keybroad | TNDG Day 9: Second Date

TNDG Day 9: Second Date

[Lotus is hanging outside the prop room. Not far from that door, there's a second, unfamiliar opening in the wall. Those golden high-heels are sitting in the genkan, though maybe it's hasty to use that description when the rest of the room that is currently blocked off with drills running. Lotus is already wearing sleek navy blue roller skates with teal wheels, matching the navy blue sweatpants and teal-printed white T-shirt that she had already been wearing. There are black skates with purple wheels in her hands. Her body thrums with a nervous energy that may be more than the vacillations of her roller blades on the ground; Kyrie may be sufficiently familiar with the signs to deduce that Lotus has consumed a serious quantity of caffeine that just now really started to kick in.

She locks eyes with Kyrie and chipperly greets her with a cliche:]

It's okay, I just got here myself~

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You're awfully chipper!

[Must be all that caffeine. Did she chug a whole whack of coffee during her first date?]

I have to warn you, I've never tried roller skating before. But I'm not terrible on the ice.

Then I'm pretty confident you won't hurt yourself, especially if you don't try to jump.

[She proffers the skates.]

Would you feel deprived of the chance to act gentlemanly if I put these on you?

We can trade the gentlemanly role, you can hang off my arm when we head to dinner, or the bar, whatever it is we're doing.

[But she's also brought a bouquet of flowers in blues and whites, which she offers up. That's gentlemanly anyway!]

Then I'll be happy to hold these flowers while you support my weight later~

[For the time being Lotus kneels and gets to equipping Kyrie with those skates!!!]

I mean, you already support me a lot in other ways. I really appreciate your big picture mentality. In that spirit I thought choosing a certain someone else, over you, wouldn't make you mad. I had no idea it would be that guy Simon instead though... he lay it on so thick!

It seems like the number of votes allowed for one person capped at three anyway. I'm just glad to know I captured your heart so easily!

[She laughs, holding out her feet one at a time for the skates.]

I wonder if any of Simon's were really honest or if he's just that good at playing the game.

You know, Simon almost seems creepy when you put it like that... I definitely don't think I'm his type, I'll say that about his honesty.

[The skates go on smoothly! Lotus stands up and takes the flowers, looking down into them.]

I hoped it was Rosa. I should have known better, once I asked more questions and got pretty daring answers.

I would have thought that was Rosa for sure. I'm sure she's awfully popular, and for good reason...

She's even single, for God's sake. She's pretty much the best "potential spouse" in this whole game. I have nothing against Simon, but do I want his animals in my house? No.

I feel a little bad for her that she ended up with Zelda and me, no one to even think about taking an actual date with... It's not exactly a good time or place to look for a mate, but it might have been a good distraction. At least you have Ronove, he would make a nice househusband.

Ronove I'm really serious about. As a friend and all. He'll probably do even better cooking than what we get off menu.

It did seem like Rosa was really thinking about romance in her answers... [Glancing.] Are there any eligible bachelors here at all, though? I mean... Rhys, I guess?

Rhys, Dennis... That's probably about it though. At least, who are in the right age range and would be interested in a woman. I've heard she goes for older men though, so in that case she's out of luck anyway.

And Dennis is into younger girls, so, it definitely wouldn't work out.

[Lotus must be really unimpressed about Dennis. She started making this cranky face as soon as Kyrie said the word men.]

Anyway, the plan is to roller blade around the prop room making snide commentary until the food is ready in there. [A jerk of her head indicates that room past the genkan where Lotus has placed Kyrie's shoes.] Also, I figure there will be plenty of American things and I can tell you whether I prefer them or not like you were wondering.

[Look she might be into women too, but she doesn't know! Try it and find out Lotus, fight, win!!]

That sounds great - especially the snide commentary part, but I'm interested to hear your thoughts on Japanese vs Western styles too.

[Doing the gentlemanly thing, she offers her arm for Lotus to take.]

[Then their elbows link and off they roll!]

I think the biggest thing that the Americans got right is the name thing. [Lotus has used honorifics extremely sparingly, one of the few examples being these almost sardonic references to Naoi-kun and Kishibe-kun and Nijimura-kun.] I hope I've never offended "Kyrie" that way. It just makes everything really clear and direct.

It's true, I feel a bit strange about it in this sort of setting, with plenty of non-Japanese people around. It's so loaded down in the workplace especially, it's hard to stop... But the stress of picking the right way of referring to someone can be pretty intense! This feels more relaxed, I like it.

And I definitely don't mind being just "Kyrie" to you.

I'm glad you don't mind it after everything we've been through! And I don't mind being--

[Her smile falters.]

God, you know, that's the real reason there's not going to be "more" on these dates. Anyone begging "Lotus" in the throes of passion would be awkward.

I certainly understand why you choose to keep to the codename, but if thing were getting hot and heavy, that might be about the time for proper names anyway, don't you think?

Or you could just take it as a bit of role-playing. Spicing things up.

Well, if I wrote down my real name for you too, then Eva would feel left out. So, let's imagine it, what kind of numerical nickname would Santa and June have given you--~~

[She's inhaling sharply, wondering if she tipped her hand, decides it sounds innocuous and tries to play it off by rolling further forward.]

Don't tell me you've told Rosa and not me? I'm hurt, Lotus-san!

[She laughs, but don't think she doesn't notice and wonder.]

What number would I even be?

We can stretch "Ki-Ri" into "Ku-Ro" if we try hard and believe in ourselves. You'll be 96 and we'll call you Black, like your dress suits.

That sounds like a secret agent, or something out of a gangster movie, I'll take it!

If you really do like that aesthetic for costumes too, then I think you'll love The Matrix. I'm not sure I can stay up late enough to watch the movies today... when do you think would be good? How many people?

Is that what you got? Why don't we watch it tomorrow, then? It's hard to make plans too far in advance when we have no idea what's going to happen. As many people are we can crowd around a screen?

Yeah, I do. I think you'd like it. Theoretical concerns about hacking, and also black coats and guns. Wait...

[She claps her hands, excited.]

That movie had never even come out back then, right? Oh, now I'm excited, you don't know the twists!

What kind of person do you think I am, if black coats and guns are enough to sway me?

[She laughs, giving Lotus's arm a little squeeze.]

That sounds great, another one of your hobbies shared then.

I just wish they'd made a good video game out of it, then I could KO two birds with one stone.

[She briefly puts her own hand over Kyrie's hand on her arm.]

Your turn. Tell me some American thing you like or dislike.

Clothes, I didn't see anyone but soldiers wearing western style clothes for the longest time, and never wore them myself until college. Anything that takes an hour and several people to put on is just ridiculous.

[Especially being her shape and having to pad out all her curves to make it lay flat.]

Oh, man, yeah. I never had to wear wafuku every day where I lived, we already had sailor fuku when I was in school. Though the guys trying to look at you from under the bridge are kind of creepy.

I get the feeling Rudolf will make Ange wear pants under hers when she gets to that age... You must have been pretty cute in that though! I'm a little jealous, my family was too hung up on tradition so I didn't even go to school. But I remember my sister getting her first uniform and looking like a real modern woman.

Didn't even go to school? Oh, man, and here I freaked out when Natsuhi hadn't gone to college--

[She shakes her head, hair swishing, it sends her an inch or two back.]

Sorry, I shouldn't push you about it if you don't want to hear it, I just--you really managed to make up for lost time, you know?

[That drift makes Kyrie reach out to take her hands to keep her from going backwards entirely.]

Well I had homeschooling! And I went to university!

[Lotus adjusts the grip on both hands to get the flowers snugly hooked in her elbow and then gives an additional tug like maybe they can do the Hold Hands And One Person Skates Backwards thing.]

Oh, that makes up for it. You saw a man in a tailored suit up close for the first time, and you were like, wow~

[She laughs, and is glad to go along with the very cheesy but nonetheless cute skating trick.]

Exactly! I thought "I want to be that guy"~

He can run, hold a briefcase, and drink coffee all at the same time! No fabric to hold up!

No holding his shoes on by clenching his toes together! Real pockets! Short hair.

What about you, have you always been a big city, technology loving girl? You've heard my embarrassing, ignorant past, you've got to have something too right?

City and technology, yeah, those two at least, I'm an Edokko. Maybe some people would think I loved technology a little too much... I'' admit I definitely came out of my shell in college, knew how to get measured for a bra and when not to skip Leg Day.

You look like you've always known a thing or two about keeping active. Rollerskating must be good for your legs, actually...

[But the bras, oh, man.]

When I was going off to Tokyo, an uncle was the one who brought me western clothes to take, only bras didn't occur to him. I spent the first week of university full nipple.

[HAND OVER HEART

GASP!!!

In that moment she is sympathetic to Kyrie like a sister... okay it's now been more than one second. All emotions, like mono no aware, are temporary. So it is not getting played up anymore.]

A whole week, that must have been so stressful. So did you call your family and that was the soonest they could bring it, or was the weekend the first chance you got to go shopping by yourself? You must appreciate it more than I can, [the city girl taking it for granted, you know] walking into a store and picking up ready-made clothes off the rack.

Well at first I didn't really think anything of it, when someone else finally pointed it out I started wearing sarashi and I finally got a chance to go shopping on a day off. Some other girls took pity on me and took me out.

College girls can be really nice sometimes...! [SHE'S SO GLAD THIS STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING.] You know, I don't think I've never actually worn a sarashi. I was never stuck in wafuku enough hours at a time... maybe if I ever remarry I'll have a Shinto wedding this time and use one then.

Oh, did you wear a white gown? Shinto weddings do look nice, but western style is really chic, I bet you looked great!

Yeah! It was one of those little Christian ceremonies. Way easier to walk around and get in and out of the court building. It didn't last too long... I kind of wish more people could have made it in...

[The sour note there is pretty subtle but it raises a question. If she went to college in Tokyo, and she got married around that time, and as an Edokko her family also lives in Tokyo, why wasn't a bustling family there. WELL WHATEVER IT IS IN THE PAST EVERYTHING'S FINE!!!]

It should go without saying that you'd be invited, Kyrie.

Small, simple ceremonies are nice though, ours was like that too. It's less of a headache.

[Between her family being estranged and Rudolf's being small, it was probably mostly employees...]

What was the date, I'll come crash it with Rosa.

[The friendly salarymen they raised and supported...!]

After all the time I've spent here running around inviting people places, I can understand wanting to keep it cozy.

[She flushes at the mention of - the name of a whole entire second person who is also making this kind friendly gesture, which she did not immediately expect.]

It was... January 18th, 2006.

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TNDG Day 9: Second Date

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oh how did I miss this notif

IT'S OKAY I JUST GOT HERE MYSELF

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