With that the two hugged each other one last time before Itzel left with her stuff, watching as the car grew smaller and smaller in comparison. She knew it will be a LOOONG time before seeing her parents besides her phone.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
"Kon'nichiwa, ryokō, Kansai kokusai kūkō e yōkoso. Watashitachiha, hikōki ga tanoshiku, o konomi ni awa sete kita negatte imasu. Wareware wa anata ga junsuina rekishi-teki miryoku no tochi de no go taizai o o tanoshimi kudasai."
"Lord have mercy on my soul and heart." Itzel growled with impatience as she sat in the airplane for 15 HOURS! And now according to the clock it is now 10am! 10AM!...or actually 10:30 but whatever the cause. It is probably 12am back home....or 8pm....it's too confusing!!!!!! But when they finally let her off the plane, she booked it through the 'tunnel' singing 'Hallelujah' to Mother Earth and the holy spirits above. She brushes down her skirt and her dress-shirt before walking all the way down the terminal to reach baggage claim...to get 2 1/2 luggage (One is smaller than the rest) to be carried with her carry-on. "I still want to know why I need this much luggage." She asked herself, mostly believing it was Native American necessities her Mother calls them. So with that she drags on the luggage until some man with a Nintendo logo has been spotted. Apparently he must have been in some sort of rush because he hustled her all the way to the crosswalk in front of the limo, almost tempting the Native American girl to snap at him. "I'M HURRYING!" She responds, thinking he could not even speak English at this point of time.
So with her back toward the airport, she 'tched' lightly but was at least able to say 'thanks' to the guy having to deal with her luggage. She then rubs her head, now annoyed. She sat down on the bench, noticing there was some.....guy with red hair and tanned skin. What has this world coming to?!?!?!?! I swear White people nowadays......he doesn't look white though. She thought as she just lets her blue eyes wander around slightly before yawning, tempted to just lay on the bench to stretch her legs out more. Then she soon remembers that her Mom wanted to know of her safe landing. So she got out her iPhone 5 and texted her mom:
'Hey, I landed safely, although it's annoying that I have to sit down again in order to get to....whatever place they are taking us. I miss you already and also the wilderness I am so used to. This city's nuts! Say hi to Dad for me.'
With that she shuts it off and just closes her eyes slightly, wandering off to 'la-la' land....to her past memories.
►◄
You're just jealous because I did something about it.
Cole yawned as the medium sized black car his mother always drove sped to the Indianapolis Airport. He knew that staying up for the past three nights would come in handy during the long flight, but didn't think it would be so hard to stay awake. He sat up and stretched a little before finding himself stuck in the middle of a death hug with his mother and older sister. He squirmed for a little bit before finally giving in and letting the hug last for far to long. When they finally released Cole took a breath and fixed his hair. " Take care of yourself will you?" His mother said as she fixed his hair more then it needed to be. " And don't do anything stupid." His sister added as she flicked his ear. Cole winced and sighed. "...Yeah I know...love you guys..." He said before getting out of the car quickly and yanked his luggage from the trunk before running inside. Cole caught his breath before moving on to security.
After being checked three times over again for security Cole moved on to wait for his flight to board. "..Stupid security...if they don't want you to bring gasoline on a plane they should tell you that before you get here..." Cole mumbled to himself as he saw his plane land. He grabbed a quick snack before getting on the plane at the last possible second.
The flight was a long one. Luckily Cole managed to sleep for 10 hours of it. The rest he spent gaming, eating, and gaming some more. But finally he got to Kyoto. Cole wasn't entirely sure if anyone else participating was on his flight, but he figured it didn't really matter. Cole would see them when he saw them.....if he saw them. Who knew if they would all make it, he figured that it was "possible a plane could crash or someone could get hit by a car or stabbed in an alley." Cole hadn't realized his thoughts had transferred over into speaking and froze when he suddenly realized that a Nintendo employee was staring at him strangely. "Hello. Are you here for the Nintendo event Please, come this way." The man spoke in accented English, but he looked like he meant business. Cole cleared his throat and quickly followed him towards the limo.
Meiko found it a bit hard to stay comfortable in the passenger seat of her father's rented army jeep. Although not the biggest vehicle he could have chosen to escort her and her luggage in, it seemed to be his favorite to drive on the uneven road from the base into town. Speaking of luggage.... She glanced behind her to make sure her bags were still okay back there. There wasn't much, just a suitcase of clothing and a purse with her personal belongings. If she hadn't left as early as she did, she would have been bombarded with heartfelt hugs and sobs from her mother. That would have made her late for sure!
A minute or two longer of the bumpy road, stony gravel turned into the smooth pavement of the city. Hustle and bustle replaced the quiet. Something she was used to, so it made it nice. That and she could actually settle down in her seat. She let the sounds of the city enter her ears and she took it in. Surely Kyoto would have it's own perks, but New York was where she had been the longest. A flash of homesickness welled up inside her. She hadn't even left yet, why was she feeling that now? Mei shook her head and looked out the window to see they had arrived at the airport.
As usual, her father got out and opened the door for her, being ever the gentleman. He smiled, but she could see the hint of sadness underneath. It was enough to make her sad to leave him. Her father was essentially her best friend. Heck, she had a whole family at the base she was leaving behind. She refused to think about it. After all, she was going to live a dream she could have never imagined. Not to mention meet friends she had only seen through Skype or talked to through blogs and chat rooms. That was enough to make her excited for the trip.
With her luggage in tow, her father escorted her the whole way to the entrance of her flight. Hearing an announcement about takeoff being soon, she hugged her dad one last time. Neither one of them wanted a heartfelt goodbye, it wouldn't be the last time they would see each other. Mei would write, Skype, and call her family whenever she could. After another minute of hugging, the green haired girl waved goodbye to her father and jogged up into the entrance of the plane.
......
The trip certainly took long enough. Her 3DS died within the third hour, and the pencil she had brought with her had run out of lead. During her trip, she would either sleep or watch whatever movie the staff had decided to show. Sometimes it would be in English, sometimes in Japanese. There was even a French movie shown!
Her spirits lifted as she felt the plane start to descend and an announcement about landing had been heard. Mei sat up straight in her seat, her hands clutching the edges of the armrests, anticipating their stop. She felt like an excited little school girl. She glanced out the window, watching until she saw people's faces. One in particular stood out to her. She could see the Nintendo logo from there. Was that someone to escort her and the other testers? Once it was safe to get out of the plane, she stood up and hurried as fast as she could, eager to start.
╚ ═══════════════════════════════════════ ╝
⊲Where Kyoto - Airport ⊲Who with No one yet. ⊲Mood Excited!
.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°• "UUUGH! Mom! I am up! I am up!"
"Get your lazy butt out of bed mister! Your already late!" A young-looking Mom that belonged to Nando shakes him up and down on the bed like a mad-woman, trying to get him up. "THE LIMO Will arrive at 10:30! It's past 6:30!" He groans as he just slides off the bed, landing on his butt. His tired red-eyes tries to see but the light glared at him with such intensity that he had a feeling he got into heaven. "6:30 huh? A'right, A'right." He got up in such a calm manner that one cannot help but be a bit annoyed. "You have no time for a shower! So get dressed and help me with luggage! We will be late." With that she got out and did the luggage while Nando sluggishly got his clothes on; a dress jacket with dark jeans covering a black fitting t-shirt. He then slowly approached his grandma and smiles: "Sorry to wake you, but I will be leaving." He waves slightly at the tired old woman on the bed.
"You have a great time my darling~" Grandma Erebus yawned, but had a nice smile on her face. He comes over and kisses her on the head before leaving to the aggravated Mom. "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!"
"Get your lazy butt inside the car!" She makes sure he gets inside her Red scion as she backs off and drives off the neighborhoods in Hiroshima to get to Kyoto in time. Nando in the meantime decided to take a snooze, not really caring much about seeing the people that he had befriended in the game. He was so focused on sleep right now that he had let the sunrise come in without much to his notice, as he thought catching up on a snooze is more important: especially on a Monday morning. With that the 4 hours went by fast like a summer breeze as the car stopped...but not due to traffic. "We are here." Nando blinked a couple of times as he came to. "We're here?"
"Yes I just said that." She then gets off and helps with the luggage, this time Nando followed and helped out as well. "Thanks Mom." He then heard her sigh....that same sigh when she told him about the 'teenage pregnancy'. "Please...PLEASE! Be careful! I heard so much on what men do to little boys-"
"OH MY GOD! Not this early in the morning! JESUS CHRIST!" He made a sign of a cross with his fingers, as if trying to cleanse himself. "Oh stop that!" She smacks him lightly. "You know what I mean. Please be careful." Nando nods, hugging her tightly "I'll call you before going to bed.""You better." She chuckles, trying hard not to cry as she could only watch him go off to where some of the other kids were waiting for the limo.
With that Nando came over to where the limo was and stepped inside, having his luggage come inside the back of the car. He sits down and has his arms behind his head. "Wow.....I am so used to going to school, I feel like I am cutting...wait I actually am!" He chuckles slightly, a little amused but this was a lifetime opportunity. "I just wonder who I will be meeting on this fine day? This excitement is kind of killing me." He checked around the Limo and noticed another Japanese boy in the car, approximately his age. "Hello," he greeted. "I'm Nando. So are you going to the event too?"
The other boy looks up and smiles as well, but he gave no information other than his name and a yes. So he wasn't much of a talker. Oh well. Nando was glad that he would be able to sleep for a while without distractions. So he does, leaning his head against the cold window now waiting for the limo to take them back to Kansai Airport and Nintendo HQ. .•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•
When videogames give you an extra life, you make noise!
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:44 pm
[ CHRISTIAN ]
The past couple of days had been rather exciting for Christian Harris, but in his head it all went rather smoothly. Ever the traveler at heart he packed up quickly for the flight, taking only the essentials, and recalled the long walk through Saint Paul Int'l Airport in downtown Minneapolis with his grandparents. They were there to see him off as he boarded his plane, his new 3DS as his only piece of carry-on. The flight itself went without a hitch, only a bit of turblence as the reached the coast of Japan. As he walked through Kansai International Airport with his little bit of luggage, a mere duffel bag with maybe three or four changes of clothes, he tried his very best to follow the pictures on the signs above him. After all he was Canadian with no Japanese in him whatsoever, so he didn't have the Japanese linguistic skills that others would have. Oh, he could recognize a word here and there, but he couldn't speak it so well. Nevertheless, he kept calm and carried on and in doing so was successful in reaching the front doors. There a young man with a Nintendo logo on his relatively small nametag summoned him forward with a fairly heavy Japanese accent.
"Hello and kon'nichiwa. You must be here for Nintendo's special event. Mr... Harris, Christian?"
"Chris Harris, that's me." Christian extended his hand to shake the man's, preferring to use his nickname for the time being. Only his good friends knew what his full name was.
The man nodded but turned down the handshake. "Hai, hai. Very nice to meet you. I'm afraid we're a bit behind schedule though. Follow me please." Without another word he walked rather quickly out to the valet parking outside the doors to a long black limousine. Christian was right on his heels, taken by surprise by the quickness of the man and at the sight of the long luxury ride, He hesitated for a moment but noticed the man was waving him over so he quickly jogged over and gave him his bag. He was even more surprised to see that there were already people nearby: a taller man with red hair and a hell of a tan, a Native American-looking girl dozing on the airport bench, a shy looking boy with darker red hair, a young woman with long greenish hair, a stereotypically Japanese boy approaching them from the limo, and another... boy? inside the limo. He felt slightly embarrassed, but he kind of looked like a girl. Christian gave all of them a smile and a nod, his slight shyness getting the better of him at the moment Once he got to know someone even a little bit, he would start to open up. With seven people here already, Christian wondered if the limo would have room for the other people, who he assumed would be here soon.
"So... I suppose we're waiting for the others?" he said to no one in particular.
OOC: Thank you whoever edited for me ^^ Nin10: You're welcome XD But I only changed the 'port. OOC: I know I was literally a second to changing it once i realized, but you beat me XD Nin10: Haha, ninja'ed by Nin. Ja. XD
-- Kansai International Airport / Strange People (no name-face recognition) / Excited, Nervous / Sated --
“Yuki, rimujin o nogashite shimau!”
“Ima ika yo, okäsan!”
Yuki hastily straightened up his tie for the umpteenth time, straightened his navy uniform blazer jacket, and bolted down the stairs, clutching his letter and his 3DS to his chest. His shoulder bag, filled with sketchbooks, pencils, and Nintendo games, bumped unevenly against his hip as he skidded to a stop at the threshold of the kitchen. Finally! He had never thought that this day would come! Naoko’s back was turned towards her son at the stove, where she stood serenely cooking a traditional Japanese rice and fish meal. A delicious salty aroma filled the room, and Yuki advanced farther, inhaling deeply. But as he checked his watch, he knew that there couldn’t be much more time before the limo showed up to pick them both up.
“Isogu, okäsan,” the youth insisted, watching over his mother’s shoulder. “Atode no tame no shokuryō o tsumeru koto ga dekinai nodesu ka?” If they were late for Nintendo’s beta event because his mother wanted to cook and eat a nourishing meal at home, he wouldn’t forgive her for months!
“Sō sekkachidearu koto o teishi.” The elder Kyohara lifted the ladle to her mouth and delicately consumed a piece of fish. Satisfied, she turned off the stove and, with alarming speed, packed the entire pot into two bento boxes for her and her eldest son. “Hora, Yuki.”
Yuki accepted the box with a murmured “Arigatō” and shoved it into his bag. He could not quell the excitement that was rising in his heart, nor did he want to. To think that he, Yuki Minami Kyohara, was finally attending a special event hosted by the famous company barely thirty miles away from his family’s house and restaurant! He could remember vividly the day Naoko had walked in the door, bearing the envelope with Nintendo’s own company letterhead, inviting him by name to come by. Following his mother around was one thing, but being a beta-tester was quite another—and to top it all off, Nintendo was even testing the first virtual reality system in the world! Yuki practically skipped out the door when, from around the corner, the company limo rolled up in front of their house. “Okasan, koko ni iru!” he sang.
Naoko did not immediately hurry out, so Yuki approached the vehicle himself, his eyes shining. In this moment, this limo was the golden chariot, ready to deliver him to the most epic event of his life. The great black vehicle was amply built, with plush leather chairs arranged around an elliptical table stocked with food and refreshment underneath its obsidian lid. Miniature lights glittered like stars in the interior. Yuki knew that he was going to enjoy this. When the limo driver exited to open the doors on the side of the limo nearest him, he walked up to the man with a small smile. “Konnichiwa, Mituso-san,” he greeted brightly, bowing before the chauffeur. “Kyō no watashitachi o kudō shite itadaki arigatōgozaimasu.”
“Dō itashimashite, Yuki.” The man gestured towards the vehicle as a showman might on television. “Chakuseki shite kudasai.”
The boy obliged, entering the vehicle as he was bidden. At this point, his mother emerged. After bowing slightly towards the limo driver, she seated herself next to him in the passenger seat and turned around to regard her son. “Ī kodearu koto”, Yuki,” she told him, reaching a hand out to hold his.
Yuki gripped his mother’s hand tightly, his mind already racing through his expectations for the rest of the day.
----
Some thirty minutes later, Yuki slapped his hand against his forehead, irritated with himself. He hadn’t read Nintendo’s note that this limo would be travelling to Hiroshima before arriving at Kansai International Airport to pick up everyone who had flown in—he’d merely thought that this limo was meant for him and his mother and would go directly to the company headquarters. The long-haired boy who had joined him in Hiroshima--Nando Erebus--hadn’t been much of a talker—Yuki had barely exchanged names and he had turned away to gaze out the window. Judging by the light snores he heard later, the other had fallen asleep. As they drove back to the airport, Yuki sighed and stared out the window, forcing himself to look on the bright side. All of the closer friends he had made distributing event Pokemon online had responded to his Facebook post confirming that they had also been invited to attend. Perhaps it would be a good thing to meet with them before the event. At the moment, though, Yuki was far more interested in Nintendo’s software than in his companions. There would be time enough to talk after the event, right? But when the limo pulled up in front of the terminal, Yuki stared at the assembled crowd in fascination. Though he had chatted with them online and seen their profile pictures, seeing them in real life was something different. Before him, on the sidewalk under the awning, stood a tan and pink-haired man, a Native American, and three white folk (the girl bore interesting green hair). Everyone was taking their luggage to the limo, and the Native American appeared to be napping, just as Nando was. Perhaps that saved him one introduction. The chauffeur exited the vehicle and opened the door for Yuki and his mother to step out, and while Naoko declined to exit, Yuki did, gazing at the assembled people in awe. So these were the people he had befriended online through Pokemon…
Were he to be honest, he had been expecting a more Asian crowd, solely because from his one study-abroad semester in California, more Asians had been gaming Pokemon than Americans.
Yuki’s fellow Japanese was still napping, so Yuki took it upon himself to go and greet the others. Hopefully his English was good enough for this… While he had taken little over a year of English, it still wasn’t his native language, and this would be the first time he spoke it to natives alone. Inhaling deeply to calm himself, Yuki stepped out of the limo and waved to the others. “Hello!” he called. Once he was certain that he had gotten their attention, he approached them, plastering a big grin on his face and extending his hand to them to shake. From his English classes, he knew that Americans appreciated a big smile and a handshake, both of which were quite different from Japanese culture. “Hello, everyone, and welcome to Kyoto, my home! My name is Minami Kyohara Yuki—“ He halted there, slapping himself mentally. Americans did not give their last names first; how could he forget that? “Forgive me,” he amended. “My family name is Kyohara, but my given name is Yuki. I am the one who traded most of you Nintendo’s event Pokemon before they were released to the rest of the world—if, indeed, they were released to the world. How are you all? Was the flight alright? Do you need help with your luggage?”
As he gazed at the assembled people, he thought that he could recognize some from their profile pictures. The tan pinkette looked a lot like Emir, that flamboyant Californian he'd talked with only once before, while the Native American girl looked older than he had expected. Perhaps she had used an outdated picture of herself? The three Americans, he barely recognized--only the girl with green hair stood out in his mind, but for the life of him, he could not recall her name. *** [[Japanese > English]]
rimujin o nogashite shimau = Hurry up or you'll miss the limo Ima ika yo, okasan = I'm coming, Mother Isogu = Hurry Atode no tame... = Do you have to cook us this? So sekkachidearu... = Stop being so impatient Hora = Here you go Arigato = Thanks Koko ni iru = They're here Konnichiwa = Hello Kyo no watashitachi... = Thank you for driving us Do itashimashite = You're welcome Chakuseki... = Please, be seated I kodearu koto = be a good boy
(ARGH, this is the longest post I’ve ever rushed out in about 90 minutes! Sorry if something doesn’t make sense, and sorry for the haste. @_@ Yes, Yuki is essentially dressed as he is in the picture, except he has a uniform blazer and slacks instead of a hoodie.)
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:34 am
Angelo Demetri Age:19
Company: Well people he doesn't know yet. "Come on try to keep up!"
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░ Angelo woke up, his alarm clock had done its job, perhaps a bit too well considering the fact that it scared him half to death. He usually just woke up when he pleased, he wasn't used to this machine making loud noises right next to his head. The boy was so startled that he had fallen out of his bed, his blankets tangled around him. He quickly untangled himself and stood up, turning off his alarm, or so he thought. He had just hit the snooze button, like stated earlier, he had never had an alarm clock before. Well that problem would present itself later, most likely to the people living in the apartment next door.
Angelo was more than used to rushing to get somewhere seeing as he had never been woken up other than by himself and his mother back when he went to school. He looked around the small room he had then led out to a hallway. His apartment was nothing fancy but it was good enough for this man. Across the hall from him was the only other room where his roommate resided. His roommate wasn't up yet, that was logical considering the fact that it was around 6:30 in the morning. He walked down the hallway and into the small living room that housed a tan couch and a decently sized T.V. But that was the nicest part of the apartment, his roommate and himself both enjoyed gaming so they figured a good T.V was a good investment. He made his way to the bathroom on the other side of the living room. He showered quickly and wrapped a towel around himself before heading back to his room. He got dressed, rather nicely figuring he would soon be around many people. He had packed the night before, everything was in his bags, one big and one small. Well everything other than his toiletries. He went back into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, did his hair ect. Then finally he picked up his bags and headed out.
The boy packed everything into his car, a small Honda, he wasn't sure about more. Cars weren't his strong point. He drove to the local airport and eventually made his way onto the plane. Both of his bags were taken from him but Angelo was no fool, his Gameboy SP and his DS were on him for the plane ride. He spent most of his time playing pokemon ruby and or pokemon white. Those were two of his favorites from the series. He ate on the plane and well that cost more than he would have liked, but he had forgotten to eat when he first got up. The long flight from Denver to Japan had taken its toll on him. He stepped off the plan when it landed, some stuff was spoken in a language that he obviously assumed was Japanese. He didn't speak Japanese though, he only knew the basics from anime and such.
Soon enough he made his way to where the man with the Nintendo logo had been to pick up everyone. He smiled and waved to him before running over at full speed. He had one bag over his shoulder and was wheeling the other, so the one that he was wheeling had taken some damage from the sprint. He looked up at the man with the Nintendo logo on his nametag "Uh hey, I'm Angelo, I was told to come here for well something. Pokémon related?"Angelo realized that he actually didn't know what this was really about, just that Japan and pokemon were involved. The man smiled kindly at Angelo "Hello, yes Nintendo's special event. We have been waiting for you Mr. Demetri." His accent was rather thick. "If you would just follow me please." Angelo nodded and followed the man outside and to a limo. Another man waved Angelo over for his bags which he handed over without a second thought. He looked around, there were a few more people around that Angelo figured were waiting for whatever they were here for to begin.
He smiled and waved at everyone "Hey, my name is Angelo, while we are waiting we should all get to know each other a little right?" He said to, well everyone. He wasn't sure if they were waiting on more people or even if these people were part of this project but no matter, they were people and after a 12 hour flight keeping to himself Angelo needed to socialize.
Jasper had woken up that morning, dad already gone to work and mum likewise. Unlike anyone else he knew, he was a morning person; so much so that on days his parents had off it was Jasper who made breakfast, tea, coffee, etc. This day was no exception. He had enough time to take his morning jog, shower, eat a good breakfast, groom himself, pick out a good set of clothes, and even check the various blogs and forums he was a part of to see what news there was. Hell, he even read a few pages of the morning paper. And then he stepped outside exactly as his taxi pulled up to take him to Heathrow International Airport.
He had two suitcases and two smaller bags. One suitcase held his entire collection of pokemon cards, the other held his clothes and other necessaries. There was a backpack that could have easily passed for part of a Red cosplay, and in it was another collection: his games. If it was a video game, and had anything to do with Pokemon, it was in that backpack. The last was an almost ordinary-looking briefcase with four different types of locks, and it contained only three small items surrounded by padding and cushioning to the point that one could probably shoot the damn thing with a small-caliber pistol without harming the contents within. Every single person who knew who Jasper was knew that he never went to any pokemon-related function without that briefcase handcuffed to his wrist with actual police handcuffs. But only one single human being knew that inside were three pokemon cards: Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise; each one an officially validated original holographic from the 1998 "Trade Please" Campaign. In all, Jasper was carrying almost $10,000 USD worth of cards in that stainless-steel briefcase. How he got all that crap past security will forever remain a mystery, but he did.
When the plane landed, Jasper was instantaneously grateful to his mum. Though English was his first language, he still spoke, understood, could read, and could write Japanese like a native of Okinawa like his mother was.
"Yeah, I'm Jasper Wakahisa," he said to the man waiting who asked who he was. At that moment, Jasper was hoping and praying to all the gods that nobody of the already-assembled party would recognize him as the guy who was currently the best competitive battler in the entire UK (had defended his title for 9 straight years). He recognized Yuki, Itzel, and Emir on sight, but wasn't sure if they recognized him. Outside of England, Jasper wasn't sure he was as well-known as he was inside it. Nando, Meiko, Cole, Cristian, and Angelo were all strangers to him.
"Kon'nichiwa, my name is Jasper Wakahisa." he said with a cheery grin and an obvious London-accent. Anyone in there who was Japanese would instantly however see the half of him that came from Okinawa, and hear it in his Japanese despite his almost gratuitous use of cockney slang. And then he proceeded to do what he did best. Be a condescending rich-boy arsehole."Tasha Wakanda, nice to see you in person although you looked younger in the photo I saw of you in the Currant Bun,"he started out. He flashed Itzel a wink to inform her that he knew who she was and he hoped that the look in his eyes was enough to convey his condolences. He'd read about the young amateur with some promise, and her passing, in a local tabloid. he also knew that Tasha had an older sister, and recognized her from the picture provided with the obituary."Yuki, glad to finally meet the famous bootlegger," he said with a grin at Yuki. He personally didn't care whether or not the pokemon he'd gotten from the guy were "legal," he just was making a joke."And, I don't Adam and Eve it, the diva made it. And on time no less. I'd have thought a ginger like you'd wanna be fashionably late."And there it was. His open disdain for Emir thinly veiled by a smug grin and a too-friendly twinkle in his eye. It didn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that he really did despise the male model and that he wasn't joking.
((Translationsmile)
"Currant Bun" = the sun or The Sun newspaper "Adam and Eve" = believe "ginger" = homosexual
Jasper tends to use cockney slang quite frequently, and so almost all of the characters who AREN'T from London will inevitably end up scratching their heads at some point while he's speaking.
((Btw I am SO sorry for the massive edit, but when I first typed it I didn't have time to read everything, so I ended up screwing up about 90% of the post. Again, sorry about that guys))
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:07 pm
NoaKeleeni
Although cramped in a seat for a little over 8 hours, the flight was long but bearable. Noa fell into phases of what might have been sleep throughout the flight but easily stirred just by the simple lean of her forehead on the crisp window, or a cramp in her side that forced her to straighten out of the daze. At the beginning of the flight Noa had an edge of excitement that melted into anticipation, eyes mystified by the vast amount of sights and views that could be seen just through the petite frame of her window. She spent some time talking and getting to know an older woman seated next to her on the plane. She asked about Japan frequently, listening to her talk about sights, climate or just random stories. It didn’t matter. It was entertaining when the woman’s interest finally peaked and asked about the 3DS Noa would play throughout the flight on occasion. Noa immediately shifted her posture to show the screen to the women and spent a few hours showing this stranger how to play.
The day Noa received the letter was a time of pure celebration for the Pokemon enthusiast. She read the letter over and over again in glorious wonder and disbelief. It would be her first time seeing the Island of Japan as well! She announced the invitation to her parents and siblings with a wide smirk as she waved the letter high and proud in the air. Her 3 siblings, especially the littlest brother shared in on the excitement as he appeared next to his older sister, springing curiously on his tippy toes.
Both her parents had been skeptical though, With Noa’s father remarking. “While I think some traveling would be good for you, I expected you would be studying aboard or finding more career opportunities….not beta testing for a game. You can’t put that on a resume.” Of course he wouldn’t understand what a big deal this was for Noa. Why would he?
Noa didn’t even bat an eye towards her father’s critical words, only a simple shrug and a self-assured smile. She had come to the conclusion years ago that her father’s expectations were simply too high and therefore didn’t bother to argue with him, only assert her point and be done. He forgot how young and wild he once was and didn’t want to assume he’s children would be the same at some point in time.
After that she went on to remind him through a long and thorough explanation that she was getting a promotion soon at the local aquarium, how well everything was going with her college classes, and basically saying that there was nothing to worry about. She was doing well for herself and he really couldn’t deny that fact.
As disgruntled as her father might have been, Noa’s excitement did not cease. She was going to Japan, to a world where she can immerse herself in a fanatical Pokémon experience with other people that shared the same enthusiasm. It would be nice to toss the complications of the real world aside and sink her mind into a whole new world of imagination. She didn’t realize just how literal that would be.
Once the time had come and the plane was back on land, Noa was off for the terminal in no time after paying a lighthearted farewell to the older woman. It felt so good to stretch her legs as she roamed about in search of the luggage claim. All the signs were in Japanese making her efforts a little more difficult but this strong-minded woman trotted on until her destination was in sight.
After the suitcase was reunited with its owner, Noa quickly discovered a Japanese man wearing the familiar logo expressed plainly over he’s shirt. Others were herded around him as he started to wave for everyone to follow. Violet eyes flashed with a curious tilt of her head as she started to raise her arm to grab his attention. “Hey, wait up!” She called as she hastened herself over. The Nintendo employee looked up and smiled with a welcoming gesture as the others filed out. “Hello there, you must be another tester. Follow me please.”
“Why thank you. I’ll do exactly that.” Noa responded positively. She seemed to hold her posture high for a girl that loved to dress casually in ripped jeans. This time however she wore something very similar except with pants that weren’t ripped up from over use. She felt more comfortable dressed as a tomboy in all honestly.
Outside, Noa’s eyes widened as her sights landed on the long limousine. She had been in a luxuries car such as this only once before. She blinked with a soft chuckle, hoisting her amazement back as she started to redirect her attention on the people around.
“Aloha everyone! How's it going? You guys are real people after all.” She laughed holding out her hand to anyone that would take it, and gave everyone a look of acknowledgement. There were so many unique people here, all beginning to shed some light over themselves. To say the least, it was really fascinating to see everyone in the flesh like this.
A young Japanese man stepped out of the limo and approached all of them with a friendly introduction. Yuki was he’s first name. Noa tapped her chin thoughtfully in recognition, eyes blank with thought until the brightness of a smile parted her lips. “Yuki! You battle machine!” She came around and made sure to give him a friendly slap on the back. “I’m Noa, it’s nice to meet you.”
((ooc: Sorry for my not so special writing. I feel like my writing ability is always fluctuating or something xP idk and I was a little blank for what to say at the end so I'm sorry it's not very strong. Thanks for waiting. My posts probably won't normally be this long because of my schedule))
Tyler rolled out of bed rather drearily, he had been so excited the night before he almost didn't notice the uncomfortablity of the hotel bed, Almost. "Ugh, that's the last time I check into a hotel to get closer to the airport... Next time I'll just get p sooner." he said to himself as he wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked at the small alarm clock he had brought with him. His eyes widened as he realized the time, "Oh no, my alarm didn't go off! I have 30 minutes to get to my flight!" He said as he threw the clock into his bag and gatthered his suitcases. He ran down the stairs and out the lobby as he heard the cheerful concierge respond, 'Thank you for staying, please come again.' He shot her a quick smile and wave before calling up a Taxi and throwing his bags inside. " I need to get to the airport downtown and fast! He said to the driver who quickly punched the gas and soon Tyler was off headed for Kyoto, he gave a sigh. He found it so odd how the cab drivers in Seattle said very little and often didn't want to talk anyway, so Tyler decided to keep his mouth shut so as not to upset the driver.
After a short 20 minute drive, Tyler got out of the cab and grabbed his bags. "Put the charge on my tab, Thank you." Tyler said quickly and ran inside throwing his bags on the line and heading straight for his gate, after a quick inspection he boarded the plane and took his seat. 'Thank Gosh I'm not late.'
Tyler had managed to sleep throught the entire flight, surprisingly through all the turbulance he heard about from the other passengers. He gave out a big yawn anf headed toward the baggage area after grabbing his bags he quickly noticed a man with Nintendo's logo and people around him, 'That must be one of the guys.' he thought as he hastily walked over to them. " Hi there everyone, I hope I'm not late." he said with an awkard chuckle, he took a second to take in his surroundings and began trying to introduce himself to everyone around him. 'This is it, this will be the best experience ever! I'll not only get to test a Nintendo product, but I'll also be making so many new friends!' he thought as he smiled
"Because friends are everywhere!"
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{{OOC: Sorry if. I took too long, I've been a bit sick lately... sweatdrop}}
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Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 1:46 pm
➽EMIRKOURIღ I ＬＩＶＥ for the applause, αρρℓαυsℯ, applause I live for the αρρℓαυsℯ-ρℓαυsℯ, live for the αρρℓαυsℯ-ρℓαυsℯ
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SPEAKINGTHINKING Emir barely glanced up at the early arrivals began filling in. They didn’t seem in the mood to talk and he couldn’t really blame them. It was not only early morning, to him at least, but it was also the whole time zone thing he never could really wrap his head around. Quick thumbs finished typing up and sending a loving text before he looked up to see who exactly was still coming in. Hopefully someone was in the mood to speak. It’d be downright rotten if he got stuck with wall flowers. They were always a hard bunch to socialize with. He offered a polite smile at Chris before nodding and replying, “Yeah. But judging by how quick our handler is they’ll show up sooner rather than later.” Luckily the beta testers were moving in faster than he’d expected. Thank God! He was never the patient type. By far it was such an overrated virtue. Whatever the case, waved at Yuki as he introduced himself, biting back a laugh at the stiffness in his broad grin. /Let’s see if that cram session was worth it…/ he thought to himself, taking a calming breath before taking the young man’s hand and shaking it firmly.
「ohayou gozaimasu. ore ha kouri ・emiru desu. yoroshiku onegaishimasu.」The pinkette began, speaking the only practiced words of the language. He really didn’t know a lick of Japanese but he’d gotten a friend or to give him a quick crash course, just in case he got lost or needed to use the bathroom. He’d also taken pains to at least learn how to introduce himself in Japanese. After all, first impressions were everything. 「gomenasai. orenonihongo ga amari jouzu janai.tomodachi ha nihongo wo oshiemashita.」 The male continued before letting go of other. He then watched newcomers greet the group and introduce themselves. It was starting to get lively now. He waved a little at Angelo replying curtly, “Nice to meet you. Name’s Emir, or I guess M or Emi.” He stated realizing a little too late he should have started with his nicknames instead of his real name. Bummer. However, the good vibes that had started to flow were already going to disappear as a certain snob sauntered in.
The model only nodded curtly acknowledging his presence glancing behind the blonde to see if anyone else was coming. That is, until he was addressed. Emir had been around enough snot nosed snakes to recognize that sickly venom hidden underneath an air of friendliness. As if. “Jay Jay, I’m flattered by the attention but the answer is still a firm no. How’s the Queen, babe?” he asked passing a hand through his hair, mildly irritated at what he assumed was a slur. His hair was a perfect shade of salmon thank you very much. Though now he was a little suspicious if the brat really had called him a redhead. Without even waiting for an answer he shifted focus onto Noa, brushing off Jasper’s existence with something more interesting. Again he only raised a hand and with a light wave replied, “Yo.” Before continuing to observe everyone excitement. He’d thank Yuki for his Pokémon later. How the kid got his hands on those things he’d never know but he was lucky enough to have gotten in on the action.
Good Lord, how many testers were there?! It was a constant appearance enabled by the very capable Eric. Emir started to wonder if there was only one at this point. He offered a happy grin at Tyler before greeting him, “Morning Stranger.” He glanced inside the limo wondering if the ones still inside would come out anytime soon. Now was the opportunity to get comfortable if any。Emir on the other hand was starting to feel like a hostess with the constant greeting.'Please tell me there isn’t another ten coming. How many more times am I going to say hi to someone…' he thought glancing down at his phone to check the time.
ⓄⓄⒸ: /falls over TRANSLATION: ohayou gaozai...=> Good morning. I'm Emir Kouri. Nice to meet you. gomenasai...=>Sorry, my Japanese isn't that good. My friends taught me.
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IＬＩＶＥ for the way that you cҺəəя and scяєαмfor me The applause,αρρℓαυsℯ, applause!
You know you've had enough when you can't take it anymore.
►◄
Upon entering the place, she had one eye open as she watched the many different people coming in. She had to admit that now the limo will be crammed. So she counted with each finger on the people in here...seeing that they needed only one more person before they can officially go....what was the name again? It was a girl......but she had forgotten. The list of names are in her suitcase so she would have to look it up later. She then made a first-impression opinion on each person:
The red-haired Caucasian had been quiet so far....only sitting there patiently until everyone has shown up. She can tell that he had rested up on the airplane because he was not as tired as she was. Too bad though....she hated her energetic personality.
The Asian-looking girl got her to c**k an eyebrow. It was because apparently her hair was green! GREEN! Did her hair run into a paintcan or something? It looked...unnatural! The only exception is red-hair because even though it looks unrealistic, she understands now that sometimes people are born that way...so thus it's 'natural'...NOT GREEN HAIR! Itzel mumbles as she now starts to think the Asian is a rebel.
The red-hair....guy? girl? Huh? She was trying to figure it out. She narrowed her eyes to see the sleeping transgender person, trying to figure out the math problem of who 'it' is. As if taking note of it, the boy had woken up, his red eyes creeped Itzel out."I am a boy."He then returns to his snoozing, not caring if he had just said something random at this point. So she just examines the next person.
The man with glasses too was trying to figure out who the red-haired 'boy' was....since his hair was so long. Itzel just shrugged at him, also confused on who he was.....but she can't be now since she just got her answer. It's a 'rebel' boy. But she saw nothing wrong with the boy with glasses so she turns her face away from him.
Then there was another boy with glasses...but she can full on tell that English is not his first language. Then the boy kept on going saying that he had traded some of the pokemon to them. She had to say it: "What....that was you?" She raised an eyebrow but decided it was not worth an answer so she ignored it. "She loved that..." Itzel mumbled, remembering how Tasha felt 'privileged' to have a guy give her pokemon no one else would get until WAY later.
Then there was the energetic boy with short hair and purplish eyes....was he wearing contacts? But when he decided to put up that they should all get to know each other...a 'little'....she wanted to say a few things. "No one wants to know about a red n*gger." She puts it out there, knowing that people will not understand what red n*gger meant.
Then....the fun began. A British man with blonde hair and blue eyes came into play. And boy did she feel a bit 'nervous' around this guy. Then when he said his name to be Jasper...it hit her. This is the guy Tasha 'ADORED', even puts in her room that he was her 'knight in shining armor'. Itzel laughed at her for days for thinking about long-distance. But of course, he was supposedly one of the hardest gamers to beat according to Tasha....so I guess it's one of the reasons to 'adore' him. Then suddenly the man started talking to her, saying out loud that she was Tasha. She wanted to mentally facepalm herself because now everyone will be confused when Nintendo calls her 'Itzel' and not Tasha. But then he says something about the....'Currant Bun'.....Currant Bun? What the hell was that? So she had to look through her phone to only find a donut. Is he calling my sister a donut? Then the wink came to play.
A wink.
He knows what is going on.
Then he had a look....the same look Tasha does when she wanted forgiveness. Her eyes widen slightly, biting her tongue to say anything harsh at this point and just nods. She had to be nice to Tasha's so-called friends...or Tasha will haunt Itzel until death comes to her.
Then another girl came in, whom almost had the same skin complexion as Itzel...except it was lighter. Then she yelled out 'Aloha'....which spelled out everything. Hawaiian... She thought....remembering going to Kauai once or twice....and how much fun it was. Even how nice it was to get away from the city and enjoy nature. THAT was the best time in Itzel's life going to Kauai. Even Itzel dreamed about going there abroad once she got enough college credits....studying and preserving nature...a dream come true. "No, we are talking Mannequins to test your Insanity. Here's your sign." She then did a hand-motion that Bill Engvall always did after saying 'Here's your Sign'. Hopefully everyone will know she was quoting a comedian and not an a*****e.
Then a black haired man came in, panting heavily. She felt somewhat bad because she understood what it felt like to be late. So she casually puts up her hand. "Wassup chebon?" She asks, now knowing everyone will give her weird looks....but does she care at this point? Not at all. She can see he was excited and also energetic...so maybe they will get along...MAYBE.
Then came along the tanned guy who she first saw coming in the airplane. He apparently did not grow fond of Jasper. Well in the first day of her life, she saw who will hate each other...and it will be these two men. She almost want to say 'grow the hell up' to the both of them but she bites her tongue again...until it bled from her mouth. She cringed in pain as she wipes her mouth, now having to take note to take some medicine to cure the pain on her tongue. She then realized the guy spoke some Japanese...the 'diva' Jasper called him. "So you know Japanese? That's good...I know nothing about the Asian language. Heard they are the toughest to understand." She shrugs, now waiting for that last person to come in and they can go.
►◄
You're just jealous because I did something about it.
Translations:
red n*gger—someone who's too Indian to suit a non-Indian chebon—man
