Tokyo Calling (Closed)

[Rhett Keyes]

Backdated to April 10th

Dhara She had been fighting the urge to travel for a while. Her last trip had been as a hired guide for a tour of Germany. Since then, she hadn’t left Harper Rock. While Rhett had been in Arizona, she picked up the slack at RetroKade, spending longer hours there than she normally did. Plus there was her job at the University, though as school was winding down, so was her workload. And her job as housekeeper/property manager. All in all she was busy. And she was bored.

She’d been exchanging emails with Rhett as they often did and mentioned she wanted to take a trip somewhere. New Orleans or Tokyo. She’d finally settled on Tokyo and invited Rhett. The man worked like she did. To exhaustion and without much thought for mental and physical wellbeing. They would be gone ten days, crossing the international date line twice which could result in a bad case of jet lag.

Once they had agreed on dates, she’d called a few of the more modest hotels to find a suite that had two rooms and wouldn’t break the bank. Normally she stayed in a traveler's hostel in a room with ten to twelve other people. She wasn’t sure how Rhett felt about that so hotel it was. The hotel was booked, the tickets purchased and she ensured her passport hadn’t expired. Now she was in a cab on her way to pick up Rhett. Her small bag in the trunk, a lock of white hair twined around her finger as she watched the lights of Harper Rock blur past the window.

Rhett Keyes What the hell did people wear in Tokyo? Rhett looked inside his closet and just grabbed shirts. All kinds. Tank tops, couple v-neck pullovers and some sweatshirts too. What was the weather even like there? Rhett looked down at the time on his phone and realized it was too late to worry about it now. He packed a little bit of everything in his small duffle bag and zipped it closed. If he needed anything, he could buy it. Which reminded him, on his way out from his bedroom that he needed to grab his toothbrush and toothpaste.

When those two things were in the bag, Rhett made his way upstairs to the main area of RetroKade. He set his bag down on the counter, grabbed his phone out of his back pocket and shot a text to Sol, before shutting the phone off. There was no point in having it on, he’d have to turn it off for the flight anyways. The phone reclaimed its spot in his back pocket, as a teen came around and asked to buy a cheap comb because he ‘lost’ his other. “Yeah, man. On the house. Safeguard it. Sol’s not going to give you another one before I’m back from Tokyo. And stay out of trouble. All of you.” Rhett gave them all a finger in their direction and a warning glance, before he grabbed his duffle bag when he saw the cab pull up. “Got to go.” Rhett gave them a nod of his head, as his palm found the glass door of RetroKade, pushed it open and moved outside. “Hey.” Rhett said loud enough for his voice to be heard as he left the building, and eyes landed on Dhara. He moved around the trunk and back of the car, slid inside the seat next to her and put his small bag on the floor at his feet. He turned to look at Dhara. “Ready for Tokyo?”

Dhara She smiled when she saw him and waited for him to settle into the car before answering his question. “I am, are you?” She settled into the seat and sighed happily. “I love Tokyo. I always have. There is just something about it. And of course Japan in the spring is breathtaking. I think you’ll really enjoy it.” She was silent for a time, toying with the charm at her throat. “I always thought I would settle there someday, when I got done with travelling. If I could have chosen where to be born it would have been Tokyo.” She chuckled softly as they arrived at the airport. She paid the fare and hopped out, getting her small bag from the trunk and waiting for Rhett. She dug out her passport and their plane tickets, offering him his when he joined her on the sidewalk.

Rhett Keyes He listened to her talk about Tokyo and grinned a little. It was nice to see Dhara like this. He was pretty sure Dhara had been everywhere in the world (or damn near close to), something he envied a little, but not enough to jump feet first into something. In fact, this trip was as spontaneous as Rhett would probably ever be. “One day, maybe. Who knows what the future holds? With everything going on lately.” Rhett concluded as the cab stopped outside the airport, Rhett yanking his bag up off the ground and going around the cab to stand next to her.

His passport was pulled out of a side pocket of the duffle bag he carried, before she handed him a ticket for the plane. “Thanks. I owe you.” He reminded Dhara, as Rhett started to walk, not allowing for Dhara to argue against it, in Dhara form. It wasn’t really arguing-Rhett was sure she could never actually argue, but it was...something. Her kind nature just always downplayed her kindness and the things she did for others. Rhett wouldn’t forget the cab fare or the ticket. “When will we get there? Time of day, I mean.” Rhett chuckled, sure she told him, but he had forgotten. Were they arriving there a day earlier, or a day later? Traveling through time zones so rarely, he’d never catch on, Rhett was sure.

Dhara She rolled her eyes and followed after him, finally catching up. “Wait for me, I have little legs!” She said as she finally caught up to him. “We will get there today, around 11pm. Though here in Harper Rock it will be the next day. Almost afternoon. First we fly to New York, then on to Tokyo. It’s a long flight so I hope you brought a book or something.” She chuckled as they headed into the airport. It seemed they had both brought carry ons so checking in wasn’t much of a hassle.

“Is that why you’re coming with me? Not because you need a vacation, which you do. But because of everything going on with vampires coming out of the coffin?” She grinned at her analogy, rather pleased with herself over it. They went through security and headed for the gate and there was a bounce in her step, excitement coursing through her with each step that took her closer to the home of her heart.

Rhett Keyes Eleven p.m. Rhett was sure she had thought of everything, but he didn’t know how much of a time difference there was from here to there. Or there to here. He was sure Tokyo was ahead now that he gave it some real thought. A book. Right. “Sort of forgot, but maybe the in-flight movie is good?” He suggested, sure he wouldn’t think too much of it, since he wasn’t that big of a movie buff. “Sorry, I forget how things were sometimes. When we walked.” Rhett said chuckling softly, not having to worry about being faster than anyone.

“And no. Well, maybe a little. Who knows what things are like over there?” He said, glancing in her direction as they both did their security checks at the checkpoint. When he was done, he waited for her to finish before he grinned down at her. “Wish you could be going for longer?” He asked, feeling as if he were cutting her trip short due to his ‘fear’ of being gone from Harper Rock from too long.

Dhara “Well we can’t all be descendants of the Jolly Green Giant.” She teased as she slung her bag over her shoulder and then looked up at him. “I’m sure things aren’t much different now than they were two years ago. Busy, chaotic. The city feels alive.” She pointed to their gate. “I’m not sure what the movie is but there’s a little shop if you want to pick up some magazines or something.” She angled towards it, just in case. She had a book tucked away in her bag.

She blew out a slow breath at his question, twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “Honestly? I wish I could move there. Just leave Harper Rock behind for good. It’s not that there is anything really wrong with Harper Rock, or even Canada. It’s quiet and safe it seems. Aside from some weirdo feeding on me that one time, nothing really crazy has happened.” She pushed a hand through her hair and shrugged. “I just love Tokyo and I miss travelling whenever the urge strikes. Working all the time helps, but sometimes I really just need to spread my wings.”

Rhett Keyes Rhett nodded his head, stopped so abruptly that he almost cut Dhara off. Both his hands found a shoulder and he said something he never thought he would tell her-given his reservations about vampires outside of Canada. “Then travel. Travel and if you need to, move there. I want you to do what you want to--need to do for you. We’ve got a long time to live and who wants to be unhappy forever? Not a fan of staying away too long, but if you’ve got the urge, then do it. Not that you need my approval or permission, but...I want you to be happy.” It’s all Rhett ever wanted for Dhara in any aspect of her life.

“Just think about it. Do what’s best for you.” Rhett said as he pulled both hands off her shoulders. “Where’s that shop?” He said, turning around, looking for something that resembled what Dhara said would be in the store-so far all he had seen were travel sales pit stops with anything and everything labeled Harper Rock and even some vampire items. Rhett shook his head and then nudged his head. “Think I see it. Maybe.” He started to walk, conscious of how fast he was going this time.

Dhara She stared after him as he walked away, mulling his words over in her mind. She urged her feet into motion and caught up to him. “Fair warning, it’s all going to be ridiculously over priced.” She said as they entered the little shop. She waited for Rhett to collect snacks and reading material, then headed for the gate with him. They would board in about 20 minutes. She looked over at him and smiled a bit. “I booked business class so you’d have plenty of room to stretch your legs. It’s a long flight and you don’t want your knees around your ears for the next twenty one hours.”

Rhett Keyes “Good thing I’ve got a new job that pays pretty decent.” Rhett said in a joking tone-because it didn’t pay well...or if it did, most his pay went back to paying for something else he wanted RetroKade, or a kid to have because it was needed. Dhara would probably know this, since she worked first hand with him, so he chuckled and then nudged her a little.

He stopped for a second when she mentioned why she got them business class. Rhett was a lot more taller than Dhara and was a tall guy just in essence. “Hey, thanks. Good thinking.” It was too. Rhett hadn’t even considered how the flight might be on his legs, simply because he had only flown once one other time before. “Let’s see what they’ve got.” Rhett ducked into the store and headed right for the magazines and book area. “I meant what I said before. Screw what anyone else thinks, or wants. Not their life.” He picked up a book, and let that sit there, before putting the book down and going for a sports magazine.

Dhara She followed after him. “Probably the usual - stale gum, expired candy and lame magazines. You would think they would have better stuff considering how many people travel. I swear I practically lived in the airport for a while.” She wandered around the shop with him. “I know your job pays well, so well I don’t have to work two or three other jobs.” She teased him. She worked for Rhett and the rest of her time was indeed taken up with two and sometimes three other jobs. In reality had nothing to do with pay and everything to do with the fact that she liked to keep busy. Especially lately.

She mulled over what he said again. He was right. There was literally nothing to hold her in Harper Rock. She worked too much to have friends, and the less than handful of people she had ever gotten really close with were gone. Rhett was literally the only person she had in Harper Rock. Their relationship had gone full circle from casual friendship, to dating, to marriage, to divorce and back to casual friendship once more. He had his own life and she was pretty sure he was dating someone as well. He seemed happy and she was happy for him. But she really had no reason to stay in Harper Rock any more. Maybe at the end of ten days Rhett would come back alone. She didn’t say anything about what she was thinking, instead she only said “We’re going to board soon. Figured out what you want to pay too much for?” She grinned up at him, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Rhett Keyes “But you do it anyways.” He accused her in a teasing tone, knowing Dhara. Rhett knew her-they had lived together once upon a time, dated and even got married for a while. She liked to be busy; just like him. More than him. One night she would slow down, he figured, when the right person came around. “Thinking about a magazine. Can’t get behind gum or candy. Wouldn’t, even if I could.” Rhett admitted with a low chuckle, before he moved to the counter to get the magazine he had picked up a while ago.

As he went through the transaction of buying the magazine; setting it on the counter, watching it be rung up, then paying for it, Rhett wondered what Jesse would think about what he told Dhara. Not that Rhett cared, but he doubted Jesse would ever tell him bon voyage one day. Not that Rhett had the urge to go anywhere, but Jesse and Rhett were different on a few fronts when it came to vampire things. Jesse preferred violence, Rhett went the opposite way. Regardless to what Jesse claimed, Rhett was sure the guy wanted this ‘family’ of sorts, whereas Rhett viewed what he and Dhara had as something different. They’d always be tied together, sure, but she was her own person and didn’t need anyone tying her to them for any reason. And Rhett understood that and accepted it.

“Come on.” Rhett said after he gave the guy a glare. The magazine would have been under four dollars, but here it was close to eight. “Rip off.” Rhett agreed with a nod, his glare dissolving away as he met back up with Dhara. He headed out of the store, once again mindful of how her steps were half the length his were. “What did you bring? To keep yourself entertained?” He asked, looking at, and around Dhara. “Hope you aren’t relying on my jokes or humor.” He gave her a small smirk, as they moved to the gate they needed to be at, to get on. “Shoot. Already boarding.” Rhett looked at her apologetically. “Sorry, the stale gum almost had me back there.” He said with a soft snort, followed by a grin. “Ready?” Rhett nudged his head to the small line gathered near the entry point of the plane, making a move for it.

[Dhara]

Dhara “I do, must be a glutton for punishment.” She chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. She snorted softly when she saw the look he gave the guy behind the counter. “He doesn’t set the prices.” She pointed out with another laugh. His next question made her grin. “I don’t know that I could handle twenty-one hours of such razor sharp wit and dripping sarcasm.” She joined him in the line of passengers moving slowly onto the plane.

Opening her satchel, she tugged out three small books Dante’s Inferno, a slim volume of Shakespeare that contained Hamlet, Othello and The Taming of the Shrew and Beowulf with the Old English and Middle English translations, and showed Rhett. “I brought some light reading and my ability to sleep anywhere, any time. Do you want to borrow a book?” She paused in their conversation, handing the attendant her ticket. The scanner beeped and she stepped past, waiting for Rhett on the jetway.

She found their seats and slid in, taking the one by the window. Her books were stowed back in her small bag, which was then tucked under the seat in front of her. She settled into the cushy chair and buckled her seatbelt, swinging her feet back and forth since she was too short for them to touch the ground. She glanced over at him with a small smile as the last of the passengers boarded the plane.

Shortly after, they pushed back from the gate and it wasn’t long until they were airborne and bound for New York. Their only stop before heading straight on to Tokyo. They wouldn’t get off the plane in New York as it was only an hour long layover. She looked out the window, watching the city get smaller and smaller as they headed for cruising altitude.

Rhett Keyes “Light reading?” Rhett glanced at the books Dhara pulled out and chuckled. Out of the possibilities, only two of them might keep him interested for most the flight. “If you’re not reading Dante’s Inferno...Might borrow it.” Rhett decided to forgo Beowulf, and the others hadn’t even been on his radar. He watched Dhara swing her feet back and forth, grinned a little and then repositioned himself so he could slouch back a little. Bad for his posture, but it wasn’t like he needed to worry about that anymore. As Dhara pointed out, not everyone was nearly as tall as him.

He buckled himself in as they went through the whole safety thing-talking about the air masks that would drop down, then the cushions as something to hold on to. Really, nothing Rhett needed to pay attention to. Neither of them needed oxygen and who cared if they sunk to the bottom of the ocean? Still, he was polite and smiled at the woman coming around to check seat belts.

New York was the first and only stop. Rhett came to the conclusion while he read the magazine he purchased that no one who was going to be continuing to Tokyo, needed to get off. There just wasn’t enough time to try and hunt down food-not that he or Dhara needed it, or any souvenirs. Not that he would buy any. Rhett barely had any pictures of he or his family anywhere, what would he do with a globe or something that said ‘New York?’

When they landed in New York, Rhett set the book down and looked at Dhara. “Doing okay?” They had had a few small conversations, but once he got he started reading Dante’s Inferno, Rhett sort of focused more on that, then anything. “Need anything?” He asked, eyes moving to the stewardess that was talking to a couple of people who were getting off the flight to get to a connecting one somewhere else.

Dhara She had passed him Dante and taken Shakespeare for herself. They flew in silence, both absorbed in their books. Once they landed in New York, she stood up for a full body stretch, then sat back down. She looked over at his question and shook her head with a smile. “I’m good. What about you?” She asked as she sat back down. She refastened her seatbelt and combed her fingers through her hair before looking out the window. The New York airport was nothing to write home about and she was eager to be in the skies again. She got her wish after a time and soon they were on the longest part of the flight.

She alternated between reading, sleeping and staring out the window as she watched the world pass beneath them. When they finally landed in Tokyo she was ready to get off the plane and stretch her legs. She glanced over at Rhett and grinned as the plane stopped at the gate. “Are you ready? I thought we’d go from here to the hotel to drop off our bags and then go from there.” She watched as their fellow passengers began to fill the aisle, knowing there was customs to go through, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Rhett Keyes Rhett thought New York would be more...something. Didn’t everyone and anyone fly into New York? Then again, he hadn’t gotten off the plane, so maybe the outside was deceiving. He glanced back at Dhara as people got off and some new ones got on, answering her question. “Good. I don’t have any issues with flying, just never got around to it before...well, before you.” he admitted with a soft chuckle.

When they arrived at their final destination, Rhett finally got up and moved. He wondered if he should have made more of an effort to do that. The flight back he would. At least Dhara slept and acted human. Rhett had a lot to learn about pretending to be alive again. “Yeah. That sounds really good.” Rhett said with a nod of his head as he lifted the compartment above their heads. He grabbed her bag first, handed it to her, and then took his own, before closing it. “Ready?” He asked, before heading off the airplane and going into the terminal waiting area. From there, they would go get their bags and then head to customs. The line was long, but moving at a reasonable pace, so it hadn’t taken them long before they were both through and meeting back up with each other. “Well, that was efficient. Surprisingly.” He had heard and seen the horror stories on sources like facebook and the news, and thankfully, neither of them that Rhett knew of had to ever deal with the bad side of things.

Dhara “Customs is usually pretty fast in Tokyo. I think the slowest I’ve ever seen it was Spain.” She slung her satchel cross body and made for the exit. The crush of people had her linking an arm through his so they wouldn’t get separated. Though his height did make people notice and clear a path somewhat. Once on the curb, she hailed a taxi and climbed in. Speaking in careful Japanese, she gave the address of their hotel and settled back, sort of. Her amber eyes were glued to the flashing lights as they zipped down the streets and she practically fell out of the cab when it stopped at their hotel.

Hopping on the curb, she stood still, head tipped back, drawing in deep lungfuls of cherry blossom scented air. Her eyes were closed and the sea of people ebbed and flowed around her. She took the time to be in the moment, here in her heart city. All her senses were extended as she felt the city, taking it in, as much as she could, while waiting for Rhett to join her. When he was on the curb with her, she motioned to the hotel and headed inside.

Once they had obtained the room keys, and headed upstairs, she glanced at him with a smile as she unlocked the door to the room. She set her bag beside the door and slipped her shoes off as she usually did, glancing over to see what he thought of the low furniture and the rather soothing decor.

“Two bedrooms, one bathroom.” She said pointing to the doors. There was also a small sitting room and a tiny kitchenette. It was a modest, but comfortable set up for the duration of their stay. “What would you like to do first?” She asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

Rhett Keyes “It seems no matter where I go, I make a lasting impression.” Rhett chuckled as he noticed people glance at him, then move away from him. While they rode in the back of the cab, Rhett took in the variety and differences of being on the other side of the world. He compared what he was seeing to back home, and then to Germany. There was no comparison-each place was different in a lot of different ways.

He had noticed that there had been only two keys offered, instead of the customary four. Rhett didn’t say anything, just listened to what Dhara and the hotel person was saying. Not that he could make any of it out. He would see where this went. Once upon a time, Rhett would have no reservations; after all they have traveled together, but back then they had been married.

When the door opened and she explained herself, Rhett took a good look around and then nodded. “I’ll go put my bad in a room. Left or right?” He asked her, before heading in the opposite direction that she hadn’t claimed for herself. “This is nice.” Modest, sure, but still nice. When he returned, Rhett gave the question some thought. “I don’t really know what to do in Tokyo. Maybe, ahhh..” Rhett rubbed his left hand at the back of his neck before thinking harder. Then, he snapped his fingers. “Nevermind. It’s not your scene.” He said with a shrug. He wanted to make sure that she enjoyed her time here too, and not make it mostly a trip he enjoyed. “They got like a tour bus that goes around the city? Maybe can determine something spontaneous as we ride around town?” Rhett suggested, offering Dhara a small grin.

Dhara She stowed her bag, taking a quick minute to change clothes and freshen up a bit. She pulled the curtains open in her room and beheld the city with a pleased sigh. Wandering back out, she listened to Rhett speak, then looked thoughtful.

“There are tour buses, cabs, Uber, rickshaws. Any mode of transportation you can think of really. As for what to do? There’s arcades, museums, restaurants, shopping, tea houses, temples to visit, concerts to see. This city is the pearl of the oyster.” She grinned, shifting from one foot to the other, anxious to hit the pavement and be out in the crowds. She slid a white headband into her hair, the color blending seamlessly, leaving her with furry white cat ears poking out of her white curls. She looked very similar to a popular Anime character in her red tunic and black skirt. Which is why she had done it.

Tugging on her boots, she flashed a grin at Rhett, handing him one of the room keys. “Let’s go!” She chirped in excitement. “Tokyo is waiting! Whatever you want to do, we’ll do it. Tonight is your night.” She opened the door, hardly able to stand still as she waited for him. Her amber eyes were lit from within and she seemed to glow with anticipation.

Rhett Keyes The choices had him gawking. “Rickshaws?” He echoed after Dhara, still standing there slack jawed. “Think restaurants and tea houses might not be our thing…” He commented softly, following with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve not been to a concert in ages.” Rhett admitted with a nod, before chuckling at Dhara’s headband. “Cute.” He said, grinning at her. He accepted the room key from her and then watched how she more or less bounced around. Tokyo was her place. Dhara seemed so...alive here.

He rubbed at the back of his neck, thinking of the choices. “We’ve got a couple nights.” Rhett said thoughtfully, realizing this for himself. The arcade scene could wait. “Remind me to go shopping for a couple people before the trip is up.” He didn’t say before we left, or before I left, unsure of how things would end. He wouldn’t blame Dhara for staying here. It seemed her element. She was a drifter, not to be connected to one place for too long. Unlike him. “So. How about a concert and a temple visit? In whatever order.” The tall necromancer clarified, fine with either one happening in either order. “Come on, short stuff.” Rhett swiftly moved past her as the door opened, purposefully taking long steps as to keep up with her smaller, but eager ones as they headed down the elevator and out into the city of Tokyo.

[Rhett Keyes]

Dhara “Right… you can’t eat or drink. But you should still see the tea ceremony. It’s a thing of magick.” They moved swiftly down the hall, Dhara keeping up with Rhett easily in her excitement. The elevator hit the lobby and she spilled out of it, bounding to the door and bursting onto the streets of Tokyo once more. A keen eye would note she wasn’t the only one sporting animal ears on her head. People bustled past in all manner of clothing. Men in suits, women in kimonos, teenagers with a mix of J-pop, grunge, goth and punk styles. Sometimes all on the same person. She drew a breath and let the laughter escape her, the vibrant city filling her with an energy she couldn’t contain.

Stepping to the curb, she flagged down a rickshaw for them, crawling in after Rhett and again speaking careful Japanese. She requested a tour of the heart of Tokyo for them, so Rhett could see the city at a pace that was slower than being in a cab. Her fingers tapped on her knee as they passed restaurants, shops, the arcades she had mentioned. And blended in with the modern were ancient tea houses, small temples and lush gardens.

“Exile is playing tomorrow night, along with Reina Tanaka as an opener and Babymetal. Probably like nothing you’ve ever heard.” She flashed a grin at him. “I’ll get us tickets for that. And then there are a few temples on the outskirts we can visit before the concert.” She tapped her lips, looking thoughtful, then her eyes lit up. “Oh… we have got to take the train, or a cab, over to Yokohama so you can see the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. It’s pretty cool.” She grinned over at him before her attention was snagged, watching a street vendor making a ridiculously large cotton candy stick in the shape of a flower.

Rhett Keyes Tokyo was crazy busy and eccentric. It suited Dhara and that showed on her face as they bopped around the city. A rickshaw was easy enough to figure out, Rhett realizing he might have seen or heard about them before. A long time ago, but they seemed vaguely familiar. It was as cool as it was crazy, to Rhett. The past, meeting the future so to speak as they looked at all the modern buildings, while riding in the rickshaw.

He listened to what she was saying and nodded.”Let’s take a train. My treat.” He didn’t know which would be more expensive, but in his experience a train seemed to be the better mode of transportation, especially in bigger cities. And this city was huge. “So tea ceremony tonight, then?” Rhett looked over to where Dhara was looking and watched the flower get made, Rhett chuckling at it. “It’s an entirely different world from back home and Germany.” It wasn’t like either of them...which begged the question...what other things had been missing out on in other parts of the world?

Dhara “Okay that is pretty cool.” She said when the man had finished. He handed the treat off to a child and Dhara laughed softly. The sugar confection was bigger than the kids head. She settled back in her seat and looked thoughtful. “Tea ceremony… how about an arcade? I know that’s your thing and there’s one not far from the hotel. We could play some Dance Dance Revolution and I will thoroughly kick your butt.” She grinned over at him, then leaned forward to speak to their driver, once again in careful Japanese. The man nodded and she sat back.

It was just a few short minutes and he pulled off in front of a tea house. She slid down from the rickshaw and paid the driver with a smile, waiting for Rhett. When he joined her, she moved to the door, sliding the screen open and stepping inside. She took her shoes off and put them in a cubby, trading them for a soft pair of slippers. She offered some to Rhett and grinned up at him. “We wear these to walk around in here, but when we get to the tea room, we’ll take them off and enter in socks or barefeet, whatever you prefer. I wear socks.”

Once he had changed from street shoes and put on the slippers, she opened another screen. She paused a moment to remove the cat ears, tucking them in her kimono like sleeve. She had left her satchel at the hotel, using the pockets inside her sleeves instead. She motioned him in, following after and closing the screen. Moving over to the Geisha, she bowed low and then spoke in Japanese. Tea ceremony for two, even though Rhett couldn’t drink it. It would have been a little strange to order for one. She followed the woman to the tea room, removing her slippers before stepping on the cushioned floor.

She knelt on the floor, motioning Rhett beside her. She gave him a brief rundown of what would happen, her hands in her lap. Even though it was something she had seen dozens of times, she still watched with quiet awe. The Geisha came in and moved through the ceremony with silent grace, making the powdered tea and handing the bowls to them both. With quiet instruction, Dhara showed Rhett how to turn his bowl, hold it and sip. Or in his case, pretend to sip. The ceremony brought a sense of peace to Dhara, and when the Geisha had left them to their tea, she smiled at Rhett, her voice still soft. “I just love this… there’s something so peaceful about it.”

Rhett Keyes There were questions on his mind. So, Rhett asked. He didn’t mind learning new or different things about cultures, it was sort of appealing to the guy who had only been to Germany and Harper Rock. “Why do we do those things?” He looked down at the floor, wondering if they wanted to keep the floor nice, or was it a thing with food and shoes? He couldn’t blame them, shoes picked up every damn thing and tracked it all over the place.

Dhara was like magic. The ears vanished from sight and he chuckled softly. It had been one of the things that had drawn Rhett to her back in the day. Not that she had lost her touch on being mysterious and magical. Things had changed and it seemed like for the better. They were both living the life they wanted without restrictions or being held back. When she got rid of the slippers, so did he. Rhett opted for bare feet, having never been a fan for socks only.

The run down was easy to follow, not that he needed to worry much about it. He wasn’t actually going to drink it, but he could pretend every now and again. “What are they called again?” He asked, pointing to the woman in the kimono that had made their tea. “People just come here for tea? Is it a culture thing? Religious thing?” He asked, wondering what the appeal was specifically, for Dhara.

Dhara “Shoes are considered dirty because they are worn outside, picking up everything.” She sipped her tea, then picked up one of the sweet little cakes to nibble on. “Geisha.” She said, answering his question about the woman in the kimono between sips of tea and nibbles on the sweet cakes.

“The Way of Tea is what this is. It’s a ceremonial preparation and serving of tea. This ceremony is Chakai. It is short, informal, and simple. Some houses will offer a very light meal during the Chakai, some, like this one, offer little sweet cakes. There is a formal ceremony called Chaji and that one can last up to four hours. It’s got a full meal, thick and thin teas, sweet cakes….” She sipped her tea, memory telling her it would be bitter and the cakes slightly sweet, but not as sweet as American confections. “It is literally the appreciation of tea and hospitality.” She smiled over at him and finished her tea. She leaned forward and put her empty bowl on the tray next to the tray of sweets.

She looked up at Rhett and got to her feet. Leaving the tea room with him, she put her slippers on to walk down the hall where she retrieved her shoes and his. The cat ears made an appearance, extracted from her sleeve, along with money to pay for the tea and a tip for their hostess. Once they were outside, she hailed a cab to take them to the arcade, entering into Rhett’s domain. Standing in the entryway of the arcade, she gazed at the array of games. Blinking lights, sirens, music and the sound of hundreds of voices. “What do you think?” She asked him, watching his reaction.

[Dhara]

Rhett Keyes An appreciation of tea and hospitality. Rhett could understand the latter, but he wondered what life would be like if they had to appreciate everything as much as tea. He smirked thinking about how long the day would be. He wasn’t making fun of their culture or life, just wondering why tea, over other things were celebrated. He would have to ask Dhara later. Maybe.

She had finished with the explanation and tea, then was up and at it again. Rhett followed after Dhara and recognized the cue that it was time to leave. “Thanks.” He said as she handed him his shoes, his eyes looking at the architecture and the design of the tea house. It was different to anything in Harper Rock. He wondered how they managed to keep it warm inside of the building when everything looked as if it could be demolished with a push or shove of a hand against it.

They were on their way to a new location, and Rhett started piecing where they were at, before he had gotten out of the cab. The tall tell signs of flashing lights wasn’t hard to figure out just where they were. “Wow.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck, once they were inside. The place was loud, and busy. And at least double the size of his own place. “This is...unbelievable.” Rhett commented, before nudging Dhara with a soft elbow. “Come on.” He nodded his head to the dance dance revolution game, “Think you said something about a competition-or dance off?” Rhett, by nature was slightly competitive, even if it was something he wasn’t good at. Such as dancing.

Dhara She grinned at his reaction and laughed softly at what he said. “You’re on.” She said, accepting the challenge. She moved to a counter and exchanged yen for game tokens. “Hope you don’t mind an audience.” She warned as she stepped on the platform, waiting for Rhett to join her. She gave him a brief run down, explaining how the arrows would scroll and the corresponding squares on the platform would light up. She adjusted her cat ears and grinned at him, dropping three tokens in.

She selected player versus player and the competition was on. After a three second countdown, music blared from the speakers and the arrows began to scroll. Timing was everything, and for her part, Dhara never missed a step. The first dance was easy, but they would get progressively harder until one of them completely screwed up. Rhett was better than he admitted, at least it appeared that way. She was laughing and singing along as they danced, sometimes in Korean, sometimes Japanese, but most often in English. And as she had predicted, a crowd had slowly gathered. People were more often interested in watching others play than in playing themselves. Bets were made for one or the other, applause was given each time a song finished. There was noise, and laughter and even some who joined in singing to the music.


Rhett Keyes Dancing games weren’t his forte, but Rhett could have fun with it and roll with it too. Why not? He and Dhara were friends, and really, they knew no one here. There was really nothing to lose, with the exception of losing to her. And he didn’t mind losing to her. He followed after Dhara, his tall figure looming over her and, well the game itself. Which drew some attention. Rhett was average tall in Canada, but here? He was a giant and that got him noticed. “Not at all.” He commented with a laugh about the crowd, not that they would have much choice, he imagined.

The countdown had him focusing on what Dhara told him about the game. Mostly, just watch the arrows and figure out just ‘when’ to stomp on the different arrows. That would be the most difficult part for him, as Rhett couldn’t keep a beat or tune to save his life. After a few misses on timing, Rhett finally had it figured out and began stomping down on the arrows, a little harder than he probably needed to. But, there was a small, yet competitive side to him, having been in sports almost all his life.

Her singing drew him away from the screen for a few seconds, causing Rhett to miss some of the arrows, to which he laughed. It was stunning to see her singing and dancing, all in rhythm. Only a few people in the world could pull that off, and Dhara was one of them. People started singing along with her, which made it slightly harder for Rhett to remember just when to stomp and he could see that Dhara was leading by a decent amount. Again, he didn’t mind and suspected it would be that way. Still, that didn’t mean he would give up. By the time the song and dance was done, he was grinning from ear to ear, draped an arm around Dhara’s shoulder and pulled her in for a side hug. “You’re damn good. We should get one of these back home.”

Dhara She laughed, slinging an arm around his waist and hugging him back. She declined offers to play with others. If she were here alone, she probably wouldn’t have left the platform. But she was showing Rhett ‘her’ city, so she was going to stay by his side. “Thank you. We should get one, but you might have to fire me. This is my favorite video game ever.” She chuckled, both knowing her work ethic wouldn’t allow her to play on the clock, but she might spend a lot of time there off the clock.

They meandered around the arcade, and she pointed out different things. A climbing course where you had to be strapped into a harness and navigate by holding onto ropes and stepping on beams and spinning things. Laser tag and paintball on the second level. The skate park where some kids were defying gravity. And, of course, all the video games one could imagine. It was Rhetts turn to pick something, so she kept walking, making sure they had enough tokens for when he did find something he wanted to try.

Rhett Keyes “Fire one of my best employees?” Rhett scoffed and then shook his head. “Unlikely.” He affirmed, before letting go and chuckling at the prospect of it. He would definitely think about getting something similar if not the same thing. Rhett believed that Dhara wouldn’t be the only one getting use of the thing.

She pointed out a variety of games as they walked side by side (unless physically impossible due to cramped quarters of people watching other people play games). All of them looked appealing-some more than others. Laser tag and paintball would be something done for last, if at all, because it required more time. When did this place close? He was about to ask, when Rhett saw something he had never seen before.

“Hey. What’s this?” He asked Dhara, moving over to the large machine game; known as Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna. Not that Rhett would know what any of that meant, but it still had his interest. “Any idea? Looks like a time machine, or something from another world.” He asked her, walking around the machine from behind that was positioned snugly against the wall.

Dhara She glanced at the game in question and grinned. “It’s a P.O.D. It has 180 degrees of viewing and a fully immersive gaming experience. P.O.D. stands for Panoramic Optical Display. So, you sit inside the chair there, and you’ll play with people all over Japan. There are actually four of them in this arcade.” She pointed to the other three P.O.D.’s, two of which had players in them.

“You get a ‘pilot’ card, chose a faction and play in the original Gundam world.” She continued, wondering if she was surprising him with her knowledge of video games. Admittedly they had never appeared to be her thing, but this was a Japanese creation and therefore she knew quite a bit about it. She took his hand and lead him over to show him a sheet. “This is where you sign up and battles can last quite a bit of time. 10 to 15 minutes per session.” She smiled up at him, releasing his hand and picking up the clipboard “Do you want to get a pilot card and reserve a time slot?” She read over the sheet. “It looks like there is a beginners session in about thirty minutes.”

Rhett Keyes “Huh.” Rhett said as he listened, taking in her explanation. It sounded pretty cool. Anywhere in Japan, anyone could be playing. Not just someone in this arcade, but coast to coast. That scored some serious points with Rhett. “Uhh, ahhh…” Rhett started out, before he rubbed at the back of his neck with his left hand.

“Sure. Why the hell not?” Rhett said grinning from ear to ear, then looked down at the clipboard and signed his name up. “Want to give it a go?” He offered Dhara the clipboard with a wave. “I mean, how often do you get a chance to kick my butt, even if it’s metaphorical or whatever? I bet you’ve got some good tricks up your sleeve.” Another tempting wave of the clipboard was given in Dhara’s direction as Rhett grinned wide enough to bare his teeth. “Whoever wins, chooses the next game.” A bet of sorts, if Dhara was willing to partake.

Dhara “Sure.” She laughed and got the cards they needed, signing them up for the next session. They played the P.O.D. for a few hours, Rhett had destroyed her, and the challenged moved on to other games, with the winner picking the next game to play. The night passed in the arcaded until they stumbled back to the hotel just before dawn. Rhett had gone straight to bed, but she had lingered by the picture window as the sky lightened. Before the sun could kiss her skin, she retreated to her room, sleeping the day away.

That first night set the pace for the rest of their trip. They took in J-pop concerts, tea houses and temples. They had gone shopping for Rhetts friends, and though Rhett couldn’t join her and she couldn’t taste anything anymore, she had eaten every chance she got. Sushi, sashimi, tempura, ramen. Especially when they went to the Ramen museum that she had talked about. Her Japanese improved just by using it consistently and soon she was conversing like a native wherever they went. She hadn’t felt so alive in a long, long time.

Six days passed in a swirl of color, noise, culture and fun, until it was time to pack up and go home. She moped that last day, melancholy settling over her at the thought of leaving. But they both had responsibilities in Canada. Jobs to do and Rhett had people waiting. As she handed in the keys to their room and went to hail a cab, she promised herself she would come back. And this time, she vowed, it wouldn’t be years, but months.