Taipei Rendezvous (PicaPirate x Jen) [Inactive]

It was mid-day--the sun was beaming down but it wasn't hot on this wonderful October day. She arbitrarily sipped on her coffee as she glossed over her English notes--although it was not her first language, she was told that she was a natural at the language. Unknown to anyone else though, it was her ticket to get out of this life and go somewhere else. A part of her would always love Taibei--the night markets, the hills, the jungle (stupid jungle), the metro, SOGO--she could go on and on for days and days about everything she loved about Taibei, but unfortunately what she didn't love about Taibei was how traditional her parents still were. This was 2014! She should be allowed to do as she wants, whenever she wants--but that just wasn't what her father had in mind for her.


To him, she was always destined to be married to Xueyong--his best friend's oldest son. He loved his daughter, but in order to maintain healthy business practices with their expansion into Western markets, her father planned on marrying Xuemei off to his partner's son.


This is what Xuemei hated more than anything--and the only way to escape this pre-determined fate, was by getting better at her English and leaving the home she loved more than anything.


She noticed the boy between her cigarettes--she noticed him right away because his read hair and pale skin not only contrasted with her own, but practically screamed "give me attention" in Taiwan. She smiled as he walked around the library entrance--she was about to finish her cigarette when she thought he noticed her. She immediately threw down her cigarette and hurriedly picked up her English textbook--did he notice her?
 
(Ooc: oh my quite the type up, well done)


David walked over "ummm I'm not gonna shoot you for smoking, see?" He waved his cigarette that was in his hand.


"Bloody hell I wasn't expecting the city to be this big though." He took a drag of the cigarette.


Aaaaaahhhh. What to do...what to do. I know.


"So what do you study?"


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Xuemei instantly broke into a sweat--her English was good, but she had only ever studied American English--this think British English accent completely caught her off guard. She smiled and nodded and said "Yes". She watched intently to see what he might ask again when suddenly she realized that he hadn't asked 'do you study', but he had asked "what do you study".


She immediately said, "Why?!"--she screamed it out loud and let out a sigh when she said in her most perfect English she could muster "I study English--it's my major". She smiled and smiled and smiled and--she stopped smiling and dove into her purse to pull out a cigarette, pulling two out and extending one to him. She thought about what to say, and decided asking him why he was in Taibei would be appropriate so she said.


"Why stay Taibei?"


She instantly hated herself because she said it wrong, so she restated what she said and replied


"Why do you come to stay in Taibei?"


Her ego was in pieces now--all her praise for her great English disappeared and went down the drain.
 
David chuckled and kept calm. He wasn't sure if she was like this to everyone, or just scattered in general.


He took the offered cigarette and nodded a thank you, then lit it and smoked.


"Well when one lives in a rural area, you need to move to study physics at college. I was told by many that this was a good place to go, so I went here. I like to enjoy life and I thought it would be fun to come to Taipei. Truth be told though I don't quite understand city life."


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Xuemei processed what he had said--she needed to try extra hard to understand his English. When she finally had processed everything she replied, "rural area?? You picked a giant city to come to then. Do you know what to do around here?" She beamed her question at him--waiting intently for his reply.


She was actually amazed that he had come from a rural area to Taibei--the city was absolutely enormous compared to most cities in the world, and unless you were born there, you could never truly know all the wonderful things it had to offer. As she was waiting for his replay, she became acutely aware that she didn't know his name, nor had she introduced herself--she rarely talked to other people, but being here with a foreigner was even more alarming--she had to introduce herself.


"I'm so sorry, I didn't introduce myself yet. Hi, I'm Xuemei!" She looked at him and the way he smoke his cigarette--she wondered if he understood what it meant for a Taiwanese to share a cigarette with a new person. She would have to tell him later what it meant. She would have to show him all that made Taibei wonderful.
 
"*chuckle* I'm David. Well I did in my childhood occasionally visit big cities but it certainly is quite the jump from comfort zones.


However I'm curious to see what hides in this concrete jungle. Its not so different from a forest, where you are overwhelmed by the height (though buildings instead of trees) that one forgets to look down and see what wonders are hidden on the floor. If someone such as yourself could guide me, I'd be much delighted."


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Xuemei processed his words--she didn't understand what he meant by concrete jungle? but she assumed it had something to do with a city. She processed his request--it was very forward, even with her classes on Western culture it still seemed very forward. She mused it in her mind though, played with the idea of showing him around at his request--she wanted him to see the beauty of the city--but then began to sink as she realized that a westerner like him probably has all the girls in Xinmending trying to talk to him already--why should she have to be the one who gets his attention? She processed it some more and then finally replied


"I can show you some of the city, but tomorrow yeah? We can meet at the Taibei Technology and Main Power Station metro stop and meet by the McDonalds".


She suddenly didn't feel like going--did he think she was easy? She couldn't stop the words from coming from her mouth but she said them nonetheless--at the very lest she could practice her English with David, and maybe if he showed that he wasn't a western playboy he could be much more to her.
 
"Much appreciated. Everyone seems to avoid me as if I were some delinquent due to my hair colour. Also, just to point out, the expressions you make when processing what I say are rather amusing" he chuckled with that and sauntered off, waving a goodbye behind him.


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David was outside McDonalds waiting bored. He had a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, playing a mobile version of the strategy game Diplomacy. He wondered how to talk to Xuemei. Her puzzled looks were funny to watch, but he couldn't tell if they were from trying to figure out his English or if he was being weird. He has had a past relationship, but ended when he moved. But otherwise he just didn't know how to talk to females. The best he tries is by being open about his thoughts and courteous. But was it enough?


David finished sipping his coffee and put it in the bin, then lit a cigarette. This over-worrying was getting to him and he needed to calm down. Debating the moves of other players on his phone and coming up with strategy was helping to distract his thoughts.
 
Xuemei was late and she knew it--how could she have let the time slip by so fast? She was walking hurriedly towards the Mcdonalds--she paused for a second at the traffic light and thought how funny it must be that she told a westerner to meet her at a mcdonalds--did he think she might have stereotyped him? She pushed the thought out of her head and crossed the street.


Sure enough he was there, that brilliant red hair and cigarette in hand. She smiled to herself. "David" she muttered to herself, musing the sounds of his name around. Wasn't her afraid of living in a city where so few people spoke English? It mattered not--she felt an attraction towards him and she didn't really understand why--it's not that he even spoke much, or that he even expressed an interest--but there was something about him that made her want to spend some time with him. She finally walked up next to him--he was staring down at his phone playing some kind of game. Xuemei stood there for a few seconds when she finally said, "I'm late--but this is a Chinese thing to do." She smiled and tried to let her pretty features ease out the tension of her being late.


"Do you remember my name? It's Xuemei incase you forgot" she smiled again and looked down at him. Before he could answer she spoke again, "For today, I want to show you somewhere I used to go when I was in highschool, yes?"


This whole speaking English was getting better, and she hoped she had said everything clear enough to be understood.
 
David locked his phone and put it in his pocket. Its luckily a game you can take up to 24 hours with turns in, so there was no rush.


"Yes I remembered, I couldn't forget the name of one of the only people who talk to me that isn't my family. *chuckle*"


pause


"Most of my friends have fallen out of contact since I moved, so ive been really trying to find my way around alone while here. Its fun, but difficult. Oh and as you did to me."


David handed a cigarette to Xuemei. All his cigarettes are ones he prerolled when at home with Buccaneer tobacco, cotton filter and rizla.


"I pay back my favours." He smiled.


"But yes, lets see this place you mention."
 
Xuemei looked down at the strange looking cigarette--was this a Western norm? She cautiously accepted it with a "Thanks" and took out her lighter to smoke it. She tried to be very coherent when she replied with "Why did they stop talking to you?" She motioned for him to follow her up the street as she was waiting for his answer. She was still amazed with herself that she could understand most of what he was saying, despite his accent being completely different from the English was taught at school.


She led him to a family market and waited for him to answer her question before they proceeded onwards to where she wanted to go. It was getting late, and the sun was beginning to go down so the city lights and the neon signs were beginning to emerge all through the night.
 
David stuck his tongue out "Don't give it such a weird look, I rolled it myself. I prefer self-rolled over tailored cigarettes generally. The tobacco is a whiskey flavour that is also a favourite of my fathers."


As they walked David took in the lighting.


"It's like a firework show on permanent display..." he snapped back to reality "It just simply happened. The extreme distance and not being that close friends meant we didnt talk often. Plus they dont have very good internet out there in rural areas."
 
Xuemei didn't understand how cigarettes could be whisky flavored, but she smoked it nonetheless--it was very different from what she previously experienced with cigarettes. She noticed David absorbing the Taibei night life--she smiled and became happier herself. She nodded and listened closely to his reasons for why he stopped talking with his friends, and analyzed his words carefully. On one hand she felt bad for him--she understood how it felt to lose friends slowly because of distance and time, on the other hand she was glad that he was starting over--starting new. She felt that by doing so he was going to be able to more enjoy all that Taiwan offers, and also be able to appreciate events like this more often. She finally broke the silence by saying


"So, we have to go up". She smiled and pointed upwards in a dainty and cute mannor--her light pink semi-see through shirt bounced along with her mannerisms.


"I used to study up there when I was in highschool--the view is wonderful." She was still looking up towards the top of this apartment. "It's uh, its on the 11th floor".


She looked at him and waited to see if he'd agree.
 
"As they say, the sky is the limit. Let's go."


David was curious to see what this city had on offer.


Sure he left his friends, but they were never that close. Here, In Taiwan, he can start a new life.
 
Xuemei smiled and had David follow her as she entered her old apartment complex. The security guard at the desk immediately said something in Chinese, but Xuemei replied in a Chinese that sounded slightly angry and accusatory to the security guard and he then put out his cigarette and walked outside. She looked at David's quizzical face and said "He was just angry because I never gave his son my phone number"--she smiled and rolled her eyes as she threw up her arms and called the elevator. When it came to the lobby, she motioned for David to enter first.
 
"....charming. Can't have been a nice guy I guess." David walked with her to the elevator. These are one of those thing he barely used until he reached Taiwan.


"Is it men first in this country?" David joked and accepted the offer, going into the elevator.
 
Xuemei smiled gently as she said "It's not men first, but guest first". She followed David into the elevator and pressed the 9th floor button. As the doors to the elevator closed Xuemei begin to speak to David saying " I used to live on the 9th floor for a long time--it was here I went to highschool" --the elevator had reached the 3rd floor now-- "and sometimes because of stress I would feel like running, so I would go to the 11th floor to look at the sky and remember better times" --the elevator was about to reach the 9th floor -- "ah, well at the 9thfloor we get off and have to walk 2 more stairs before we reach the roof, okay?" she looked at David and smiled--turning quickly to the ground and started judging herself about if her sentences were good sentences.


The doors to the elevator opened and she walked out, waiting for David. She looked at him, smiled and motioned 'up'.
 
"I see." He smiled.


She made her points clear in good English. Frankly, bog out of xenophobia or anything, he was surprised her English was so good. In contrast, he didn't know anything of the local language. It was so different. His course is taught in English so it wasn't necessary.


"All right then, lead the way."


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She smiled as he came forward--she motioned for him to follow and said in a low voice that bordered on caution, "Stay close"--she looked him in the eyes and smiled as she held out her hand for him to take as they walked up the remaining two flights of stairs to the rooftop--in which she opened the door slowly and led him outside to see a breath-taking view of hundreds and hundreds of neon signs and city lights the only the rooftop could show. She walked out to the airy rooftop and did a small circle with her hands in the air--this place had been her personal refuge for years and now she was sharing it with someone else--she had never showed it to anyone else. She looked at his face--watched his facial expression take it all in and let the city lights do the speaking for her.
 
"Oh. My. Fucking. God.


It's...beautiful."


David was simply awestruck And stood there while seeing it all. He took his hands out of his pockets.


"I feel..special being here. Its out of place, a hidden treasure."


He moved forward and bent his knees slightly, looking all over. It was a light show, it was....amazing.


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"Is there....is there more places like this? I could get addicted to these kind of things. Seeing the world living and breathing around you. Its a magical sight."


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Xuemei listened to his talk about seeing more of this kind of view--she smiled because this was part of the magic of Taibei--this one spot in particular, however, was her special place. She smiled and walked next to him saying, "David, of course there are places like this all across Taiwan--"she spoke clearly--"but this one is my place." She looked at him and smiled, letting him take in the view as she her eyes stared at his face. He may have been a bit forward, and smoked strange cigarettes--but being up here with him at her favorite spot was something so special. She laughed to herself, then spoke a small amount of Chinese in which she then looked at him and said, "Maybe someday I'll tell you what it means". She let her emotions express themselves through her eyes, face, and body language--tonight had been a wonderful night.
 
"I can imagine. This view does appear unrivalled, and you are guaranteed your privacy here. It is truly a special place."


She spoke some Chinese which sounded still garbled to him. When she said the English, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity, for it made it seem that what she said was special. That however can wait, as she said when he learns what it means. He really should get to know Chinese, living here and being with her.


This certainly was a lucky day for him. Being brought to someone's special place, getting close to someone. He must have been a good man in his previous incarnations.


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"So tell me about you a little, where are you from? Your family? Why Taiwan?" Xuemei wanted to know about David, and why he had come from wherever he did to here, Taibei--the biggest city in Taiwan and a place extremely far away from the rest of the world.


As she asked him, she stood next to him against the railing of the roof, peering down over at the people walking by and occasionally stopping to talk. She said, "I used to dream about a different future here--somewhere I could go far away from Taibei--but being here again, I can't want to leave, it's so meaningful, and I love it--" she sweat a little, she knew she had made some mistakes in her English at that last sentence, but she was hoping he would have gotten the full meaning.
 
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