She nodded and listened to all her mother's horrible words, bearing them like a heavy stone in her heart. She refuted with things like how could she stand up for such a sick society, why did she always argue with her, why did she always have to disagree with a perfectly correct opinion? She looked just like her father, that disgusting man, and now she was turning out to be just like him, too! Even now, the only reason she was staying in this damn country was so Anna wouldn't have to switch schools, so why couldn't she just be quiet and agree with her!?Īnd so, Anna became quiet. Just because her father did that didn't mean that she had to treat an entire group of people with such contempt.! If ever a neighbour did something wrong or there was news of some crime, it was always greeted with a "Well, what else can you expect from the Japanese?"Īt first, Anna talked back: Not everyone was like that, there were plenty of kind people too. She began to criticise everything around them, speaking bitterly of the "disgusting" Japanese society and the "sick, twisted values" it taught that made her ex-husband's co-workers keep silent about those nights out with call girls. It was a slow, steady process, but as the years passed, she noticed her mother growing more and more belligerent towards.well, everything. This blow to her pride seemed to trigger something in Anna's strict, yet always-kind mother. Naturally, people talked, and soon their neighbours knew of what had happened. The marriage was never the same after that, and by the time Anna was twelve her father had packed his bags and left them for good. Much of Anna's memories of this time were of huddling up in her room, a pillow to her ears as she tried to drown out the sounds of her mother's shrill anger and accusations. Then, when she was ten, her mother discovered a call girl business card in her father's wallet. Despite everything, though, her life was happy and peaceful. Her father was not much better, both her parents underestimating their daughter's ability to take care of herself. This continued even as she got to the age where she would be able to go and stay home alone, her mother overprotective and paranoid about allowing her daughter to be alone. During those times, she had little for company and learned quickly how to entertain herself. As a child, Anna spent many hours after school at the international school where she was also a student, waiting in the library or her mother's office waiting for Margaret Takemoto to finish work. Her mother worked long hours at the international school, as did her father, a salaryman at a fairly good company. She was an only child, as was her father, and her mother had no family in the country besides them, so it was quiet, if not a little lonely. She does not like to take sides, but for those she decides to be loyal to she will be staunchly supportive in the face of adversity, but will also quietly, subtly point out her friend's own faults in private.Īnna was born to an American mother and Japanese father in a house near Choufu, Tokyo, where her mother was a teacher at the American School in Japan. Be the one to cross that very thick line, and it is unlikely she will ever forgive or forget. However, even the most pacifistic person has their limit, and Anna is no different. She always tries to be patient and see a situation from all sides, something that can cause her problems when caught between sides in an argument. She is polite and well-mannered, if not a little passive-aggressive, usually smiling and avoiding conflict at all costs. Slightly paranoid, she will apologise at the smallest criticism so as to not offend. Too many years of loneliness has made her eager for friends so she does what she can to please, often getting herself caught in conversations she does not want for fear of giving a bad impression. This has led to one silver lining, though, as her constant efforts to blend in has resulted in a keen awareness of her surroundings and an ability to notice the little details in people.ĭespite her anxiety, she wants to be friendly and well-liked. Be it on a sparsely-filled train or in class, she dreads being pointed out for anything, and cannot even comfortably take compliments from people she does not know. With her mother, being noticed never ended well, and she carried this fear outside of home to where she feels constant anxiety. Quiet and reserved, Anna is just now trying to get over her constant habit of disappearing among the crowd to avoid being noticed.
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