French lessons and bentos (Takumi- open)

[fryn]

Takumi's entire morning had been one confusion after the other. Thank god May had waited for him for when the counselor had finished as he'd never have found his way to the science department otherwise. After that he'd had to trawl all the way across the entire compound to try and find the site of his next lesson. French. French? Why would he want to try and learn yet another language when he was already struggling with English? His accent had caused a degree of amusement as saying 'bonjour mon nom est Takumi. Je suis heureux de vous rencontrer' with a Japanese accent had been funny even to him. Still, he gave it his best effort.

Finally it was lunch break and he rummaged in his locker for the bento his mother had packed for him that morning. The weather was decent enough and so he carried the prepared lunch outside. With luck she'd have made his favourite of nigirizushi and dorayaki...

Taki found an empty patch of grass beneath a tree and settled down, bento across his knees. "Sugoi!" he breathed when he saw the hand-formed sushi and little anko pancakes he'd hoped for. "Aishite imasu, mama," he said beneath his breath as he smiled down at his lunch. Perhaps the day wasn't so bad after all? And tomorrow he had the entire weekend to explore this pier that May had mentioned.

He'd have to look the word up later whenj he got home as he didn't have a clue exactly what a pier was.

He scooped up the small set of chopsticks and attacked the first piece of nigirizushi.

"Perfect," he said to himself and with the sun warm enough to see him happy to shrug off his jacket, Taki was even able to summon up a smile and a nod for the person sitting nearby...

[Annie Holmes]

Red. A single word, a single color could describe the girl. Red hair, red dress (with black polka dots), a redding face. The girl had forgotten sunscreen, but that didn't seem to bother her at all. Not with her lunch spread out on the skirt of the dress like she was Pollyana on a picnic. None of the usual noise seemed to be bothering her in the slightest, it was as though she didn't even hear it.

Annie didn't, of course, but she did have deep peripheral vision and waved back to the Asian boy she'd not seen before. Her own smile was painted a bright red (to match her dress of course!) but it was no less genuine than any smile she gave anyone else.

Giving him a cursory study, though not being rude about it, she wasn't sizing him up to see if she could make him fall socially. It was more Annie's style to see who they were. She watched, it was how she 'heard' people. Body language was a language most people didn't really consider. Yet, it spoke far more loudly than any vocalized words ever would. Body language was far more difficult to disguise, where tone could change to mask true emotion and feeling.

He seemed nice, from what Annie could see. And she just happened (ha) to have an extra cupcake.

Waving a hand at her skirt she offered the extra to the boy.

[fryn]

Takumi gestured at his own chest and mouthed the word 'me?'. The girl nodded and he quickly gthered together his bento before she could change her mind. He scurried over to where she sat, her skirt splaed out as if to resemble a curiously dotted tablecloth. She made something of a vision and her clothing made her stand out from the rest. That was definitely something Taki could associate himself with as he never
honestly fit in visually... Even back home in Osaka.

"Hi," he greeted with one of his friendly smiles. It lit his face completely and the uncertainty that had been there before vanished as might a flurry of snow falling in July. "I'm Takumi," he added. "Yoshino Takumi. Taki. It is more often shortened to Taki. I started school only this morning and... " He shrugged and threw the girl a wry grin, "... I have already been lost a total of 5 times. Who knows how man that will be by the end of the day... and I still have to find my way back home from here!"

He offered the girl his bento box. "I have some anko pancakes left. Would you like one?" He'd never manage to eat them all himself.

[Annie Holmes]

The strange sound that was Annie’s laugh, musical in it’s own quality but with vocal chords that weren’t otherwise used gave it an almost strangled sound. A laugh, however, was a laugh, and a joyous thing to behold. She wasn’t laughing at the Japanese boy, Takumi, he’d introduced himself as. She was laughing, rather, at how refreshing it was to have someone who didn’t know her talk as quickly as they would to any other person. His lips flew over the words forming them as he would for anyone else. Annie was, happily, able to keep up, though if she looked away from his lips for even the briefest of seconds, she would miss something.

Having only been lost five times, was indeed an amazing feat. Considering how large Gould was, Annie couldn’t remember how often she’d been lost. Too many times, and most hadn’t been able to help her.

Proffering forth the cupcake, she flashed a grin and exchanged it for one of the pankcakes that had been offered in it’s place. Her free had was held flat and the tips of her fingers hovered in front of her lips before she arched her hand down so the palm was face up in the American Sign Language sign for “thanks”. He may not know it, but her easy grin and slight tilt of her head would get the meaning across, she hoped. If not, she had her phone, and a note pad with pen she could either type or write him her words.

Opting for the pad of paper first, it was easier to write one handed than it was to type with just a single thumb on the smaller qwerty board, Annie wrote:


I’m Annie. Nice to meet you! First days are hard, but you seem to have taken it by storm of smiles! Five is not bad, I don’t remember how much I got lost my first day.

The pen was set back down and she started to watch his lips again, pancake already being munched on. It was good!

[fryn]

Takumi read her note carefully, the words simple ones and probably that way on purpose. It was pretty obvious his grasp of English was tentative at best but why had she written it down? He glanced up at her, the hint of a quizzical frown on his face. "You can't speak?" No, she was looking closely at his lips. "Ah... you can't hear me... right?" He gestured to his left ear. "This will be... interesting," he added with a friendly grin. "I speak little English and probably say the words wrong so it will be good to see what you make of what I am saing." Did words form differently with an accent as strong as his? Taki had always asked himself if a Japanese dog barked differently to an American one. Did it sound... foreign? Or was a bark merely that... A sound made.

He took a bite of the cupcake. "This is good," he stated. "And it is an honour to meet you, Annie. So far I have met two friendl people. May-san helped me this morning and now you. I am lucky." In fact, everone in his classes had been welcoming, despite a few odd looks thrown his way for his clearly foreign appearance. Not just his face and voice but his clothing screamed alien. Even back home in Osaka he'd stood out from most of the others but Annie looked to be a kindred spirit in that regard.

"Do you always eat out here in good weather?" he asked. "If so I would like to share another meal with you. I can bring some other Japanese food... If you like that...?" For all he knew she was merely being polite in eating the pancake. Anko wasn't to everyone's tastes...

[Annie Holmes]

Annie giggled again and flapped a hand as though she were waving something away. In truth she was. His worries over speaking incorrectly. She could read his lips just fine. They might falter in a few places, make slightly a different shape than an American would, but she could get the jist of it. Truthfully it made her wonder how hard it was for people to understand her when she signed too quickly for them.

Grabbing the pen again she scrawled her next bit.

You speak just fine! Glad you liked the cupcake! I make too many of them, my dads say. But I enjoy it.

A few lines lower she added, still watching his lips, Nice meeting you too! You are fun, I can tell![/color]

Pausing so she cold finis the pancake he’d offered her, and start in on one of her cupcakes, Annie nodded her answer to the question about being outside during good weather. It was just too pretty not to be outside. California was not a state to be wasted inside all the time. If she could have classes outside, she would, but there’d be too much distraction for her and the other students really. Perhaps it was best that they had classes indoors.

Snatching the pen again, Annie wrote in a flurry of movement.

Please! Have lunch with me again! I’ll bring more cupcakes![/color] Her whole face had lit up at the idea of making a new friend. One who was just as colorful as she was, one who was likely as often misunderstood too.

Maybe I can get others to join us! We could have a whole party on the lawn at lunch.[/color] The idea excited her, but if he wasn’t up for it just yet, that was fine too. Having someone to share lunch, and treats with, was always a good thing.

Do you like it here so far?[/color] she wrote, then watched his lips for an answer.

[fryn]

Taki always found it easier to understand written English than the spoken kind and so was able to follow their conversation that much better. His replies were spoken carefully but despite of - or maybe inspite of? - his best efforts he knew he was sounding most of the words wrongly. He was amazed at Annie's skill at still being able to understand him. She was something else for sure.

"Subarashii!" he exclaimed when she said she'd like to meet up again the following day for lunch. It took a few seconds for the reason behind her slight frown to register. "Gomen nasai, Annie-chan!" he said, slapping the side of his head with his left hand. "I mean I am sorry. I often say words in Japanese and forget I am doing it." Taki returned to the word that had caused her initial confurion. "Subarashii. It meansssss.... " The word trailed out as he thought hard. "... Fantastic. Yes, it means fantastic. Others joining too would be good." A lunch time party? What better way to meet prospective new friends?

"And yes, I like it here. My home is right on the beach and I am sure I will spend a lot of days there. School is very like my one back in Osaka so I am happy to be here. Tell me, Annie-chan. What is a pier? May told me about one near my home and she said it was a good place to go but..." Takumi lifted his shoulders and grinned at his new friend, "... she didn't tell me what it was. I don't know this word pier. Can you help me?"

Takumi continued to speak as she wrote down her reply. "I would very much like you to teach me how to say some words with my hands like you did when we first met." He reached for her hand, effectively stopping her mid sentence, and tried to imitate the word 'thanks' she'd signed but he hadn't a real clue what he was doing. "Can you show me how to say hello?"

[fryn]

The pair chatted together for a while with Takumi struggling to master a few simple hand signals. The pair laughed over his clumsy attempts but all too soon the recall to lessons rang out. "I am honoured to have met you, Annie-chan," he said as he scrambled to his feet. He waited for Annie to join him and he reached across to brush some grass off the hem of her dress.

"Already I am looking forward to tomorrow's lunch," he added. "But for now, can you point me towards the science rooms?" He shrugged, a wry grin forming on his lips. "I am ready to get lost for the 6th time, huh?" he said and his laugh reached the ears of a passing group of kids. "Domo arigatou, Anni-chan," he thanked her once she'd gievn him the directions he needed. "I mean... thank you...."

He waved to her as he walked away, counting his blessings as he'd already met two girls... both of whom had been friendly and welcoming. Perhaps he would fit in here faster than he'd expected...?

He could hope!

(wrapped methinks )

[Annie Holmes]

[sorry! Yes, it looks wonderful! Thanks for the great thread, Fryn!]