Participants:
| Scene Title | We All Have Our Kinks |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Two not-quite strangers have a conversation over noodles and sake. |
| Date | April 29, 2019 |
It’s a rather lovely day today — a perfect day, in fact, to venture out into the world, especially after hiding away from it as much as Remi has been. The weather is brisk after yesterday’s rains, but not brisk enough to discourage travel. It’s been years since the telepath with the broken ability has had a good bowl of ramen — really, she hasn’t had a good bowl of soup that wasn’t fish since before her world flooded.
Dressed in a pair of fleece leggings, a drapey tank top, and a fuzzy grey sweater, Remi isn’t looking to impress anyone today — she’s much more focused on being comfortable, and on the notion of enjoying a good bowl of ramen.
Speaking of, she is staring almost lovingly at the chef as he prepares her bowl. To this man, it’s just another day of the same work he’s done every day for who knows how long. To her, however, this is an experience that she will be savoring shortly.
“One please.” Comes a voice just down the counter, potentially familiar to the woman.
It was lunchtime and the Yamagato business liaison was hungry. By his tone Godfrey Wells seems distracted and a glance behind him would find him tapping away at his phone. His suit is a deep dark purple with deep pink shirt underneath. Even without a tie, he looks properly dressed. He seems intent on whatever is on his screen.
Setting the phone on the counter, Godfrey takes a moment to slide into a seat. “Beef preferably. On the spicy side as well.”
Blue eyes are drawn away from the man preparing her food, and with an owlish blink, Remi turns to peer momentarily at the distracted Godfrey, perfectly trimmed eyebrows raising slightly. Oh, she remembers him! As he doesn’t notice her just yet, the woman takes a moment to look him over appraisingly.
Finished sizing him up, the redhead plants a charming smile across her face and speaks up. “Interesting news article?” Her brows climb up her forehead just a bit, even as she turns to watch the finishing touches being placed on her own ramen.
“You’re about the last person I would expect to run into here.” For some reason.
Looking up at the server, Godfrey then realizes that the voice was feminine, he looks down the counter. There is a surprised blink as this one seems familiar. “Oh!” He recognizes her no. “Hello. No. Potential…” What was the person on the other end? “…boyfriend.. Boy toy? Haven't decided, yet.” If he was honest. It was the best he could describe the person on the other end of the line. The phone is tucked away, as he assesses the woman at the counter.
“Gala right?” Godfrey asks as he still tries to remember where. Lots happened since then.
Remi’s brows raise slightly, her expression changing subtly from a charming smile to an amused grin. She wasn’t quite expecting that response, though it doesn’t seem to put her off at all. “Those are always fun,” she all but purrs, chuckling and turning to take a sip of her water.
Her ramen order is handed off over the counter, and Remi eagerly reaches out to take it, setting it in front of herself. A sprinkle of seasoning, a tiny dash of soy sauce, and Remi appears to be the happiest woman in the world, if her face has any indication.
People should aspire to find someone who looks at them like Remi looks at food that she used to think she would never get to try again. “I haven’t had good ramen since I took a trip to Japan…god, it had to be ten years ago now.”
“Really?” Godfrey asks curiously, a glance going to the food in front of her with mild interest. “Well, you have certainly come to the right place, this is as close as you will get to Japan. Or as close as I recommend, sadly.” Shrugging out of his jacket, Godfrey draps it over the back of his chair. Wouldn't do go to get food on his good suit jacket, though under it he has a well tailored vest.
“I’ve been where you are,” Godfrey comments as he settles into his chair again. “I remember the first time I had a decent bowl of ramen or really anything that wasn’t scrounged. When I got hired on by Yamagato, I never looked back.” Remi gets eyed again with open curiosity. “New hire or just visiting the grounds?”
“I hear it’s not so friendly to SLC-E people over there,” she replies, not admitting or denying whether she is one of the mentioned people or not. She cracks the chopsticks apart, glancing over the split for a moment, before she picks up the oversized spoon and sets about mixing her ramen together to her liking.
“Just visiting,” she replies, a pleasant smile on her face. “I heard about the ramen shop and couldn’t justify not coming by.” Especially when she’s spent the past few days getting a little too drunk a little too much. “I’m far too busy trying to recreate Broadway to get another job,” she adds with a small smile.
There is clearly amusement at her desire for the food. In his own way he understand. “Yes, well, you shan't be disappointed.” His attention is pulled from the woman to his own bowl as it is delivered, the liaison offers a soft thank you in japanese. To be honest, it is a phrase, he picked up in his time working there.
The mention of Broadway had piqued his interest and now with his food, Godfrey comes back around to it. “So, you are recreated Broadway? Really?” That amusement is there, maybe he simply disbelieves it is possible.
“Well, as well as one can in the circumstances.” The redhead smirks, pausing the conversation long enough to pull some noodles onto her spoon and fill the rest with broth and meat before taking a bite — her reaction involves eye rolling and a soft sound of contentment that could be misconstrued for something else by someone who can’t see that she’s eating.
Once that first bite is done, she wipes her mouth daintily, as though Godfrey didn’t just witness the elation of someone having a favorite first food that they never thought they’d get to try again. “The venue is different. We got a rather large supply ship, cleared her storage deck, and are in the process of building a theater on her. And I’m about to open up casting calls — we’ll be opening with My Fair Lady in July.” The man is offered a brief, charming smile, before she takes another blissful bite of her meal.
Cuffs are undone and rolled up to his elbows, though he pauses on the second cuff at the noises coming from the woman down the counter. A brows tips upward and he sends a glance to the server near him. “Quite the compliment I’d say,” he says with amusement to them. Once both sleeves are rolled up, Godfrey turns his attention to his food.
“My Fair Lady?” He repeats the play title, his head slowly nodding. “A good one to start with. Not too big like Phantom, but not too obscure either.” Clearly, Godfrey approves the choice. Unlike many people eating there, the brit hasn’t mastered chopsticks yet and is happy to use a fork to consume his food. “I do wish you luck in that venture. The Safe Zone could use some culture.”
Once finished with her current bite of food, the redhead takes a sip of water and offers a small laugh. “Phantom will be the second show, once I get all of this figured out,” She shakes her head. “I’m kind of flying by the seat of my pants. I’ve been involved with Hollywood, but I only ever did Broadway for like a week, so I am doing my best here.” She grins to the man.
Then, she turns to the man behind the counter, lifting a hand and making the universal gesture for ‘give us alcohol’. “Bottle of sake and two cups,” she murmurs. “I feel like I would’ve shared a drink with you at the Gala, were it not for the insanity that interrupted everything.” She just hid behind the bar and drank while everyone else was freaking out.
There is a touch of amusement that goes with the small nod of agreement. “Possibly,” Godfrey agrees, “It seemed to be going that way before I got turned into a pin cushion.” He gives a nod to the server that he’s okay with the offer. “Only the one, I fear. I have an important meeting later.” It wouldn’t do for him to show up drunk to a business meeting.
“Hollywood?” There is interest at that, curiosity. “B-movie level?” he asks with an arch of a brow. “Independent films? Surely not anything mainstream.” It is obvious that Godfrey isn’t familiar with her works or is trying to remember if he’s seen her anything.
“I saw that,” the woman replies, nodding her thanks to the server as the requested sake bottle and two cups are delivered; she pours out the cups, and pushes one in Godfrey’s direction. “You seem to have recovered nicely, at least to outward appearances.” She makes it a point to give him an obvious look of appraisal as she lifts her sake cup for a toast.
“To health.” His question about her work in Hollywood prompts a small, amused look, like she’s in on a joke that he will never understand. “You wouldn’t have seen anything that I’ve been in,” she murmurs. Man, she wishes that some of her films had survived the loss of the Sayonara — she could probably make bank off of some of those.
Godfrey looks rather amused at her assessment, watching her looking him over with a slightly smug expression. Why shouldn’t he? He knows how he looks. “But, only because you can’t exactly see my back,” he points out, reaching for the glass. “One could easily play connect the dots with the scars.” That offered up blandly, before he holds up his own glass in toast.
“To health,” he parrots back before sipping at the cup, though it is tempting to down the whole thing.
“Independent films then?” Is Godfrey’s conclusion there, coming back around to her acting career.. “Not a bad thing mind you. Everyone has to start out somewhere. I never watched much that wasn’t by the big companies.”
“Scars are sexy,” she boldly replies, a mischievous grin on her face. “Is it strange to say to a near-total stranger that I would actually enjoy doing something like that?” She’s quite aware that she is a bit odd — she was an odd one in her world, why would it be any different here? She doesn’t elaborate, just in case.
Once the toast is complete, she tosses her small cup’s worth of rice liquor back, letting out a small hiss of a breath as the heat works its way down.
“You could say that,” she adds, a small smirk on her face. By this world’s standards, perhaps, her world’s Hollywood could be considered independent. “Unfortunately, the films were lost to the elements after everything happened.” Not a lie, at face value. It’s just not the everything that happened to this strange new world she’s found herself in.
The woman’s comment about his scars has one of Godfrey’s brow lifting, his mouth tugging to one side in amusement. “It’s a bit strange, yes.” It was definitely not a comment he was expecting. “But we all have our kinks.”
He busies himself with ramen and sake for a long moment before turning back. Godfrey gives her a curious look and leans on the counter, leaning her way some. “I seem to be fuzzy on remembering your name. It’s right there on the tip of my tongue. Help a floundering chap and tell me it again?”
“I don’t mind being strange,” she replies with a small laugh as she idly fiddles with her empty sake cup, running her finger around the lip of the cup before idly tracing the designs on the pottery. “I could also be shamelessly flirting, but the world may never know.” Or did she just admit it anyhow?
“Amelie Laurent.” She reaches and takes the sake bottle, pouring herself another cup of the clear, sweet-smelling liquor. “Celebrity impersonator and thespian.” She’s really come to despise her cover story, but she can’t very well tell the truth — that would probably have disastrous results for her and anyone she decided to tell. “You were…starts with a G, doesn’t it?” She remembers his name just fine, but it helps to establish a common ground sometimes.
He doesn’t really address the strangeness vs flirting debate, focusing on her name instead. “Ah! Amelie. That’s right.” Godfrey nods his head, as if suddenly remembering, a finger shaking like she caught him. “I glad I asked. I almost called you Emilie. Wouldn't that have been quite embarrassing?” Lengths of noodles are caught between the chopsticks to be quickly consumed.
Her own inquiry into his name is finally addressed after another sip of sake, savoring it for now; since he did have that meeting. “Godfrey Wells,” he offers with a bit of a dip of his head. “I work for Yamagato here.” A dismissive flick of fingers goes towards the door.
Raising his cup in salute, Godfrey says, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Laurent.” He pauses and adds, “Again.”
“It would have,” she agrees, an amused smirk sliding its way over her face. A moment is taken to take another large bite of ramen, the telepath closing her eyes and making a small contented sound. The second cup of sake is tossed back, followed swiftly by an exhale.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Godfrey,” she replies, a charming smile replacing the amused smirk. “For the second time,” she adds. “Can I ask what you do here? Do you like the employment?” She tilts her head toward him, pouring a third cup of the sake. “Got any performing skills? We need as many shows as we can get over in the theater, opening is looking like it’s going to happen some time in June.”
“I,” Godfrey sits up a bit straighter, like he is all important, “woo American companies to collaborate with Yamagato. Not that it takes much, but I guess you could say I am the middle man. The liaison, between the two companies.”
More noodles are trapped while he considers the other odd question. “I have many talents, my dear,” Godfrey looking rather smug about, even though he holds up a finger to stall her. “But, for your purposes, I’m afraid not, nor do I have the time for such an extracurricular activity.” He sounds apologetic, but who knows if he really is.
The woman can’t help the amused smile that appears on her face at Godfrey’s description of his job. “That sounds like it could be exciting in its own right,” she responds with a light chuckle — clearly, she is of the mind that such a job would be boring, at least to her.
The insistence on his many talents brings out a small chortle from the woman, though she stifles it down easily enough. “Understandable. I’m sure your job keeps you quite busy,” she replies — for a moment, it seems like she has a vaguely French intonation to her words, but she manages to hold her accent well enough. “Well, if you have enough time in your busy schedule, you’re welcome to come down for a show. I’m sure we’ll be pasting up posters all over the city once they’re printed.”
She twirls some noodles into her spoon, sloshing up some broth and a bit of pork along with it, before slurping the entire spoonful down with a satisfied sigh.
“Oh, I guarantee I will attend a show or two. Time permitting, of course.” Godfrey assures. He does like a good show now and then. “Here’s to your success,” he holds up his sake glass and downs the rest of the contents.
Almost as if on cue, the phone setting on the counter starts to play a run of musical notes. “Oh… well, it looks like my time is up. Meeting in thirty and I have to go outside the Park for it.” Godfrey manages another bite, before sliding to his feet and pulling on his jacket. Fingers work deftly with the buttons of his jacket. “Again, it was a pleasure. If you are visiting often for the food, then I’m sure we will meet again.”
Picking up his phone, Godfrey’s attention is already turning to the screen, thumbs tapping over the smooth glass.
“I look forward to seeing you in the audience,” Remi replies, raising the tiny cup to Godfrey with a small smile. “Pleasure running into you again, Godfrey,” she murmurs, turning back to her ramen and sake. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other around.”