Mosaic City, located along China's coast, is quite large city sometimes called the Crossroads Between Nations due to its diverse population. While it was once a large tourist spot, the city was placed under a blockade as the military appeared claiming there was a radiation leak. The true hazard, however, is much more sinister.
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Mar 26, 2014 23:53:08 GMT -5
I sighed as I watched the waiter took the collection of tableware away from the table we were seated at. Ran talked about the things we didn't exactly know. I didn't want to admit it, but there really was still so very much we didn't know. In some respects, I had almost failed there. I was trying my best by conducting field work and personal investigations but at the end of the day they were mostly futile. There was a lot of difficulty in finding conclusive evidence for things. Looking around, I rapped my fingers on the table as Ran asked me if I had a reason to see things through. That was going to be a doozy.
"A reason... I've thrown away any hope of my parents being alive. Someone close to me has died because of this. That said, for me to speak of continuing this fight out of blind rage... I would be lying," I said. "I want to find answers. I want to find out if there is a 'why' for all of this. First and foremost, I am an investigator. Finding answers is my livelihood. I can't find the answers I seek if I am dead, Ran. And once this is all over - I can move on to greener pastures. I can't achieve anything I want if this doesn't get solve - let alone if I am dead."
Post by Akira Nakajima on Mar 27, 2014 8:36:25 GMT -5
”If this were a story of some sort, your lines just now would have been the top of cliches. Good thing this is reality.” The first words were a joke. They'd need to be to lighten the mood. Somewhat of a wasted effort, since he was just going to go right back into it. ”Still, searching for the truth within an ocean of uncertainty, figuring out why what happened did happen, is a good enough goal for any of us.” At that point, the boy laughed slightly. ”Actually, that probably puts you leagues ahead of some of our colleagues. Some of them, I bet, haven't really considered a reason. Some probably do think of it as a game. They're going to get themselves and others burned.” The boy sat back and sighed slightly. There wasn't much else for him to say at that point. He gave his opinion of her response, commented on others. He wasn't one to share his inner workings without request.
Whoops. It suddenly did get serious on a whim. Oh well.
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Mar 27, 2014 21:19:40 GMT -5
I shrugged and stretched. "This sure got serious fast, huh... Yeah, I apologize. But you know, kids will be kids." I weakly laughed as I spoke. "Now that I think about it though... That place you took me where we got the school uniform... Do you buy from there often? I think I recall something about 'cosplay' there, I mean, I was asked to write articles about it. Yet, I never really understood what it was truly about outside of interviews I conducted with people who were good with it. So on a lighter note, I was wondering if I could learn more." I hoped I would not open a can of worms with this one. On the other hand, given this Ran's track record, it might have given her an idea or two of how to turn things on a more lighter note. I sure hope she doesn't take advantage of my curiosity, though.
...Oh, hell, I knew what I was getting myself into.
Post by Akira Nakajima on Mar 28, 2014 11:09:23 GMT -5
For a moment, the boy just stared at the woman. What the hell. He recalled the woman's words on their last outing. Was she doing this intentionally, or did she have no idea what kind of Pandora's Box she was dealing with? Actually, did it matter either way? This gave the boy plenty of things to toy with, and, at the same time, made the arrangement in his underwear a bit uncomfortable. Ah, how to proceed? There was simply so much he could say, so much he could do. Eventually, the boy's expression morphed into a simple smile. Neither angelic nor impish, the smile was just a little warm. And the boy gradually leaned forward, propping an elbow on the table, before supporting his chin with the back of his hand. And then? He sighed slightly.
”I wonder if your innocence is just an act sometimes.” He casually noted before proceeding onto the matter at hand. ”Costume-Play, or 'Cosplay', holds a number of different meanings to an equal number of people. Similar to art, its interpretations and inspirations vary from from one to another. Before we proceed onto the actual fine details, that much should be understood. Not everyone will think of it on that level, especially not those that are just doing it as a pastime, but that, in and of itself, also verifies my words.” He paused to let that sink in before shifting in his seat.
”The act itself is simple. Though you can technically dress however to begin a cosplay, many die-hards refuse to accept anything short of an act similar to a character- in other words, dressing like a character and dying and styling the hair to match the character in question. Eyes are optional in that case, but, again, die-hards will likely wear colored contacts for authenticity. The act itself can be done out of adoration or respect for the character, to satiate some niche groups' sexual fantasies, to dress or look a way that they believe can be 'cute', 'strong', or even just 'sexy', among other things. These are just some general ideas behind the acts.” Another pause, and the boy sat straight. He was still smiling.
”I'll show you what I mean the next time we go shopping. Who knows, you might even find something. . . life-changing.” His eyes half closed, and he tilted his head to the side, the still-warm smile becoming almost sweet. It might have been seen as friendly or matronly, but, in truth? He was looking forward to getting some new, interesting pictures.
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Mar 28, 2014 20:53:45 GMT -5
"I see," I said, ignoring Ran's first comment about wondering if my 'innocence' was just an act. To be honest, if she'd seen my art, she would know the answer to that one pretty quickly. "So it's a cultural thing in and of itself. That's quite interesting, I suppose. I guess it's possible for anyone to get into it if they were interested though and were dedicated enough?" I inquired, completely forgetting that Ran might interpret this as her thinking I might be interested in taking up the 'art of Cosplay' myself. Which, to be honest, I might be on board with it if I had support, and people didn't totally laugh at me for doing so. Anyway, that was for Ran to decide. Especially since she already said she would 'show me what she meant the next time we went out shopping.'
Post by Akira Nakajima on Mar 28, 2014 21:41:09 GMT -5
”Well, you need a fit enough body for it. Too much pudge and a number of cosplays either look wrong or are absolutely criminal. Of course, you need enough body for the sets to look right on you, anyway. However, a person that has that interest and dedication would likely have already regulated their diet to the point that they had a body within the acceptable limits for all this. So, back to your question of anybody being able to get into it, provided that the interest and dedication were there, yes. Yes, anybody could. Ah, that said, your body is pretty much ideal for stuff like that. Unless you suddenly showed interest in a specific character, you could pull off several with your build and eye and hair colors.” The boy in drag sat back, relaxing. His body was fully under his control again.
”And if we do go that route, I've got plenty of ideas in mind.” He added after a moment, still smiling. Oh, yes. He had plenty of them.
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Mar 28, 2014 23:24:54 GMT -5
I nodded. "That's interesting. It sounds like the better cosplayers have to put in a lot of hard work and effort to get the kind of body they want for their chosen character, not to mention getting the outfit for them... I heard people either buy their costumes, have them tailor-made for them, or make it themselves as well. So I've heard." However, my mind kind of stopped in its tracks a little when Ran said that my figure was quite ideal for the matter. Suddenly, I wanted to see how that would pan out. Who knows; it may get me places in the future. Or not. It would be an interesting experience.
"Do you have plenty of ideas? Hmm. I figure I may be on board with this. I am already going to have to play dress up going undercover to the school. Might as well go the whole way and see where I'll end up, right? It wouldn't hurt I don't think."
Post by Akira Nakajima on Mar 29, 2014 16:44:08 GMT -5
Regardless of whether or not the woman had some degree of understanding regarding his inner workings- and she likely had not a single clue, he decided- she went on to give her views on what he said, followed by an inquiry regarding his ideas. Alas, there was one major issue with that. He could not spoil the surprise. Nope. Not a surprise if it were to be spoiled, after all. No, the game would be played, but at a later time. He'd need to cut off that trail of curiosity before it went too far. The boy put a finger to his lips and winked.
”I won't share my ideas yet. It's better to let them simmer and evolve, after all, until ready to serve.” The boy went silent for a moment to drop his finger. ”Of course, a few more sets of that uniform might help, unless you plan on washing it every other day.” He slowly shrugged.
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Mar 29, 2014 20:40:07 GMT -5
I nodded and fidgeted. "Yeah, probably. Especially since I won't necessarily know how long I'll be there. It could be a while depending on the depth of the information I can collect and whether I can keep it up," I decided to leave Ran alone on her first point, respecting her decision to keep the stuff to herself until the time was right. Well, most people usually did that kind of thing. Preparations are key to most paths to success, after all. Well, we'll just have to see what comes of this, then. I have my role to play at the end of the day. "So... When all's said and done, I guess all we have to do is make sure everything goes according to plan... Though when does that ever happen, haha.."
Post by Akira Nakajima on Mar 30, 2014 20:33:04 GMT -5
"Murphy's Law has dictated a number of things to me during this whole event here. While they're numerous, they all boil down to the law itself. That is, 'Anything that can fuck up, will fuck up', so rather than awaiting an S-ranked mission, I'll be more worried about the preparations to mitigate the damage. Note, that doesn't apply solely to this request. It applies to our whole situation. Prepare for the shitstorm and hope that the plumbing works." The boy just offered a slight smile before sliding from his seat, patting down his pleated skirt and pushing his glasses back up. With his hands together at his waist and a slight bow, he managed to get the librarian look going. Only thing that would have made it better would have been braided twintails.
"That said, I've got some groundwork to set up for you, so I'm going to get in touch with my contacts and all. I'll be looking forward to the reports. I hope your time in school is both enjoyable and profitable." With a slight wave and a giggle, the boy in drag twirled and walked away. Groundwork indeed. Things like not-actually-doing-shit-because-he-was-the-contact. Important stuff.
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Mar 30, 2014 21:07:00 GMT -5
Ran mentioned Murphy's Law. Well that was a good point, I supposed. I had no comment towards that. Better to make preparations to make sure that when the impending shit does hit the fan, things don't suddenly get wrecked for us, I guess? That seemed like the reasonable perspective to take here. She smiled and looked like she was going to leave, mentioning she had things she needed to do. Well, no use sticking around here, then. "Alright. I'll do my best and hope the information I provide is enough," I simply said in response. "And thank you for the good wishes. I'll make sure things go swimmingly." I also stood up as he walked away.
Soon I ended up leaving as well and going on my way to do other things. Not sure what exactly. Probably gonna go out for a run today.