Jaffar
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What's the flavor of stress? Anyone know?
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Post by Jaffar on Feb 11, 2009 14:39:53 GMT 9
[To anyone who happens to want to reply.]
The most important thing to remember about anything you do creatively is to research the material you need to pull it all together--writing novels were no exception to the rule. Sitting at the local park outside of his apartment building, Rinji, or rather Jaffar as he was known as outside of his small personal circle, figured he would start tackling his new assignment by observing couples, children--people in general--in the park. Although he was already familiar with the behaviors of human beings from his other books, the more natural and contemporary approach seemed to be the best route.
He wrote notes and idly watched people pass him by as if he were invisible on the bench. He liked seeing how confined to their own little worlds they were and how by displacing where they were and simply focusing on where they were going and who they were with, they could distinctly reveal small parts of their personalities and emotions without even reflecting too much on their faces. The complexity of modern society and its practices couldn't simply be dissected and partitioned at any whim. As a whole, behavior was dictated by a pattern and it was set long ago. People acting outside of those norms were known as radicals. Jaffar had wanted to be someone 'different' when he was young but ended up being shepherded like all the others.
The sun was high but the temperature wasn't unpleasant. It was warm enough for him to only have to wear his favorite black matte vest over a green stripped shirt and a simple pair of french grey slacks. Perhaps he was a bit too dressed to be in public but this was his norm and he enjoyed looking his best.
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司さま
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Ero-Hime
that he did
Posts: 138
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Post by 司さま on Feb 12, 2009 17:42:14 GMT 9
That day, Suika had to meet with his editor's boss. He didn't know why...Maybe they were dropping him from their publisher or something! He was so frightened, he'd decided to dress much more appropriately. His editor, whom was used to seeing him in bulky outfits, was surprised to see the trendy clothes that de-aged him enough to let him pass for high school student dressed casually. It seemed so impossible, he'd rejected it outright.
His neat, never-been-worn striped polo reflected the many colors of summer, his favorite season. Suika missed going to the sea, he hadn't been in so long. His bag, apple-green and formerly containing a manuscript he'd decided to drop off at the last minute, was now empty aside from a small bag of fan letters that he'd gone in for.
Apparently, he wasn't in trouble...Just the boss wanting to congratulate him on having one of his novels considered to be made into a manga...And to get an autograph? He'd blushed furiously when he'd seen which book it was, one about a student and his sensei. After a few stuttered good-byes, he'd taken off like a flash, willing his face to lose that red color. As he walked, his cell phone went off...And he checked it, noting it was a spam message. He'd been getting them a lot, lately...
On the way to the subway, he encountered the usual park. The first time he'd walked to the publisher's main office, he'd come through here and been attacked by a dog...Which he'd wound up playing with, oddly enough. Pausing at an old man's taiyaki stand, Suika bought two and placed the other in his bag, biting into the other with little abandon. He liked these, just not overly sweet ones. A small smear of red bean paste found it's way onto his upper lip, though he didn't really notice.
His mind was a little elsewhere, considering the possibility that his book would be made into a manga. He liked manga, of course...He'd considered the visuals of his characters but only when fanart of them came in did he really think about their actual appearance. With the manga, it could prove very interesting. He was, though, a little worried about such a book being connected to him (even if it was under a fake name)...What if it got traced? His face flushed again at the thought. His family would be so embarrassed...~
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Jaffar
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What's the flavor of stress? Anyone know?
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Post by Jaffar on Feb 15, 2009 11:26:32 GMT 9
While continuing to observe, a young woman had stopped to ask him about the designer of his clothes. At first, Jaffar's face became slightly colder--feeling suspicious of her. However as he watched her lips curl up and how her eyes lit up, he could see that she was genuinely interested. In the past, he'd been asked the same questions but they were indirect questions with ulterior motives. It wasn't until he was repeatedly asked and then subsequently asked out that he discovered that he was desirable. He hadn't at all been aware throughout his youth.
"Everything is 'Raphael.'" Jaffar mentioned to her in a strong, though casual tone of voice.
"Isn't that a new brand...?" She seemed to be asking herself. Jaffar took note of her own outfit. It was semi-inspired by Elegant Gothic Lolita style that was currently the trend among the young female and male population. He thought it was interesting in context but he never found it attractive enough to have himself clad in it. Still, her spin of it was very unique--white petticoats, crisscrossed plaid skirts, a bustier with lace fringes with a lovely half-cut jacket that was adorn with white embroidered skulls, roses and crosses along the length of the sleeves. She certainly stood out with the amount of black she sported however.
He caught the young girl staring at more than his clothes as he ran a hand through his black locks. The light, warm breeze that had passed by mussed up his groomed hair and automatically, he had gone to fix it with a simple gesture of his hand. He chuckled and politely suggested, "I've research to conduct so if that's all you wanted then please move on." It didn't bother him anymore just how pointed his words were anymore. In his philosophy, it was better to get things out first than to sugarcoat things and make them worse.
Inwardly, Jaffar was amused at how flustered she had become when he had asked her to leave. Watching her go for a moment, he turned away but almost immediately his eyes caught onto an apple-green bag. It had been so brilliant--and it doesn't hurt that green is his favorite color--that his eyes instantly drew to it. Eventually, he looked to the owner of the bag and furrowed his brows.
'Where have I seen him?' Jaffar had this distinct feeling that he had met him before but couldn't pin just who he was.
Appearing to be foreign, what with his pale skin and green eyes, Jaffar was also a rising and popular novelist, however, despite his occupation as a 'ghost' novelist, a very descriptive analysis of his appearance was always published with his short biography on the dust jackets of his work. It was like a game of "Where's Waldo?" for his fans.
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司さま
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Ero-Hime
that he did
Posts: 138
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Post by 司さま on Feb 17, 2009 4:13:39 GMT 9
As soon as Suika finished the taiyaki, he disposed of the wrapper in a trash can. He was thinking quite heavily on his work now. He didn't know if anything else he'd make, like slightly more serious works, would be animated...it was a first for him, especially for such a book...
Bark! Bark! Suika turned, only to find a dog looking up at him. It was that dog! It'd found him once again. Kneeling he lifted a hand, the dog sniffed it, licked it, and wagged his tail. It was entirely too cute, Suika lifted a hand to scratch behind his ears just as the dog's owner called him from across the park. He smiled as he saw the pup's ears perk up and he quickly ran toward his owner.
It was a shame, he liked playing with dogs. His outfit would have gotten dirty, most likly, but Suika wouldn't have minded at all. It was a rare opportunity, since he didn't have the guts to ask a dog's owner himself if he could play with it. He'd always have to wait until the dog would come to him...Like just now. Besides, it was just such a weird question. 'can I play with your dog?'...No way.
Brushing his hair over his shoulders, Suika decided that it was too nice a day to just run back inside and start writing...Though he wouldn't have minded. He liked to write, even shutting himself up didn't bother him much. But his doctor would scold him if he went in with a deficiency of Vitamin D again...
As he began to walk in one direction, his eyes brought his to a pair of green eyes, similar to his own. Instantly, his eyes moved elsewhere. Sudden eye contact always scared him a little, especially when connected to a stranger. His skin flushed a bit and he kept walking, his hands holding loosely to the handle of his bag. His fingers played along the groove of a seam, taking a moment to dare to glance again, his curiosity getting the better of him.
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Jaffar
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What's the flavor of stress? Anyone know?
Posts: 6
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Post by Jaffar on Feb 17, 2009 4:51:44 GMT 9
'Ah, he noticed me.' Jaffar blinked, content with thinking that fact. His cool, almost porcelain facade melted and changed to a pleasant and kind expression, a smooth but interesting transition. He appeared to be more approachable now that the 'observe' mode had been triggered off, at least half off. He couldn't help but notice that the other had green eyes, a shade similar to his own and his clothing was cute, casual but still very fashionable.
Where had he seen him before though... When Suika turned to look back at him a second time, he couldn't help but smile, privately wondering if he had piqued the other's interest if only through the simplest glances. As he continued to ponder, he crossed his legs and he propped his arm over his knee as his chin rest against his palm. He took a moment to decide something before calling up the courage to say, "Hey!"
He had noted the short-lived and almost interesting interaction with the puppy. It was almost like the young man loved dogs but for some reason, he wouldn't follow and ask to play with it. Perhaps he was nervous, perhaps not, or maybe for some reason, he wasn't able to keep one himself, if he didn't already have one. An animal hoarder maybe? No, couldn't be, his clothes were too clean and he was preened well. Jaffar's imagination was running on him.
"You looked so sad when the puppy went back to its owner." Jaffar started to say. He purposely left the statement open ended to see how Suika would respond.
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司さま
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Ero-Hime
that he did
Posts: 138
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Post by 司さま on Feb 18, 2009 17:51:46 GMT 9
It wasn't weird to catch a stranger's eye, usually, but Suika was always startled when he did. Sometimes he forgot there were other people in the world and that they could watch what he did...That was a strange little quirk of his, and it always surprised him when he found otherwise. His skin prickled a little when he realized that stranger had called to him and he took a moment to take cautious steps (at first) before moving toward him.
"Ah...yeah..." he said, both hands reaching up and nervously playing with the end of his hair. "I like dogs...Especially puppies...And I knew that one already, his name was Pochi..." He couldn't help it, thinking about that dog made him smile through his blush. "I don't...get a chance to play with one very often..."
Maybe he'd stop at a pet store on the way home. The clerks always offered to let him play with them, and he'd be able to respond with a nod instead of speaking. He didn't mind talking to them, but it just felt easier to him. As Suika gazed down, his eyes hadn't met the other man's properly again. For a moment, his own green eyes rose to meet Jaffar's and he held it for a moment, studying him a little.
It was the kind of gaze that would take the other man's appearance and turn it into words and then sentences in his head. It was his habit ever since he was a child to form everything into a story.
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Jaffar
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What's the flavor of stress? Anyone know?
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Post by Jaffar on Feb 18, 2009 23:24:16 GMT 9
To say the least, Jaffar was collected and at first glance very well mannered, probably due to his very romantic foreign appearance. His hair wasn't pure black, having gold strands in ashen black locks and when he turned his head slightly, it was noticed that he had metal clips on his lobes and a simple ring on the high arch of the cartilage. Were it not for his calm demeanor and chic attire--and perhaps the small PDA in his hands--Jaffar would have appeared nothing more than a ruffian in a different setting and a change of clothes.
Jaffar took note of how Suika held himself and considered how to proceed with the topic of dogs. "Only like? So much affection pouring out of you... I can only believe you if you said you 'loved' them. Do you have one of your own?" He asked as he gestured to the empty space on the bench. "Have a seat if you like. I myself like dogs too, I plan on getting one soon actually. Perhaps a corgi, a shiba inu or anything from the shelter. They're always looking for people to adopt."
He wasn't always good at idle chatter, but he wanted an answer as to why he got this feeling of knowing him. It was strange. Was he someone he talked to once at a bar? No, couldn't possibly; with this young man's personality, he looked more to be a chic cafe type. Maybe at an art exhibition? That wasn't out of the question but he didn't feel that was the case. As he pondered longer, he asked himself whether it was at a different publisher he visited? That felt a little more realistic.
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司さま
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Ero-Hime
that he did
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Post by 司さま on Feb 19, 2009 19:19:08 GMT 9
It was so strange to hear a stranger picking up on his emotions, so Suika was turning red once again. He didn't know what to say, not even putting up a fight about sitting. It was only when he sat that he realized how physically close to this stranger he was and he took a small breath. at the mention of breeds, his face lit up a bit.
"M-maltese are my favorite," he said with a smile gracing his delicate face. "Growing up, our neighbors had one...and she had puppies, and I could play with them every other afternoon."
He'd been sad when those puppies were adopted, too. He rubbed the side of his neck, out of nervousness. His hands were resting on his knees, his back a little hunched to show his nervousness but mostly because he often spent a lot of time like that...That was why he was planning on buying a really great chair to correct his posture. "I would adopt one..." he said softly, his tone suddenly tinged with sorrow. "My apartment won't allow dogs and I can't move until my lease is up in the fall."
And even then he didn't know if he'd have the money or patience to do so. His current rent was amazing and he didn't want to just let go of it...Suddenly, Suika realized he hadn't introduced himself. It was the proper and polite thing to do. Luckily for him, his editor had printed up some business cards for him to use as soon as the news about his book becoming an anime would be official.
"Ah, here..." he said, taking one in both of his hands and holding it out. "M-my card..." The card, for the first time, had his real name paired with his pen name. He hadn't studied it yet so wasn't aware, otherwise he wouldn't have presented it to a stranger.
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Jaffar
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What's the flavor of stress? Anyone know?
Posts: 6
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Post by Jaffar on Feb 19, 2009 23:07:50 GMT 9
Jaffar adjusted his position slightly to be able to accept the card. As soon as his eyes flipped onto the names on the surface, his expression went from calm to slight surprise. His editor had told him about Suika and he even vaguely remembered meeting him. The reason why he wasn't remembering quite so clearly was because on that day, he had been running on an hour's worth of sleep from working on a manuscript from that week. Sometimes he was grateful that his editor pushed him to his limits but at others, he was a tyrant.
Putting the card into his front pocket, he removed a sleek silver case from a seat pocket and flipped the clasp open. Inside, it was black with the velvet lining and sitting in one inlay were a stack of elegantly designed business cards. He plucked one up and offered it to Suika. Unlike the other's card, it only had his pen name and his contact information, including his work number, mailing address, website and email. There was also a clip of art on it as well--a beautiful outline of a peony that bleed off the card and was predominantly on the left side of the landscape card.
The pair of his name and the peony had become a trademark of his work. Having worked since after graduation professionally, he now pondered how successful or interesting he was among other novelists. He knew he had a fanbase and yet these kinds of things still had him thinking. However, he didn't work in the same field as Suika. He liked crafting romantic thrillers that stole your breath away, made you afraid to turn the page and made you boil in ecstasy where you sat. Sex, mystery, thrill and murder.
Speaking of which, for a fraction of a minute, he made a mental note to send his finished manuscript to his second editor at the BL company. He had been continually pressured to finish ever since he was halfway through his deadline mark. It was remarkable to receive such open and large responses on a sudden shift change. Jaffar himself never though he'd even write gay novels when he was younger.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Kojima-sensei." He deliberately chose to address the man by his pen surname. Since he only had his own pen name on his card, it was only courteous. He knew by letting his real name get dropped from the card, he was creating a certain anonymity linger around him and that was a feeling he wanted. "For some reason, I had this feeling I'd met you somewhere before, but now I realize it was at the summit where the publishers meet every year. I'm with Del Klavier and Skip Boy."
Both names were well known--the former for their own brand of mixed erotica and adventure novels and the latter for catering homoerotica in novels and in manga.
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司さま
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Ero-Hime
that he did
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Post by 司さま on Feb 22, 2009 12:09:16 GMT 9
Suika's skin prickled with realization as soon as Jaffar used his pen name to address him. "K..." he froze, almost feeling as though he should be wearing a hat so he could pull it over his face. How embarrassing! He could recall, now, that those cards were supposed to be for the production team of the anime so they could consult him when necessary.
"I...must apologize, I didn't realize," he mumbled, already feeling as though he would head down a very whispery conversation on his part. Though he studied the other's card, he was not nearly as good with names as he was with faces. "Del Klavier and Skip Boy?" Determined to be polite and discover the "stranger's" true identity, he lifted his gaze and studied Jaffar momentarily. It took a moment, figuring out the details and recalling that summit. His editor often would take him to things like that against his will...It was likely he was dressed like today, in something other than his casual attire.
He broke out in a sheepish smile. "Of course, I do remember you now. My editor introduced us...Please excuse me, I believe I spent most of the day staring at my shoes rather than at the people in front of me..." He apologized, recalling that there'd been quite a number of people there, the kind of situation that left him uncomfortable. He felt a bit better, though, knowing that this person was in the same profession as him, even with a similar genre.
Embarrassingly enough, he was overly aware that his own novels were likely much more...explicit than Jaffar's.
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Jaffar
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What's the flavor of stress? Anyone know?
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Post by Jaffar on Mar 2, 2009 4:34:34 GMT 9
Explicit perhaps, as Jaffar was overly aware since he'd scanned a few of the other's pieces in the past, but he didn't like writing about sex, despite what he was doing with his life at large. He preferred to be tastefully discreet and to leave certain parts embarrassingly hung to let the reader suffer. That was his style. Still, as he looked upon Suika, he realized that the young man's personality seemed to act as a wall to keep him from paying mind to things around him. The little things like his eyes dropping when contact was better in conversations, a shy demeanor that subtracted from his appearance, facing away from the person he was having a conversation with...
The more he thought about it, it wasn't all that cute and yet it was still appealing to his curiosity. For a person who wrote what they did, he toyed on the possibility that Suika was a virgin with a wild imagination or a pervert locked in the closet of an author's armoire. Perhaps an otaku? He didn't know and he knew that this first meeting wouldn't give him the answers he wanted to satisfy the questions in his mind.
"I noticed and my editor actually warned me that there would be some writers like you." His voice was gentle. "In any case, I'm glad to have met you a second time here. We only talked for a bit there." He leaned back against the bench and smiled to the other. "Before I forget, I really liked your outfit. Just a random comment." He was trying, maybe a losing battle, to get the other to relax a little with the last statement. It wasn't a lie but to him, Suika appeared a little tense.
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司さま
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Ero-Hime
that he did
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Post by 司さま on Mar 2, 2009 21:16:27 GMT 9
There was little to be done about Suika's personality, it'd been ingrained onto his brain since childhood. Though shy, he sometimes broached this and was able to speak normally without realizing it. Including eye contact and much more positive body language...But the circumstances for this usually required familiarity or a topic of mutual interest. His eyes would light up and he could talk a mile a minute, a trait he shared with his mother.
For a moment, the words 'like you' startled Suika, since he often feared that term in a negative light. Jaffar's tone eased that nervousness, at the very least, and he nodded. "Un, thank you," Suika said formally, then looking down at his clothing with puzzlement clear on his features. His editor had mentioned that he should dress nicely when meeting at the company. His outfit, his editor said, actually made him look much younger...The green, red, and yellow pinstripes on the polo shirt reminded him of summer, that was why he'd chosen it. "Ah...A-and, thank you again. I don't...understand fashion when it comes to myself, but...I thought it'd be a nice time to try." His skin flushed a bit with a little self-awareness, thought a smile was clear on his face. He'd chosen to take the compliment rather than usual modesty.
Compliments weren't something he could usually accept without understanding them. He'd get compliments, in both mail and verbal form, for his books and sometimes they'd just be hard to swallow. He wrote what he could dream up, and he often found the novels he wrote were a bit...strange, and could never quite name where they came from. His imagination, he had thought when it first began, must be a strange place.
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