For dainty_ofcourse: Coffee shop in NYC

[ayden_aeterna]

OOC note: This meeting happens on Thursday 7th January 2010 in NYC, when Senri is dragged to NYC by Taiki, and arranges to meet up with Ayden, having been chatting on AIM and in mile-long journal comment threads for the past few weeks. IC journals about the entire event to follow

Comments

[dainty_ofcourse]

"Yes...Um, sorry." He replied quietly. "I wasn't given much notice, either." Err...that sounded bad, didn't it? His mind did a little scramble to catch up and right itself; it was stupid to think negatively at a time like this. He blamed the travel and chalked it up to fatigue. Focus on New York and Ayden and ice skating and food...NOT on, well, everything else. "You're just lucky you're decent looking or else I might not be so forgiving." Back to his usual tone of superiority.

"Good. I hope they have something nice and warm to drink." Though he wondered if he should cut down on the coffee -at least until he had something in his stomach. All that caffeine after travelling (what time was it in Japan right now, anyway?) and getting sick was making him feel a little odd...Sort of like his skin was vibrating. Very strange. He also had the sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be too much longer before he crashed.

[ayden_aeterna]

"They do a mean line in coffees," Ayden told him cheerfully. "Premium Italian blend, and all that. It's a family-run place, as far as I can work out. Great pride in their quality, and all that, and somehow still manage not to be horrendously expensive." Always good on a student budget

[dainty_ofcourse]

Ahhh, so much temptation! Really, what harm could just one more cup do? And he'd drink it slowly, use it more for warmth than a pick-me-up. Promise. "O...kay. Um, decaffinated please?" There, compromise.

He glanced at the menu...arg, he wished it was in Japanese. He could understand most of it just fine (and he had Taiki's electronic translator), but it was still annoying. He was getting tired and crabby -not that he'd ever admit it.

"So." A bit of fidgeting. "Am I as crazy as you must have thought I was? Just showing up out of nowhere and all..." It came out as a joke but he was a little nervous for the answer.

[ayden_aeterna]

Ayden considered that for a moment or two, glancing up from his own menu to look at Senri. "Crazy?" he mused. "Hmm... no, I wouldn't say crazy. Spontaneous, maybe. And I don't mind you just showing up out of nowhere, you know."

He looked down to the menu again, a little embarrassed, but mercifully not blushing (yet). "Mind you," he continued after a moment, "it does take a special sort of crazy to show up, have a coffee and promptly vanish off on some kind of mad ice-skating adventure." He looked up again, smiling. "And then dinner. If you're crazy, I like it."

[dainty_ofcourse]

He played with the menu a bit while Ayden talked. "Well, maybe you're crazy then." He finally teased. "You're the one doing all these things with some stranger. Do you even know my last name?" Senri pulled out the little translator and played with it, typing in hiragana and trying to get the right kanji to pop up.

[ayden_aeterna]

Ayden stopped to think about that one, realising he really didn't. "No," he admitted, feeling the beginnings of a blush. "I don't. Actually," he brightened up a bit, changing the topic ever so slightly. "You're going to have to explain this one to me, please. Last names come first in Japanese, I think, is that right? So Kayashima Taiki, say..." He was even faiiirly sure he'd got the Kaya-whatsit bit right, that time. "--Taiki's his given name? Am I on the right track here?"

[dainty_ofcourse]

Senri actually laughed. "I didn't think so. It's Nakao." He found the right kanji on the little computer and pushed it over so Ayden could see: 中央 千里. He explained each character's sound so Ayden would be able to associate it with his name. "Na-ka," he pointed to 中, "o" then 央... "And Se-n," a finger moved to the next character 千, "ri" and finally 里. "See? It looks better this way."

"Yes, that's right. But like I said, you should call him Kayashima. He doesn't like it when people he doesn't know well uses his given name. It's sort of an old Japanese thing that not many people our age use anymore but," he shrugged. "And if you come to Japan you should say your name like you normally would...We expect it out of foreigners and if you switched it then we would think your family name was Ayden."

ooc: new layout! very nice!

[ayden_aeterna]

Ayden laughed at that. "Okay, I'll remember that. As far as I know there aren't that many Aydens floating about, but there's a hell of a lot of Joneses. I'll keep my individuality, thanks."

He grinned, and looked down to study the characters that Senri had so carefully pointed out to him, tracing lightly across each one on the little screen as he tried to remember them. "Na-ka...o... Sen-ri," he murmured. "Okay... This is going to take me a while to learn. Although you're right, it does look prettier than in the Roman alphabet."

A thought struck him as he passed the little computer back. "Can you write my name in-- kanji, would it be? I mean, is it possible?" He was thinking of the pages of flash in the tattoo shop: 'peace', 'love', 'honour', the works -- supposedly -- and all the idiots who got 'their name' tattooed in Chinese or Japanese characters, only to find it actually meant 'chicken chow mein'. Working in a tattoo shop was an eye-opening experience, to say the least.

[dainty_ofcourse]

He nodded, satisfied with Ayden's pronounciation and agreement to his name looking much better in kanji. "Doesn't it though?"

But at the question he pulled the little electronic translator back over to him, thinking hard. "Not kanji, no...but katakana, yes." Looking up, he stared at Ayden thoughtfully, trying to sound out his name and associate the proper characters to the right syllables. The first name was fairly easy...it was 'Jones' that took some working. It took a few moments but he finally had it typed out and passed it over: アイデソ ジョソズ.
"A(ア)-I(イ)-De(デ)-N(ソ) Jo(ジョ)-N(ソ)-Zu(ズ)...I think that would be right." He softly worked through the name a couple more times under his breath before he gave up and shrugged.

[ayden_aeterna]

Ayden studied the screen for a moment, frowning as he tried to work through each character in his mind. "Wow," he murmured, after a few seconds of silent contemplation. "...Yeah. Definitely prettier than writing it in English. I should try and write that down so I can learn it, and yours as well." He grinned. "It's a start, isn't it?"

He looked up as the waiter came back bearing two steaming mugs of coffee -- decaf for Senri and normal for him. "Are you ready to order?" he enquired lightly, setting the cups down and standing to attention with a notebook in hand.

Ayden looked to Senri. "I think I am -- are you?"

[dainty_ofcourse]

He was sitting on the edge of his seat, leaning over the table so he could see the little computer. It was sort of exciting to teach this to Ayden...It was nice! "When I have a pen I will write it down for you." Senri grinned, thrilled that Ayden liked it.

Ah, he'd forgotten about coffee and food... "Oh...Um." Sitting back in his seat, he flipped the menu over and quickly skimmed it before showing it to the waiter and pointing to one line. "This one please." Pepperoni. It was the only one he recognized on the spot and...that was bound to be safe, right? Pepperoni was pepperoni, no matter if you were in Japan or New York...Right?

[ayden_aeterna]

"I'll go with the ham and pineapple," Ayden told the waiter, handing the menu back with a smile. "Thanks very much."

"No problem," the waiter said, noting both down. "Any more drinks?"

"Not at the minute, I don't think, thanks," Ayden said, glancing over to Senri for some confirmation.

Back to the language lessons. Senri looked like he was enjoying it, and Ayden certainly didn't object in the least. He looked back to the little screen, still trying to memorise each symbol. "You'll have to write this down," he agreed. "Neatly." A grin. "I know my own handwriting's terrible."

[dainty_ofcourse]

Senri shook his head at the mention of more drinks. He was finding that he was a little more self-conscious of his accent with other people...Ayden was nice enough and hadn't laughed at him yet, but...

"How rude of you to even mention it; my handwriting is perfect." He sniffed, giving Ayden a Look. "Besides, I would have to show you the proper stroke-order and everything." Wrapping his hands around his coffee he settled back in his seat with a yawn. He was getting tired...

"Well...Is there anything else you want to know about me? Now that you have my last name, that is." He laughed a little and shook his head.