Description: Aranha heads to a local music store in Southtown to replace his lost music when his rhythm seems to draw another capoeirista into the music store. An arrangement for a future fight is made and the two part ways.
In the aftermath of Vega's attack on Japan, specifically Southtown, Aranha's thrown a bit of money towards having his place among others rebuilt and he's been living his life out of a suitcase. Which for most fighters tend to be a way of life. However his music collection, along with various numbers in his groupie drawer have been destroyed thanks to the fires and assorted destruction brought on by war.
As a result, Aranha finds himself in a music store to replace some of the stuff he lost and perhaps get some new stuff for his collection.
"I have Rock covered, Rap covered, now onto World." Maybe he might find something African, or perhaps he might find Capoeira music from Brazil. After he finishes up in World, he'll probably see if he can find something in Jazz.
The tall dark skinned beauty in the reflected window cranes her neck to examine the dresses on display, a beautiful range of colour and styles she admires greatly. Oh, and the next store is.. a music store. Elena adjusts her shoulder bag and eagerly heads inside to explore. The place is filled with a good Rhythm she can hear, lower than the strongest beats and occasional clash of musical styles pumping from various terminals for the listening to the music.
White sleeveless vest and red trousers she cuts a figure who would look more at home on the streets of Paris but in enthusiastically looking around the store at the various sections. Where to start? She flashes a smile at some of the occupants of the store look her way but seems drawn to the world section right away, homing in on that feeling even though she hasn't quite identified its source. it has a good sound and she can feel it above all of the other musics here.
Aranha, aka. Keith Mason on the other hand, looks like he'd be more at home on the streets of Metro than the World Section of the music store. But there he is. He goes to the listening station to listen to various selections of music trying to see if there's stuff he likes but then when he removes the headphones and goes to the area where logically one of his potential selections would be, he sees a tall woman and sense of recognition comes over him. It takes him a few moments but he then realizes she's been in a few televised fights but hasn't been on the map for awhile. One of the few capoeiristas who been televised fighting in fact. As a result, Aranha immediately feels drawn to her by virtue of being a fellow practitioner of the art if not his specific style.
"I think I recognize you from somewhere. Saturday Night Fights, right?"
The Kenyan's wholehearted smile expands and she leans in to examine the young man very familiarly and seeming a little intrusive. That's the source of the good rhythm in here, they are coming from him. Her blue eyes sparkle as she abruptly leans back, assured she did indeed discover and meet the person who was emanating such good music's.
"I feel a good rhythm coming from within you!"
She smiles and laughs.
"I am Elena"
The woman stands more than half a foot taller and also stands rather close but it is all so keen and inquiring. The pair don't draw much notice in the store, many people are glued to their own various musical selections. Elena focused more on the good ear she has for people over music.
"Yes, Saturdays Night Fights. Some time ago. You are also quite skilled."
The statement is matter of fact, and something she recognise. How he holds himself, it is casual and relaxed but it is not slovenly or even poor posture. Having never seen him fight to her knowledge she intuitively just offers him her mutual admiration and respect.
Aranha can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable as she leans over him if only because he doesn't know what's going on at first. But when she speaks everything falls into place. First he figures out what the leaning over him was about. There is a bit of realization that he tends to get a sense of rhythm from people through a different process. He uses his eyes and ears to determine the amount of rhythm someone may or may not have and he does it from a distance which is why his process tends to be less intrusive though not perfect. He can't determine someone's rhythm when they're standing still.
Another thing that falls into place for the capoeirista is when Kazuki mentioned the music. 'That last one sounded nice.' 'Wha? You heard that?' When Aranha had been originally fighting him, he connected it to sharp hearing allowing him to hear what was playing in his Oakley Thumps. Apparently, Elena could do something similar. And it took her coming out and saying it for everything else to make sense. Had Kazuki had told he could do that then, Aranha would have believed him. He has seen lots of strange stuff in his life.
His mind returns to the here and now with the taller woman still close. "I thought so. I go by Aranha." Choosing to go by both his fighting name and capoeira nickname often used to make fun of him. He turned around and embraced it.
"You also seem to have good axé. Good energy." That seems to be based on what he can see from the way she carries herself. Using a common terminology to mark himself as a fellow practitioner of a common martial art.
He rubs his chin for a moment. "You've seen me on TV as well?"
Elena gently shakes her head, light tending to catch in her short mane as she does so giving her head a slight corona while she listens attentively. It a good experience to meet someone new by chance that she could just hit it off with
"I heard a good rhythm that brought me to this place, and it was yours. I am very pleased to meet you Aranha. I have not seen you dance, but I hope someday you will dance with me."
It's earnest, she does want to face him, even if just to see him dance and to show her very best in return. The name when spoken by her has an unusual inflection with her accent, a sound distinctly Elena's; accent impossible to place.
She turns her attention to the growing collection Aranha is building, many CD's and reacts excitedly. There is a lot of good music's there, but also the amount of them arouses even more of her curiousity.
She plainly looks them over with a glance, some of those bands she likely may have heard of but not many album covers she recognises.
"Ah, you are shopping for music."
That must have been why he was here, She in turn had been drawn in by his rhythm though now they had met face to face.
"So very many, You like many different bands and styles of music."
It's as much an observation as it is a compliment from her, expanding your repertoire and appreciating many different styles from many different cultures; whether she is easily impressed or just very inquisitive could be a discussion for the ages.
If anything, he's not offended by her not having heard or seeing him fight. He's just a little mystified as to how she would know he's skilled without having experienced it be it through fighting him or from seeing him on TV. But then he thinks back to life on the street. He could usually size people up in the first few moments of a fight by the way they stood. Were they ready for a confrontation? How confident are they? Are they aware of their surroundings? These things were often were the difference between picking a pocket and getting something of worth and finding pockets empty. The difference between coming out of a fight unprepared and battered, being victorious, or having the sense to just walk away when it just wasn't worth it. Though she might not be using the same methods he'd used thinking that she might be doing something similar is a valid assumption.
"Yeah. I had to shop for music. My apartment and the music contained within was a casualty of the war unfortunately." That's not to mention the pair of Oakley Thumps he lost at the hands of the Sad Ears in Metro City. "Don't think my music collection will be quite the same unless I do some ordering online." Or downloading mp3s. He glances at his music for a moment before looking back up at Elena. Man it's almost like talking to his former team mate Rylee in how he has to crane his neck up towards her.
"Well. You came in here because of my rhythm. What brought you to Southtown if I may ask?"
For the first time a glimpse of a solemn Elena at the mention of the war, a very sad business for everyone with many people hurt. The violence having reached even the shores of Japan and this very city. There were plenty of people these days still sporting bandages and wounds, emotional scars that would take much longer to heal.
"I am sorry to hear of your loss. I hope your family and friends were all safe!"
It's an empathetic and hopeful look, doe like gentle eyes filled tom the brim with wishes for a silver lining in all of that. She visibly draws herself up and takes pains to smile, that had been a horrible business and people tendered to need little reason to dwell on such matters. Be more cheerful, Elena. Think of something else to talk about.
"Travelling, I wanted to come back to Japan and visit my friends. My father suggested I continue my studies here." She was very grateful to her family for that, not only allowing her the opportunity to travel but to also supportive of it. Her brother back home had only left Africa just once before while Elena always wished to travel and explore.
It doesn't take more than half of her response for the smile she had plastered on to perhaps cheer Aranha is genuinely her own Talking about home evokes good and pleasant memories, and she knew they were already safe and largely unaffected by the war which had gripped the world.
Aranha on the other hand doesn't have such fond associations with family and home beyond his sisters only one of which is still living. "My family was elsewhere." Truth but not the whole truth. He uses silence on his sister's whereabouts to keep her safe and he's not about to talk about his bitterness for his parents nor his role in removing them from the face of the earth if only to keep them from abusing his sister let alone him anymore. He doesn't need to become a downer let alone someone like her thinking that he's some type of depraved criminal. His rhythm misses a beat at that moment.
"Oh cool. To be honest I didn't think\ of traveling much until I started fighting professionally but once I did, it changed my point of view."
And then his rhythm goes back to normal
There was something there, only for a moment. A tell or some disturbance in the beat and music that is uniquely who he is. It was probably something she should not have brought up, it was something everyone worked very hard to not be dealing with still while clean-up and reconstruction would be on-going for a long time still.
"... Japan will always have a piece of my heart! I am looking forward to life here."
The pause before she speaks exists for a moment of chastising herself, there were more pleasant things to talk about; promise of a real classroom and teachers she could interact with in real time was actually something she was greatly looking forward to. Speaking Japanese and enjoying so many of the foods and habits of Japanese society there was so much right going on in the world and she was focusing upon it. It would break her heart were she to take in nothing but the injured and the suffering around her.
"The world is a very great and wondrous place! The people in it can seem even more amazing. Fighters from around the world usually take great pride in their people and enjoy teaching you their language and culture."
More fond memories in Elena's scrapbooks no doubt. Like the ones she is making right now, and tomorrow and the next day.
Aranha is a type of poker player one would call an actor. Hard to read due broadcasting false tells or hiding tells. He's hyper aware of the image that he presents to the world at large by way he looks and acts. The problem he has with being dishonest with certain people that have a higher sensory ability is that he can't sense those tells he broadcasts. Emotional broadcasts to the psionically inclined, rhythmic tells giving him away to individuals like Elena. A tell he's not equipped sense is a tell that he's powerless to do anything about. And that pause is all that's needed to make him realize that he's given too much away.
Thankfully Elena changes the subject away from family and to what the world has to offer. His particular thoughts are balanced. The world can be full of beauty and wonder but also of ugliness and sadness. "That's true. And there's so much to learn about the world and those in it if you just stop to look." True in fighting and true outside the rings, arenas, and fight clubs.
A delighted laugh from the Kenyan as Aranha's comment as she seeming draws a very positive meaningful impression for such a response. In knowing Aranha is a fighter and she feels they share similar enough interests that they could be good friends, no matter how little or long they have known one another.
"One day soon you will spar with me, won't you?"
With an infectious smile and straight forward manner in which she broaches the topic, they are both from cultures and ways of life where strength is celebrated and necessary, the day these two could compete against each other would be a good day.
It is a bold request to ask someone without knowing the rank of their ability, but it is more important to make that connection between them to establish a rapport and friendship.
'I feel it would be fun and a good learning experience. And to make a new friend!"
Actually Elena had made a great many of her friends in similar manners, the girl is infections when the same behaviour isn't considered annoying or invasive; Her list of close friends spanning the globe in many different cities and countries.
Cultures where strength is celebrated and necessary is true of both but more than likely for different reasons. For Aranha, it was celebrated in the fight halls and necessary in life or death struggles or making sure that money is made to provide for his sister. And while he's not dealing with strength being needed in a life or death basis for now it's still celebrated and will continue to be celebrated especially on a global scale.
Going back to that question though. He ponders it for a bit. "It would be fun to play you at some point. How about this? Why don't you give me your digits and maybe we can arrange something. Of course, if we don't get enough people we may have to get Mestre Ipod for our music." He lets out a slight laugh at joke his teacher once used in reference to using recorded music for the roda when there enough people to play music. Mestre Boombox back then, Mestre Ipod now.
"Who knows? Maybe Saturday Night Fights or the Neo League might bring us together to fight."
Elena takes a moment to translate the slang for term for a telephone number but comes to the realization with a slight head quirk and embarrassed smile which blossoms into a full toothier grin.
"Hmn! That sounds like even more fun."
She is just glad to see him laugh and enjoys the feeling of it while he does so. Happiness and levity were priceless commodities in the world still and would be for time yet to come. The world wasn't perfect before the war, it would be a time in recovering when it did finish. Rooting around in her bad she produces an inexpensive but newish flip- phone and pops it open, there has to be something in here with her number on it. The click of rapid button presses and a quick exhalation of triumph; found it. She turns the phone around and to show Aranha the numbers and expecting him to produce a cell phone as well, just like her friends in high school when trading numbers. But Aranha had made some really valid points, maybe it would be alright.. just for a while if she took some time off to join in a little of the Neo league, or the Saturday Night Fights. There had been alot of interesting people in there the last time.
"Maybe,I should do just that. I'm sure that would be fun."
And then Aranha quickly produces his phone which is more of a sleek touch screen phone and dials in the numbers before pressing send so his number shows up on her phone before quickly hanging up once his number was on there.
And once they both have each others' numbers he quickly puts his cellphone away and looks at the taller of the two capoeiristas. Yeah I look forward to that. Anyway, I suppose I should finish up my shopping. I do have a music collection to rebuild after all. Take care." He turns to the shelf and picks up a couple CDs before moving on to the Jazz section of the store.
Log created on 11:43:59 03/15/2012 by Aranha, and last modified on 08:56:07 03/16/2012.