Country roads, take me home

[latersgators]

Who: Steven Grant and open - start your own subthreads and stuff
What: Studio Ghibli movie night
Where: Cabin 135
When: early December
Warnings: none so far

After subjecting Marc and Maeve to Ghibli nights, Steven has widened his circle of suffering to include a few other people. What was going to be 'come over and watch My Neighbour Totoro?' became a proper whole evening at Steven and Marc's cabin. They spent the afternoon tidying up the room, returning a bunch of library books and keeping the rest of his stash in a corner on the other side of the bed. Clean laundry put away, a small load of dirty clothes taken down to the wash. The ankle cuff and bungee cord is stashed away in the cupboard alongside their small emergency hoard of water, snacks and food in case they have to lock themselves in their cabin one day for weeks on end. Bathroom tidied up as well, with extra toilet paper stacked on top of the cistern in anticipation of several guests.

The cabin is still small in spite of their cleanup efforts, and Steven insists on having some snacks available, so for savoury options there's baby carrots and celery sticks with hummus dip, potato skins, kumara fries and cassava chips, and mango sticky rice and pan fried cinnamon bananas for something sweet. It's not exactly going to be the healthiest night in terms of food, but half a dozen people sitting knee to knee in a claustrophobic little cabin crying at children's anime is surely going to make up for that and be healthy for all of them.

The programme for the night is Steven's Studio Ghibli box set, although he only has one DVD player and one television so they need to pick their movies wisely since they'll only be able to watch two or three. They're always welcome to come back next time to watch more. Steven's recommending more Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke, and less Grave of the Fireflies and When Marnie Was There. They don't really want to be crying into their bowl of vegan snacks every 15 minutes...

Comments

[konpeito_aji]

"Yes. This is from home. I mean centuries later, but it was part of my gamble. That the culture could be marketed abroad, even if I had the worst time trying to figure out how and think of luxury ways to market the art. I'm so happy it succeeded. Are you enjoying it?"

He's in heaven as far as he's concerned.

[millay]

Maeve listens quietly, smiling a little at the words. He seems so happy about it. "I've seen them before, but I don't mind it. They are rather whimsical and fun. Steven loves them, however." And that's the part that matters the most to her. That Steven is happy.

[konpeito_aji]

"Yeah? What's your favorite part? The colors have me just..." he mimes his head being taken aback or opened up to a whole new world of wonder. "Mind-blown. As they say." They being people with a more modern slang vocabulary. "The stories are familiar though. Though I'm relieved it's not another retelling of Peach Boy or Wukong."

[millay]

Maeve considers it. “The story-telling aspect. But it’s sad that they are separated. But it does mirror life in that sometimes you have to make great sacrifices and lose people.” She sighs. But the art itself is so curious. I have never seen anything like it before.”

ooc: I love wabi sabi, Nobunaga is a loser

[konpeito_aji]

"It's a very unique style," a small nod. "I'm afraid I don't know much about that though. There's too much art evolution for me to explain it properly, and all the steps involved. In my time I was only just able to further Hon'ami Koetsu and his prodigies. Ah! That's right, you've never seen my folding screen right?" He takes out his crimson fan with the Oda mon on it and unfolds it to show her. "He did this for me. He's not as fond of red and hawks, but he keeps using them for me," a small laugh. "Pottery, teapots, jewelry these are Owari, my hometown's forte. But I'm having to fight tooth and nail against the religious." A small laugh and a headshake. "They are so into zen and black and white, ahhhh and this annoying thing called 'wabi-sabi.' It just took fad in the country." An eyeroll. "It's all about asymmetry, and accepting flaws. The tea bowls are misshapen, purposely ugly."

[millay]

Maeve listens as he speaks, carefully taking in the information. "I haven't seen your folding screen," she agrees, taking a look at the fan as he shows it to her. "It's lovely. Is your folding screen similar to this or does it have it's own artwork?"

She laughs softly at the comment about the wabi-sabi. "Well, perhaps it's not the absolute worst thing I've heard of. They make us perfect, making everything perfect. I don't know if it's worth it. So perfect they're surprised when we do things they don't account for."

[konpeito_aji]

"More brown, and hawks instead of the Oda mon. But Koetsu does calligraphy and haiku. I kept telling him to go bolder with colors. He did some red tea bowls for me finally. Pottery, especially tea artifacts are the most valuable thing we have in Japan. Even more than land. I will show you sometime."

Fair... very fair. "Okay, good point. But purposely making you missing limbs would be creepy too."

[millay]

Maeve nods. "I do like colors. Admittedly, I am usually in black, white, or some shade of maroon or red. But I have considered more different colors perhaps." She doesn't really enjoy the Tommy Bahama vibe, though. Perhaps if she knew how to sew and tailor, she might be able to make her own clothes out of what existed there.

"Yes. But they wouldn't have because they wouldn't want someone to feel bad about killing us, I guess. But who knows?"

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga's said before a good tailor could make a killing here.

"Also creepy," nod nod. "I'll just conquer it. Delos no more."

[millay]

Maeve smiles at him rather like a parent with an overly enthusiastic toddler. “Well…I’m sure I’d like to see you try anyway.”

[konpeito_aji]

That is exactly what he is.

"I will! You'll see!" Results speak for themselves.