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Post by Petre Lupei on Jul 24, 2015 21:32:29 GMT
Devoid of all extra luggage now, having made a stop by his bedroom to drop them off, Petre started to explore the second floor of the mansion. After all, if he was going to spend his time living here, he should know what the general layout was. Most of the hallway he walked down was simply more bedrooms, and while he was curious to know how the other students' compared to his own, he couldn't exactly go in to any of them. It was strange how quiet and deserted this place felt. True, most of the others were either downstairs still, or in rooms of their doing their own exploring, but shouldn't there have been other people? The staff, for instance. Surely this trip couldn't run with just the two adults and a hologram thing.
A door to one side caught his attention, and seeing as it wasn't locked, he opened it and walked inside. It was a large bathroom. More specifically, one for primarily bathing, as evidenced by the large tub featured prominently. He left the door open behind him, not planning to use this facility, and moved further in. Another strange thing, at least in his own opinion. Why would they have a large communal bath like this? It seemed unnecessary. "Why would this be here?" He said out loud, a habit he had when faced with confusing facts. Sometimes it helped to repeat them to himself. "Normally a mansion wouldn't have a public bath. Not with private bathrooms attached to each bedroom." At least, he assumed there was one attached to each.
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Post by Zulfikar on Jul 25, 2015 5:39:59 GMT
(Anything in italics are thoughts)
Zulfikar hadn't seen a bathhouse like this before. He had heard about their importance in Japanese culture, but he had never imagined the impressive influence it would carry in real life. This room was perhaps the most pleasant in the entire house. Even though he was a foreigner, Zulfikar felt perfectly at ease standing there. He was almost certain he would be rexaling here in the future. On the other hand, the humidity was making his note pad wet.
Zulfikar had heard this person introduce himself while he was stumbling into the catering hall. Most of it was muffled, but Zulfikar heard Petre say his name and talent, at least. Zulfikar can always fill it the blanks later, but he was more focused on getting to Petre for now. "Hey guys, what's going on... Hey, Petre, who are you talking to?" It didn't take long for Zulfikar to realize Petre was the only person in the room. "Oh. The air. That's nice." " This guy has gone completely nuts," he thought. " I can't just leave, though. I already started talking to him." Multiple worst-case scenarios ran thruogh Zulfikar's head, a significant number of them from horror movies. "If I answer Petre's question maybe I can just diffuse the whole situation.""I studied Japanese bathhouses extensively for when I got here. So, the communal bath is essentially a traditional Japanese bonding. By openly bearing yourself to the people in the bathhouse, you are showing that you are also opening yourself emotionally and show that you have nothing to hide. There's nothing remotely sexual about it. Still, they aren't normally co-ed." Still on edge, Zulfikar was beginning to worry about what he said. "God, I must sound like a huge perv." |
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Post by Petre Lupei on Jul 25, 2015 21:15:09 GMT
Petre blinked and turned slowly as someone entered the bathroom with him, breaking him out of his thoughts. It took him a brief moment to connect face with name, and then he smiled at the boy's attempt at humor. "No, not speaking to anyone," he clarified. "Stating facts out loud sometimes helps me organize them and work out my confusion." He looked around the room as he explained exactly what it was and what it was usually used for. "Ah. That is..." He trailed off, not sure how to end that sentence. Interesting, but unhygenic. Not something he would be participating in anytime soon.
Finally, he looked back at Zulfikar. "Thank you for that explanation. It seems my own knowledge on Japanese culture is still severely lacking." He smiled again. "It was Zulfikar, right? It's a pleasure to meet you. I watched some of your comedy routines when I saw that you would be part of this trip, and I found them quite entertaining."
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Post by Zulfikar on Jul 25, 2015 22:56:28 GMT
Zulfikar let out a sigh of relief as he heard that. Speaking to yourself was still weird to him, but at least Petre had a good explanation. He's almost like a detective from an old movie in the way he talks to himself. Zulfikar was sure he would get used to it eventually.
Zulfikar waited for a response, but it was clear that he wouldn't be getting one. He found it odd that Petre didn't know much about the place he would be living the next few years, but he decided to drop it and move on. It makes sense that the ultimate forensic scientist would be a busy man, so it wasn't that farfetched.
Now that was the real shock. "Petre struck me as more of an intellectual than that, but I'm glad that I'm not completely unknown." "I should do a tour in Romania someday. Bring the show to you, ya know? It looks like a nice place." Zulfikar didn't actually know anything about Romania, but he could sympathize with someone from a relatively obscure country. Zulfikar had been on the other end of this conversation countless times. It certainly bruises the ego when your country feels insignificant. Hopefully he could ask Petre more about it later. Before that he would need to know if him and Petre could really mix together well.
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Post by Petre Lupei on Jul 26, 2015 14:02:47 GMT
Petre's eyes brightened at the mention of Zulfikar doing a tour in Romania someday. "Oh, yes, that would be fun. I know my parents would enjoy it too. Maybe my father can pick some tips up from you? He's always been a little too..." He struggled to find the right word, still having trouble with words not often used. "...corny, for my mother's and my tastes." He chuckled quietly then, as much as most people could ever get out of him. His thoughts drifted back to home for a moment, as he continued. "Bucharest is a nice place, though I wouldn't say many cities in Romania could achieve that honor. You would have to choose wisely when picking cities to tour." It was an unfortunate fact. One that he hoped to lessen in the future with the work he did in helping solve crime cases.
He shifted so his back was to the mirror, leaning slightly now against the bathroom counter. It was weird to think he was having a conversation in a place like this. "What about you? You are from Indonesia, correct? What is it like where you live?" He knew a little about the country, but he had always been better at sciences than anything like history.
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Post by Zulfikar on Jul 26, 2015 18:53:35 GMT
Zulfikar cracked a slight smile when he heard that. He was so used to the more complex humor practiced at comedy clubs that he was starting to grow a soft spot for dad jokes. He wished his father was more interested in humor, but it was useless to think about him here. Zulfikar was more interested in how to visit Romania. If Petre was anything to go by, they would appreciate a good show there.
Zulfikar had to pause to answer this question. Despite living there all his life, Indonesia was far too difficult to accurately describe. "Indonesia is an archipelago made of many islands. Each island is unique in it's own way, and there are only three constants." Zulfikar pause a second to add a sense of dramaticism to the situation. "Good food, heavy traffic, and corrupt policemen. Just keep some extra money with you and you'll be fine. Also, stay out of Aceh." There was no good way to describe Indonesia. The country motto, "Unity in diversity," would tell anyone that it was far more complex compared to most countries. While his description of the place wasn't the most pleasent, Zulfikar thouroughly enjoyed living in Indonesia, and talking about it was beginning to make him homesick. There was something beautiful about the culture of Indonesia that just can't be articulated through words.
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Post by Petre Lupei on Jul 27, 2015 19:08:51 GMT
As Zulfikar cracked a smile at his comment about his father, Petre's thoughts drifted to his parents. He had always been close to them, having been a (relatively spoiled) only child. And now that he was here, so many countries away from them and the rest he had left behind, he was beginning to feel the slight stirrings of homesickness. But, he had promised himself he would get through this. He needed to expand his personal borders if he ever wanted to achieve his future goals.
Returning to the conversation, Petre listened as the other student described Indonesia, in brief terms. He smiled. It did sound like a nice place, and now he was wondering what it would be like to visit there. With those he was close to with him, of course. He thought about Zulfikar too. The teen seemed friendly, at least from this short interaction. He hoped he would get to know him more during the week, and the others too. "It was really nice talking to you, Zulfikar," he said. "I hope we continue to get along during our stay here." With a friendly nod and only a slightly awkward wave, Petre said goodbye and left the bathroom.
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