[OPEN] bury and rise above

[loudmouths]

WHO: keigo and YOU
WHERE: mostly in the park and woods!
WHEN: daytime of 5/20, let's say
WHAT: keigo is Very Uncomfortable about the memories he's been sitting on, so what better way to deal with them than to bury all those feelings through distraction?
WARNINGS: none to speak of!


OPTION A
[ after much deliberation, keigo decided it was best to leave the confines of his dorm to venture out into the city. things... were weird, though. he felt like he could crawl out of his skin at any moment, like he didn't belong, but the feeling was fleeting. he'd occasionally rub at his arms, camera slung around his neck like some kind of weird badge of honor. today, he was determined to get some Quality Shots in!

so, enter the random college student, taking candid photos of just about anyone he could. most of the time, people gave him no mind; he wasn't in their faces, nor was he making a big deal about it. he was in the Zone, snapping things in a manner that easily illustrated just how passionate he was about his craft. hopefully [INSERT YOUR CHARACTER HERE] doesn't mind getting immortalized in a print! ]

OPTION B
[ it was nice enough out that keigo decided to go against his usual MO of avoiding the Deep Woods whenever possible. the last time he wandered inward, he found some bizarre circumstances... this time around, however, he was determined to get some shots of the wildlife!

that's when he found one of those strange flowers.

it was... blue. a very bright blue, almost like it was luminescent. and when keigo got closer...

* What a pretty flower! ]

Woah!!

[ what the hell was that? did the flower just... talk to him?! it startled keigo so soundly that he jerked backward and... promptly fell on his ass. ]

Augh, Jesus, what the hell?!

[ and as if on cue...

* Augh, Jesus, what the hell?!

was he being mocked by this flower?! please excuse this trainwreck of a person as he resists the urge to start yelling at the plantlife. ]

OPTION C

[ ooc; wildcard option! throw your prompts at me! if you want me to write you something specific, go ahead and either PM me or message me on plurk at heartsigh! ]

Comments

option a.....

[voidedmemory]

[ Unfortunately, one of the people Keigo takes a shot of is

well, it would be generous to say that he had a sensitivity to cameras.

What actually happens, visually, is that he goes from daydreaming on a park bench and apparently not thinking about anything much to whirling around and vaulting over it to confront Keigo face to face. For a guy who's using a cane, he sure can move.]

You--!

[He looks pretty angry and he has a potential improvised weapon. Think fast, Keigo! ]

steeples fingers

[loudmouths]

[ well, he's gotten a few reactions in the past for snapping candid shots (most of which were from renji and never amounted to more than a few headlocks or shoulder punches) but never before had someone done literal gymnastics in order to vault directly at him. and never had they looked so

enraged.

keigo's first instinct? shield the camera with his body, naturally. it was his baby and no one would harm it without beating the life out of him first! ...which might become a reality sooner rather than later. ]

U-uwah!! D-don't--!

[ for his stature, keigo certainly crumpled like a leaf under pressure. ]

Mercy, mercy!!

this is a great start

[voidedmemory]

[ -Oh. It's just someone who was probably taking photos for their own amusement rather than what he'd feared.

To his credit, anger fades almost instantaneously into embarrassment, and he steps back to give Keigo some space and lean on the bench (because now that he's had his sudden moment of athleticism, his leg is complaining.) ]

...I am sorry. I thought you were, euh...someone else? [ It's a weak excuse, but he's not going to go into his history of paparazzi avoidance with a stranger?? ]

i've got high hopes for this

[loudmouths]

[ "amusement" was one theory. really, keigo was just one of those ~artsy~ types, seeing a photo op in even the most mundane of situations. like some guy sitting on a bench! that would have been a great shot, maybe he could have titled it something Deep and Poignant...

though now he was regretting everything.

even though the guy settled down, keigo still felt the rush of adrenaline, the thumping of his heart. he still shielded the camera like it was his child, but at least he wasn't... flinching... ]

U-um... T-that's fine! Uh.

[ slowly, his posture relaxed. slowly. ]

I didn't mean any harm, I'm a student and I just... y'know, needed some shots... for my portfolio...

[voidedmemory]

[ Artsy, amusement, hobbyist, it's really all the same to him - he was never interested in photography, and now he's unlikely to start, but it's fine as long as nobody's hurting anyone else.

He looks apologetic, at least. And now that he's not looking actively angry, he looks fairly...well, not relaxed. But more like the type that would seemingly at least hesitate to hurt much of anything - he hasn't got a lot of presence. ]

Well, that is all right. My apologies for my response - it was...unwarranted.

You are not injured, are you? [ He peers at Keigo with worry. ]

[loudmouths]

[ keigo tries his best not to be one of Those Types of Art Students, but sometimes... sometimes stuff like this happens where he gets too excited, too caught up in the moment and the way things just grab his attention and imagination; the subtle light changes, the way shadows creep, the splash of color against color.

it tends to end badly when he's not paying attention, as in most situations he finds himself in, art related or not. but now, at least... well, at least no one's gotten hurt.

he finally straightens up--not to his full height, a definite slouch in his posture--and relaxes enough to smile. a wary one, still twinged with caution, but a smile nonetheless. ]

Don't apologize... sometimes I get caught up when I see a good shot and I don't... really think to ask for ah... [ words. ] ...permission. To do it. Um, but I'm fine! I was just startled, so!

[voidedmemory]

[ Nikolai smiles back at least a little, or tries to. There's the impression that nothing much really makes him smile, so it's...an effort. But he made it, regardless?? ]

Still! I must have given you a shock, and that is my fault. I must accept responsibility for the consequences of my actions, at least. [ Very serious, Nikolai. But then again, he's always like that, so. ]

Though I have forgotten my manners too! My name is Nikolai. [ He leaves out the last name, between that and the photo flash he's not ready to divulge it. ] It is nice to meet you, even if the circumstances are not so ideal.

[loudmouths]

[ the effort is appreciated; keigo could relate to forcing oneself to smile when there was absolutely no reason to. but, that's something best left for another day.

the sudden seriousness does pose a problem, though. everything the guy said sounded so... heavy. ]

T-that's not necessary! [ why did this make keigo think of the dramas that--

...anyway. ]

D-don't worry about it, Mr. Nikolai. Um, my name's Keigo. It's a pleasure! Sorry again for the uh, candid shot. [ he motions to his camera, still clutched in one hand. ]

[voidedmemory]

[ NIKOLAI IS JUST LIKE THAT, SORRY KEIGO. ]

It...it was no trouble. Really. [ He seems to be caught somewhere between embarrassed and intensely apologetic. ]

It looks like you are very enthusiastic about your photography, though. Is this a, a...passion project for you? [ He had to take a minute to remember the word, and he's spent enough time here to not stutter about trying to grab the correct term. He just does it all in his head instead. ]

a

[skald]

[So sure, it's been a little while since she got one of those stalker photos from Retrospec, but repeatedly getting pictures of the back of her head isn't something that Tuuri is likely to forget about after a week or so. Sure, maybe she stopped being constantly on guard for cameras when everyone was tiny, since there were more important things to do, but it's always been in the back of her mind. If she's going to be honest, she liked to entertain daydreams of single-handedly catching The Retrospec Stalker and being universally hailed as a hero. It could happen!

So when she happens to look over her shoulder and spots a guy with a camera, there's a little bit of excitement underlying her indignant] Hey! You!

[No time to think, she's got an entire city to save; she jumps to her feet.]

What are you doing!

[loudmouths]

[ when saying that most people didn't mind keigo snapping photos, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they didn't mind because most people didn't notice. keigo never made it a point to follow anyone, so for all they knew, he was taking pictures of the scenery. which he was. it just so happened that people were part of the scenery, too!

but, then again, not everyone would turn a blind eye to being reduced to pixels on a piece of photo paper, once they realized it.

so, keigo was Ready. sort of. he didn't expect the sudden indignation, but then again, maybe it was warranted. did he... get her in a photo? he honestly couldn't remember. with a frown, keigo scratched his neck and let his camera hang from around his neck. ]

Eh? I'm takin' pictures, what's it look like?

[ probably sounded a little on the rude side, but he... had no idea how to respond to someone so Suddenly Determined. what was she so excited about, anyway...? oh, maybe she... ]

You wanna be in one?

[ oh... if only he knew... ]

[skald]

[So far, calling out the Retrospec Stalker isn't going as well as Tuuri planned. She wasn't expecting him to be so... blasé about it all, and her accusatory finger droops a little bit in confusion.]

O-oh, no thank you. [the polite response comes out automatically, before she remembers that she's supposed to be identifying a stalker.] I mean, no! But I appreciate you asking first, I guess...

[why isn't this going like she pictured it... get back to the point, Tuuri]

Hey, you haven't been going around and doing this all day, have you?

[loudmouths]

[ all keigo could do was smile. similarly, he thought he'd be ready to handle any indignant or disgruntled subjects, but in reality, it wasn't that simple. especially now that this girl seemed to not ... be as confident anymore. or something. ]

Well, not all day. I gotta eat and stuff, y'know.

[ with a stretch of his arms and a slight grunt, he continued. ]

But I mean... ngah... Maybe most of the afternoon? Why?

[skald]

[Okay, this is going a little more as planned... that's basically a confession, right? If he's spending most of the afternoon taking pictures... well, who else would do something like that? (Besides literally any photographer in the city...)

She puffs herself up, firmly back on the side of righteous indignation and sarcasm.] And I suppose you didn't ask everyone if they wanted their picture taken, did you?

[then, after a moment, an uncertain] Did you?

[loudmouths]

[ the oblivious nature keigo possesses sometimes borders on embarrassing. he had no idea that this girl was scoping him out for more nefarious reasons. probably for the better. ]

Uh... well, no.

[ keigo blinked, a creeping suspicion rising. would he Get it? ]

It's not like I'm a paparazzi or whatever, getting all up in people's faces...

[ not yet. ]

It's a public park, so if you're takin' pictures of the scenery, people are part of the scenery, aren't they?

[skald]

Aha! [yes, she actually says 'aha.' Good thing he just confirmed he was definitely a creepy stalker, since she was starting to feel like maybe she jumped the gun here...

Sure, he follows it up with some comment about the scenery, but that's (probably) just a cheap defense here! She whips out her phone and starts tabbing through it with a determined look on her face.]

Oh yeah? And I guess this is just part of the scenery too, huh! [and she holds out her phone to show off one of the pictures she received from retrospec, of the back of her head in what looks like a private hallway] Huh!

[loudmouths]

[ well, it took him long enough, but it finally dawned on keigo that he had gotten roped into something... like a case of mistaken identity, it seemed. he was properly startled by her sudden exclamation, but when she shoved the phone in his face...

...

he looked properly confused. ]

Whoever took this really sucks.

[ and then, after a beat, properly offended. ]

Like, what's this centering? The framing is just terrible! And the lighting? If you're gonna be takin' pictures indoors, you gotta make sure the lighting isn't too yellow!

[ and finally: ]

So, lemme get this straight: you think that because I have a camera that I took this shitty crap?

a

[vitis]

[ and john is... leisurely strolling about the park, admiring the landscape no matter how many hundreds of times he's seen it. he's also idly munching on a raw potato. when he hears the click of a shutter, his attention is drawn from the scenery and to keigo. there's a beat, in which he finishes chewing and contemplates this. (it a little strange —not that a someone's out taking picture—but more that he would happen to be the subject and not the much superior plants!!)

regardless, ]

Oh, hey there.

[ john lifts a cloth bag he'd been holding— on its side reads union grocery. it's a hopeful gesture. and there might be a joking tone here, somewhere, if one squints and ignores the likelihood of him being completely serious: ]

Gonna advertise us?

[loudmouths]

[ when keigo's lens had caught john's image, he hadn't really thought much about it. it was just the way he was eating that... was it a potato?? well, that combined with the lighting and the way he managed to catch him... it was perfect!

the problem was that when keigo was taking pictures, he entered a sort of state of mind that absolved him of looking at people as anything other than a part of the scenery. so when john spoke... ]

Huh?

[ keigo looked a little surprised. it wasn't like he thought he wasn't being seen, no. it was more that... no one paid him any mind, really, so... ]

Woah, really? Do you need help with that?

[ ...listen he's a college student if someone's gonna offer him a job... ]

[vitis]

[ ... aw, man. now he felt like a bit of a jerk; he didn't expect such a seemingly hopeful response. does he tell keigo he meant for free with that picture he just snapped, what with its discreet product placement of his bag— naw. the bag gets lowered again. ]

Not really my place to hire you, honestly! I just work there.

[ there's a rolling shrug of his shoulders. ]

But, hey. It's a place that does deserve more customers. If you want a one-time gig or somethin', I'd put in a word for you— dependin' how good you are?

[loudmouths]

[ that's the life keigo leads: getting excited over business prospects with total strangers... don't judge him. ]

...oh.

[ check that mad deflation, bro. keigo even lowered his camera and heaved out a big ol' sigh. the consolation prize, as it were, wasn't exactly as comforting as the idea of getting hired on immediately, but at least it was something. ]

W-well, that'd be helpful, yeah! I could always use a little more cash, y'know?

[vitis]

[ he might be judging... just a little bit?! but not in a bad way! it's definitely something to be recognized as a consolation prize, yes. ]

[ and the deflation is palpable. so palpable, in fact, john has to struggle against his smile from becoming inappropriately pronounced. to aid in this, he'll take a smaller bite of his potato, chewing as keigo completes his train of thought. ]

Reckon most people know that feeling, yup.

[ he plants a hand to his hip, an eyebrow cocking. ]

You wanna show me a few of your pics, then?

[loudmouths]

[ this was how bad things started... like scams. was this a scam??? was keigo even thinking that way???

no.

actually, he was just pretty damn excited that the guy seriously wanted to look at his photos. no exposure is bad exposure, or something. in fact, his entire face lit right up, snapping back around to how elated he appeared just moments before. for some reason, he just expected to be brushed off and given a card that had a disconnected phone number on it.

this was a step up. ]

Yeah! Here--

[ keigo quickly fiddled with the camera and opened the recent photos he'd taken. stepping up to the guy, he handed the camera over, but had his hand coiled around the strap as it hung between them. he wasn't as stupid as he appeared to be, seemed like. ]

Just scroll with this button here...

[ either way, when john scrolls through them, he would see that the photos were all of various places in the park, mostly of the scenery with some shots of people here or there. nice stuff, clearly showed effort, etc, etc... ]

What do you think?

[vitis]

[ the sudden enthusiasm is a welcome change... pulling his bag back over his shoulder, john's pretty careful with what leverage he has— it looks like a nice camera, and seeing as the other man just admitted to being a bit short on cash, he presumes it was quite the investment.

as he scrolls through, a grin slowly lights his face. with sincerity: ]

Hey, I'm no expert—[ another necessary disclaimer, probably ]—but these look pretty good.

[ he hums, pausing on a particular few photographs to get a better look. ]

—Is the park your favorite place to shoot at, you think? [ he sort of wants to ask what his favorite subject is, more like— but that might be more evident by the scenery and the people going about, undisturbed, on their ways. ]

[loudmouths]

[ most people were more tolerable when they were jovial, weren't they? keigo wasn't any different; he wore a nice grin throughout, as if he was about to burst from excitement.

actually, there was a downside to wearing his heart on his sleeve: getting genuine compliments was something of an overwhelming ordeal. when john made that remark, keigo looked a bit surprised for a brief second before the grin was back with a vengeance. ]

T-thank you so much! Um! Y-yes, the park is pretty good for these types of photos, but I enjoy going downtown, too!

[ he fiddled with the camera strap, almost overflowing with nervous energy. ]

It's nice to be able to just focus on what you want to without having to direct anyone, like you do with more deliberate shoots...