Benches

...

It was a nice and warm morning and it seems that everyone was out and about doing their own thing, children were laughing as they played outside and their parents would walk in a calm manner. Reino was the only guy who was alone without said child, his attire was well known as fashionably desirable by some people who could not afford the clothes. This man was sitting at the bench with his legs crossed and his eyes covered by sunglasses as he looked at a new script for a show. Reino simply glanced and flipped through the pages for he was playing the main star again. Not that he could complain, it was just getting his game face on and act like the main star of the film.

It was a glorious day, birds twittered among themselves as they watched over the many humans playing below. One said human walked peacefully by herself, a smile on her lips as she flipped a piece of her dark pink hair back into the braid she had it in. A soft laugh came from her as she watched children chase each other around in their games of tag and hide and seek. A sudden and familiar feeling came to her. Inspiration. In a flash she sat on a bench not too far away, and dug into her book bag to grab her sketchbook and pencil.

As soon as she found a blank page she began scribbling, slowly bringing the forms of two people into clearer view with the lead of her pencil. Once she ran out she clicked the eraser to get more and began once again. She had no idea she had suddenly joined another - let alone a man - on this bench. All she saw was her vision, of two children together forever in time as they chased each other in laughter.

As he reads over the pages did he notice a woman sit down on the same bench as he and he could not help but glance over at her. Reino seemed to look where she was looking and caught sight of both things for she was drawing and watching children. Silence was the only known respect he could give her as he looked back over his pages again. It seemed that the Studio wanted him to play a Mafia leader who was also a murder. Reino has never played a role that serious before but at the same time he was excited. This was going to be a action pack film with romance, and kidnapping. Reino had to study up on how he was going to behave on set and as he thought he could not help but chuckle. What a new side of himself! Never had he played such a dangerous man before and he wondered if he could pull it off.

Esme's ears caught a soft chuckle, and she turned to look at her side. There was someone already here! Her face flushed softly and she put her sketchbook on her lap.
"Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't notice someone else was here! I just got the idea and when I do I jut have to draw."
She paused, glancing at what the stranger was reading. A script? Was he an actor? She began putting her thing away, the idea gone since she had been so embarrassed.
"I'm so sorry sir I'll leave you to what you were doing before."

Reino jumped to her finally noticing him which made his sunglasses fall from his eyes in that flustered manner of surprise. "Whoa now! It is okay!", after speaking did he blink noticing light and he looked down to his sunglasses which landed in his lap and he lightly laughed in a nervous manner before pushing them back over his eyes. "I do not mind if you stay. This is after all a free world?", he said this before returning his eyes on the script and he could not help but tap his chin with his right finger. "It is good to have a idea. Do not mind me and draw. I am merely looking over somethings?", Reino seemed to be putting one and two together in his character and he could not help but weigh out the balance in his head.

The stranger jumped as she took notice of him, his sunglasses falling from their place on his face and into his lap. He laughed and pushed them back over his eyes and kept looking over the script. Somehow she felt like she had seen him before, but for now she went back to drawing. The picture coming full circle slowly.

Every couple minutes she'd glance over to the man beside her, wondering what he was reading. He was tall, with black hair and she had only seen his eyes long enough to gather they were a blue color. He was quite good looking, and he seemed dedicated to his craft. With a smile she glanced at her near finished work, thinking back to when she was like this as a child. She sighed contently and put her pencil down, looking over her work. For a sketch it was perfect, now when she got home it would meet her friend charcoal.

Esme set the sketchbook to her side and glanced at the stranger again.
"What's your role?"
She asked as she looked at the script again, she wasn't trying to be nosy she was just very curious. She still couldn't place where she had seen him before but she knew he had, somewhere.

A comfortable silence fell over him and her as they did their own thing and as he read and as he got ideas did he blink and wonder if that would be good. The director had to look it over or rather he had to tell him his ideas, he some what doubted that the man would listen to him. Then again, everyone at the studio listened to him from time to time. Reino blinked when she asked a question and looked to her kindly with a gentlemanly smile over his features. "Role? I am the head star in a movie.", he said this while looking over the script that he laid down evenly in his lap. "A mafia leader known as Nori Azuchi, he kidnaps a woman and expects his money to be paid back. With every day that his money is not returned he kills a person. This movie slowly moves to romance later for the woman he kidnaps falls in love with him and his odd kindness.", calmly he said this with his eyes closed for he was trying to picture everything within his head. The sounds, the cries, the action, everything of the script went throughout his body and he felt like that character for a time.

Esme listened to him carefully, taking in all that he had to say. This man gave her a gentlemanly smile and spoke to her so politely, she couldn't peg him for such a role. Then again that was an actors forte, being able to play people they were not. She smiled, hmming softly and nodding.
"I'd see a movie like that, it sounds very interesting."

Once again she found herself looking him up and down, she knew this man she was absolutely positive. Tapping her fingers to her chin and pursing her lips slightly she hummed again.
"I know this is crazy, but I've seen you before or rather you seem very familiar. What's your name? Before I get rude with that statement my name is Esmeralda Keller, but everyone calls me Esme."
She was polite to the gentleman, he was polite to her so it was only fair. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, she wanted to know why he seemed so familiar to her.

As he thought about his role did he blink and smile to her statement and he could not help but lightly laugh. Reino liked the fact that she seemed so interested in his job since well he loved his job very well, as he sat there did he begin to mess with his pure silver ring which was on his thumb. "If you want I can give you a early ticket or perhaps a backstage pass?", a smile as pure as gold was on his face now as he closed his eyes and showed her how happy he was. After a moment did he blink and look to kids who were pretending to be on another planet and he wondered about bringing up another idea to the studio for there were people who believed in such things. Reino watched them silently before returning his eyes on the lady who he was talking to, it was rude actually to ignore people. "Reino is my first name and Aikawa is my last name. I think you may of seen me on Tv for most people see me on Tv?", he said this honestly as he looked to her. "I like your name, Esme."

That was it! Esme smiled and nodded.
"I knew I saw you somewhere! You're a big deal you know, everyone I know back home is a big fan of you. I like your work, you're a good actor."
He complimented her on her name and she smiled, blushing faintly. She had always been fond of it herself, it was a very beautiful name after all. At the mention of a free ticket or a backstage pass she smiled and laughed softly.
"Oh you don't have to go to all that trouble for little me, I like your name as well Reino. I'm an artist myself, I'm not sure if you've seen any of my work, but I am working on this one piece that's being purchased by the hospital in town. They're putting it up in their children's wing, I'm excited to give it to them."

Reino's face took hold of a innocent look as he blinked his eyes like a curious child by the mentioning of her not taking the pass or ticket. Esme even spoke of herself doing art and well he was curious about that as well as he looked at her calmly though his face sort of lied in being calm. "Thank you?", he said this a little unsurely and then he laughed with his eyes now closed. Reino took off his sunglasses so he could see her more fully in color. "You do art? I actually believe I have some of your art in my Condo. Actually I only two.", he stated this honestly as he thought about it along with her name. "I am pretty sure the children will love it as well.", he said this with his eyes slowly shifting to look at her more clearly. "To answer you on the pass and ticket. I do not mind. I got to many anyway and I need to show them at the studio that I have friends...kind of?"

Esme was surprised as he said he had some of her work in his own home. That was amazing! Reino was one of the biggest stars in the world, to know that her work hung on his walls was really flattering. She smiled widely, laughing as he said he needed to show the studio that he had friends somehow.
"Alright I'll take you up on them, I would love to come watch you work. If my friends back home in Germany heard about this they'd be after me they'd be so jealous. I have to tell my mom when I get home she won't believe this!"
Esme calmed quickly and smiled at him.
"I like your work, I know a lot of people would be freaking out sitting here with a huge star like you, but they forget they're people still. You're famous yes, but you're a person too, and I plan on treating you like one. It's very nice to see not all stars let their fame get to their heads."

Reino lightly laughed with his eyes closed when he heard her taking him up on his offer to go watch him practice on set. People he knew went crazy when he got on Tv and even spoke to them and this was their first time meeting him. Fans from all over just go nuts as they stay in line to get his autograph and even some fans take it a little to far which he found some what funny. It was nice to know that everyone loved him but at the same time they would go a little over board with it. Reino liked that fact that Esme was taking this seriously and was actually trying to treat him like a living breathing being unlike his ex wife who he divorced sometime ago. "I'm pretty sure they will be upset for a time, which is why I plan on going to Germany next month to take pictures with them", he said this with his tone being so kind and humble. Reino would never do such things as other actors do which was become selfish and greedy, he wanted to show people he took everything seriously and he wanted everyone to know that he respects them. "I am glad that you see that way, Esme."

Esme smiled as he aid he was going to Germany next month, how her friends would like that. She glanced up at the sky, taking in the warmth of the sun with a smile.
"I've seen it that way for a long time, my dad told me that all people are just that, people no matter who they are, what they do for a living, or what their views are. Those were some of his last words to me before he died, and that's why to this day I keep seeing it that way just like he did."

It almost felt like her dad was watching her right now, sitting right beside her on this bench. That made her smile warmly, closing her eyes to the heat of the midday sun. With a soft chuckle she brushed her hair back again, moving the braid slightly.
"It' such a beautiful day out isn't it? I love when the weather is like this."

"The weather is nice indeed, it is about this time that my cat Yori would be laying in the window.", a random statement about his cat had came to surface as he looked upward in a curious manner. Reino simply sat there with his eyes looking over bits and parts of the script. "Your father was indeed a wise man. I would of liked to of known him. I am sure he is living in peace.", he said this with feeling and emotion as he looked over the sentences of the script. Reino was thinking clearly for Esme for he was certain that she loved her father much like how everyone loved their parents. The script spoke of a man who was like the mafia leaders father but in truth he was not. A surprising twist was in everything, especially in movies such as the ones he has been playing in.

Esme nodded, her father was indeed a very wise man. He had died peacefully in his sleep, the nurse on staff had said that when she checked on him last he was feeling no pain. That put Esme at much ease, her father didn't deserve to die in pain. A cat? Esme laughed, smiling at Reino warmly.
"My cat Maya will be doing the same this time of year, when she isn't sneaking into my studio while I'm working and trying to 'help' me. She loves to walk across the paint I'm using or worse try and eat the charcoal."
That little scamp, how she loved her though. Maya was a very good cat, she wasn't moody like some cats she was very loving and relaxed.

Reino sort of laughed to what she said about her own friend which was also a cat, this man loved cats for their laid back attitude. Yori was a pure white cat who walked around as if he owned the place but once his master got home it was all about wanting to be petted and fed. Reino liked his cat though for on certain days he would lay on the couch with his cat laying on his chest. A easy going morning was what he loved best and when he got a extra hour of sleep it was worth it. "Yori is much like me, he does his own thing until I come home and then it is all about me pleasing his needs.", closing his eyes did he place his script in a folder just so it will not get lost and as he did this did he look to Esme with a kind smile. "I am not much of a artist but I know my way around acting and cooking."

"Maya is a very relaxed cat, she's very loving and wants attention constantly. She loves to play and often uses my hair as a toy when I'm lying on the couch or slumber over in my desk chair. I love that cat, she never stops being amusing."
Esme laughed at the memory of when she got Maya, the eager little kitten crawling all over her shoulders and almost onto her head. The poor thing almost fell down her back but Esme was quick to catch her. Esme returned the smile, hearing Reino mention he loves to cook.
"I love to cook myself! I put all my artistic passion into everything I make, food is art too. And that's good cause I love food."
Esme was a food addict, she'd try absolutely anything once. She had no qualms over spicy, sour, sweet, or anything like that, she just loved food. Both making and eating it.

"Yori is the complete opposite.", he said this with his eyes narrowed and a rather funny looking face over his features. The white cat was a demon in fur or so that is what he thinks at times, Yori had his good days and then he had his bad days. The bad days would always be either his cat biting his hand or clawing it. Reino loved his cat but at the same time he could not help but wonder why Yori was such a pain at times, perhaps he is not playing with him enough. That could be it, from what he heard animals needed to be played with or else unleash their energy on other things such as attacking and biting. "I like to cook, but only when I have time for it. Mostly, I eat out.", he said this honestly while looking to Esme with a rather funny smirk. Reino was indeed a busy man who worked as much as he can, if he had to add it up it would be acting 45 hours while as managing would range in 40 hours. A lot of hours were given to him only cause the Studio gave him such hours. 6 in the morning up until 8 in the evening and as he added it up he could not help but think that he needed to play with Yori before he heads off to work.

Eating out a lot, that was no good. Reino was a very busy man she knew that, but seeing him eat out was not something good. Everyone should enjoy food not from a deep fryer every once in a while.
"Must very busy being an actor, I'm busy myself with deadlines and new orders myself but I always have time to cook or play with my cat. I admire your dedication Reino, I couldn't do this type of job myself."
She smiled at him, a relaxed and natural smile. Esme was enjoying herself, Reino was not just a famous actor plastered almost everywhere. He was a chef, a cat lover, a gentleman, a dedicated person to his fans, he was a person. Esme glanced upward again, taking in the clear blue sky once more.
"I'm enjoying myself Reino, you're a very fascinating person."

A deep sigh came from Reino when she had said that about him being very busy and the truth was that he was indeed very busy. Emails came knocking on his door, his own manager would call him several times a day, and even at times would he leave on a plane to the next destination no matter what it was. Autograph signing, picture taking, concerts, midnight meetings on the News, and on and on. Reino was surprised he was doing everything so well and it had not tired him out yet. "Well I am not by myself. My fans depend on me much like how I depend on them.", most actors took advantage of people but he was the only one that he knew of that worked with his fans rather than against them. "So are you, Esme. This is actually my only time I have to myself besides at night when I have to turn in at 7:30 at the latest.", Reino smirked but then he laughed a little. "I need a vacation it seems?"

Esme nodded, smiling as he returned the compliment about being an interesting person.
"Everyone need a break now and again. I'm glad I can give you that, at least for a little while."
She started undoing the braid in her hair, feeling a slight headache trying to work it's way into her head. Her finger ran through the long strands, they curled slightly from being constrained into a braid all this time. The hair tie now around her wrist like a bracelet, he sighed contently as she lightly fluffed her hair.
"Much better."

Reino watched her with a kind expression which many would speak of it as being fatherly, it was not known in how he made such a face for the only thing that he knew was that it was his normal facial expression. This was probably when he noticed he was good for the role of acting for he would practice as a child to fix and make his face to be different expressions and would keep it going for a very long time. Acting in class at Highschool was one of his favorite things and he almost felt like giving up in being a actor and just be a normal roleplayer in a play at school. It was due to this determination and free will that had allowed him to gain notice from the people at the Studio for they watched him while he did his play for three whole hours. Never was he tired for he was living in the moment. "I thank you for that, as well as merely talking to me as well. Hm, I like your hair. How can you stand it being so...long?", a curious question coming from such a actor as he.

Reino thanked her for giving him the time to speak with him, then complimented her hair. she played with the strand and smiled, hearing him ask how she could keep it so long.
"Oh it's not that hard, I just have to take good care of it. I wash it, I don't put heat to it often, and I brush it a lot. I know they say long hair is hard to care for and they are right, but if you do it correctly it's not so bad. Plus it's such a different and lovely color I can't help but grow it long. I don't think I could even go past a simple trim to get rid of dead ends."
She got many compliments on her hair, it was so strange to have a natural hair color like this but she didn't care. Esme wore it with much pride, it was who she was after all.
"I like yours too, I like dark hair."