[She can't help but laugh at that, even as she turns to gesture for him to follow her.]
I hope this place lives up to its claims then! I'm still learning what's even in the colony, but I always think it's better to check things out with a friend than by yourself. [As they walk, she glances around the other shops peppering the streets on their way to the coffee shop.] Before last year, I never really had a lot of time to just go out and visit places back home. I want to take advantage of it while we're here.
Might as well, right? It's like . . . for all the crap they pull on us, at least they got us covered in the meantime. It's pretty hard to be bored here if you're the kinda person who likes goin' out. And I guess if you don't, you could just shut up in your room all day and play ViViD.
[He's had his days, and even weeks, where he was depressed enough to do pretty much the same thing. It drives him crazy staying in . . . but at least when he does, he's got plenty to do.
He follows her, speeding up to walk by her side as he guides them, following her gaze from shop to shop—but not without some lingering on her, too.]
[It's either that she doesn't notice or she doesn't care that he's letting his gaze linger on her. She trusts Leon not to make this weird and she's also used to people looking at her. She's completely comfortable for the time being.]
It's like they're making sure that we're satisfied just so we don't get too bored and start questioning what's happening here. But it's nice to have things to do to keep our mind off of things. I don't think I'd like being in the apartment all the time.
[She considers that question then.] Now that I'm working on my comeback, I don't have a lot of time to be taking breaks. Inoue-san makes sure I take some, but I can't be my best if I don't keep working.
Yeah. I'm a pop idol...I go by Risette. [She can't help but giggle under her breath at his response, even if she's not entirely sure how to interpret it yet.] Are you shocked?
. . . Should he feel weird about that? Should he feel totally normal, or like, really weird and awkward right now? He feels sort of mildly weird, which feels wrong either way. Like he should feel one extreme of either not giving a fuck or totally put off. Not just vaguely uncomfortable. He actually feels more self-conscious about his own feelings than the situation itself—
Shit, get it together, Kuwata!
Luckily all of that internal conflict goes through his head in like, a second. Funny how thoughts work. All he really shows is a beat of more surprise, and different surprise, than is really warranted, and then he laughs and pushes through it with a minimum of awkwardness. (But not no awkwardness.)]
—But if you're asking if I'm surprised a girl like you would have a job like that, no way! It totally suits you!
[Maybe she's playing me. Maybe she has a knife.
No. Go away, stupid and unneeded thoughts. (And they're extra stupid because actually, Leon is the one with a knife right now.) God, he hates thoughts he never asked for.]
[Maybe it's for the best that she can't hear his thoughts at all. It's safer for the two of them but she can imagine. She can just picture the way he's thinking about her now, not unlike Yosuke in some ways. On the other hand though, she and Leon had spoken and formed a strange sort of kinship before he told her who she was, unlike the rest of the Investigation Team. It's hard to say how people are going to treat her when they find out news like that, but he seems to roll right through it.
And so does she.]
I hope it still does. I'm a little out of practice and now that we're here my comeback's even more delayed. [She shrugs a little, pointing ahead at the shop right in front of them now. It's probably no surprise it looks like a small, trendy little place.] There it is! Come on. [She picks up her pace, a little more than excited to explore and leave behind the subject.] You do drink coffee, don't you?
[It's 100% for the best that she can't hear his thoughts; Leon wishes he couldn't hear most of his own thoughts along those lines.
But then the subject changes, and he shakes it off. Of course this is fine. It's Kujikawa! Nothing's changed. They're out together having fun, and he feels normal and alive again, mostly, for the first time in like a week. What more is there to think about?
So he speeds up to match her pace, letting himself soak in her enthusiasm and relax. She's so cheerful, so cute . . . ]
Yeah, sure! A guy's gotta get through the morning, right? I could probably use some right now . . . you think they've got food?
[Isn't that the most important thing? Two kids out having fun and being normal and temporarily putting lives (or lack thereof) back home on pause. She's come to find that she enjoys Leon's company and that's really all that matters.
It's nice having more friends. She didn't think she would have time back home to make more than just the Investigation Team (but who needs more than that?), but this has been great.]
It'd be a pretty sad cafe if they didn't have food. Places like this usually have sandwiches and muffins and stuff. [She tilts her face back to throw a wink to him over her shoulder.] You didn't really think I'd pick a place that wouldn't feed us too, did you? That just seems really wrong.
Hey, you're totally scolding me! Soooorry, sorry! Do I gotta beg for your forgiveness?
[Down on my knees? he thinks, but he'll save any innuendo, for the moment. She's teasing him, but the more he gets to know her, the easier it is to tell that she's just that kind of person, and it's not real criticism.
He heads up to the door behind her to grab it open and hold it for her. Ah, food . . . ]
I think I can forgive you just this once, but don't do it again! [Even if she's scolding him she's laughing in return. It's hard to be serious about this sort of thing (though poor Leon, should he ever find himself on the receiving end of some of Rise's moodswings) and it's nice that he's quick to pick up on it.
She beams up at him as he holds the door open and she slips inside, looking back to make sure he isn't too far behind as she approaches the counter to check out the menu. It's standard cafe-fare, coffee and pastries and sandwiches and teas. She brings a finger to her lips in though, waiting for Leon to join her side.]
Everything looks so good...I want to try everything. [Which is totally impractical.] What catches your eye?
[She's not the only one prone to moodswings. But right now, that couldn't be further from Leon's mind; he feels strangely peaceful, even after everything. He's just a step behind her, wandering up by her side to take a look at the menu.]
You mean besides you? Ha ha! Juuust kidding!
[Well, kind of kidding. Despite that, he is actually looking at the menu too, not just at her. Damn, he'd thought he was hungry, but now that he's this close to having food, the hungry he thought he was before is like a pale shadow of how he feels now.]
How'm I supposed to pick? I could order everything for real! Cafes are all about small portions anyway . . . even Western ones.
[It's probably a girl thing. He's one of those bottomless pit teenage boys himself. So he is definitely going to order a sandwich and soup and a cake with his coffee, without any hesitation.]
[She catches that, giving him a small, playful look before rolling her eyes.] Nice try.
[But she doesn't seem to mind. She tilts her head, humming to herself and surprised at how hungry she is herself. She knows that Yu's told her to take it slow since they were just out there starving, and she trusts Leon to know his limits so she doesn't even stop him. They are small portions, evidenced by the salad and doughnut she orders with her coffee. She's not even really paying attention as she hands over her debit card to pay for the whole thing either.]
If you ordered everything now though, what would be the point of coming back another day? [A hint at possibly more coffee dates in the future? Maybe.] I'm sure they'd totally appreciate your patronage though.
[At first it doesn't register that she just paid for them; he's distracted talking to her, and then he's just waiting for the cashier to ask him for his card too, lingering with her by the counter.]
Yeah, 'til I made myself sick, right? They probably wouldn't appreciate that! Sooo I'll just have to come back, like you said . . . you offering me company?
Definitely, definitely wouldn't appreciate that. [The cashier hands her card back and Rise lifts a shoulder in response as she slips it back into her wallet and into her purse.]
Yes, and yes. [Is it really that strange? Probably. But instead of calling it on being strange, she simply replies.] You can pick up the tab the next time we go out. How about that?
Okay, so maybe this isn't actually a date-date, and maybe also it's just beginning and he can't know if it'll go well, so cheering for a second one might be kinda premature. Still nice to hear.
He turns to find an empty table for them while they wait for their food, all smiles.]
So I should be scouting out new places, huh? I can do that! That's the kinda homework I can get behind.
[Maybe this isn't an actual date-date, but it doesn't make this any less enjoyable for her. She looks over his shoulder to scout for a table as they wait for their food, grinning to herself.]
I can't come up with all of the ideas, can I? What kind of places would you want to go?
[There's a free table near the middle, so he makes his way over to that one and takes a seat, leaning his elbows on the table. All of his heaviness from earlier feels like it's lifted right off of him, at least for the moment.]
It's all about the company, right? I'll try anything once! Maybe not anything . . . if you tried to drag me to the library, I might get a little put out, ha ha! But mostly I just wanna explore. It's like, I've been here a while now, and I still feel like I've only seen ten percent of this place.
[He drums thoughtfully on the table.]
Honestly . . . at first, it's not like I really liked the idea of getting used to it here.
[She speaks briefly with an attendant to gesture to the table where they can bring the food before following, gracefully dropping down into a chair and letting her purse drop to the floor.]
Libraries aren't bad, but they're not really where you go when you want to spend time with people. You can't really talk in libraries, you know? Exploring doesn't sound like a bad idea. It feels like people are discovering new shops and stuff all the time.
[She can understand that though.] Getting used to being here sometimes almost sounds like giving up, huh? But I don't think that's really true.
That's it exactly! I don't wanna stop caring I'm here. That just sounds dangerous. Like letting CERES win, right? But caring every second's so exhausting!
[He props his chin up on his hand on the table, relaxed despite the topic. The truth is, he's mostly managed to avoid falling down a pit of paranoia; somewhere in the back of his head, he knows CERES is monitoring even this conversation, and maybe he ought to be worried about that. But he just can't be. He'd go crazy, rip his implants out and die or something. It's not worth the thought.]
There's gotta be a balance! . . . I'm workin' on it. So, how is it you think of it?
[Please don't rip out your implants and die Leon, that would put a damper on this growing friendship. Still, Rise doesn't look too perturbed by the topic and even offers a smile of encouragement when Leon says he's working on it. It's something.]
It is! It really is, and if we care too much about that I feel like we might miss something else even more important. I think it's more like...you know how you can learn how to ride a bike and it takes you a little while to get used to it? But once you know how to do it that knowledge becomes second-nature and you instinctively know what to do? Being here is kind of like that. We're learning and we get used to it, but when bad things happen instinct kicks in so we don't get in so much trouble.
Huh . . . I never thought of it like that before . . .
[It takes him a moment to get, too. But he thinks it through, chewing a little on his lip (and its piercing), and it makes sense:]
You mean, it's not so much like "I'm totally fine with being treated like shit now by this place and its creepy overlords," but more like "I figured out last time how to deal with this crap so I'm not gonna lose this time either." Yeah, that's better. That feels way better than "getting used to it." —When you put it like that, the more they test us, the better we're gonna get at outsmarting them, huh? I hope they've got that in mind! . . . Actually, I don't! Let 'em not even think about that, for all I care!
[How distracting. It's not that the piercing's a bad thing seeing how he's not the first boy she knows to have them, but a lip piercing...it's different. (And kind of weirdly attractive if she's honest, but that's not important right now.) She can tell it's going through his head and she's patiently waiting for him to continue.]
Right. Just like that! Even when things seem completely hopeless we'll be able to get out of it because we'll know that we can beat them since we've done it all before. [She suddenly slams a hand on the table, excitement mounting as she allows her thoughts to carry on.] They've got other things to worry about, they won't even know what we're learning! [They will if these two keep talking about it where the implants can pick it up, but that's fine. A waitress soon comes by with a tray of their food and drinks which is enough for Rise to stop hitting tables. There's a polite "thank you" to their server before she continues.]
As long as we keep it in mind, that's all that matters.
[That . . . was pretty cute. He watches her seamless transition from pounding tables to politely thanking servers with some amusement—and he knows how she feels, too. There are times he can feel the hand of Despair heavy on his shoulders, but then there are times like this where he can tell he's finally starting to feel like everything might work out.
He watches the server leave and then turns back to her, his amusement still written all over his face.]
That was pretty smooth, Kujikawa . . .
But I feel you! A hundred percent! I mean—back in that freaky place, I felt like, like, I don't even remember anymore, and it wasn't just me, right? But we're all back now . . . we can bounce back from all that crap without just forgetting it ever happened!
—Even if part of me totally wants to forget it ever happened.
[She giggles instead of answering at first, moving to take a sip of her drink before she can continue.]
Inoue-san says my acting's improved a lot since my break. But anyway...I think a lot of us felt like that. That place was creepy and it was probably meant to make us feel dark and afraid. But up here I'm not afraid because I know we're all going to be together. [She gives him a pointed look then.] Is the part of you that wants to forget it bigger than the part that wants to hold onto what came out of that place?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I hope this place lives up to its claims then! I'm still learning what's even in the colony, but I always think it's better to check things out with a friend than by yourself. [As they walk, she glances around the other shops peppering the streets on their way to the coffee shop.] Before last year, I never really had a lot of time to just go out and visit places back home. I want to take advantage of it while we're here.
no subject
[He's had his days, and even weeks, where he was depressed enough to do pretty much the same thing. It drives him crazy staying in . . . but at least when he does, he's got plenty to do.
He follows her, speeding up to walk by her side as he guides them, following her gaze from shop to shop—but not without some lingering on her, too.]
You're that busy back home?
no subject
It's like they're making sure that we're satisfied just so we don't get too bored and start questioning what's happening here. But it's nice to have things to do to keep our mind off of things. I don't think I'd like being in the apartment all the time.
[She considers that question then.] Now that I'm working on my comeback, I don't have a lot of time to be taking breaks. Inoue-san makes sure I take some, but I can't be my best if I don't keep working.
no subject
Your comeback? What d'you do? Are you actually someone famous back home?
[There's a complicated twist of feelings in his stomach over that. Just a little. It's a reminder of a lot of things about his own life, back before.]
no subject
Yeah. I'm a pop idol...I go by Risette. [She can't help but giggle under her breath at his response, even if she's not entirely sure how to interpret it yet.] Are you shocked?
no subject
[She's an idol!
. . . Should he feel weird about that? Should he feel totally normal, or like, really weird and awkward right now? He feels sort of mildly weird, which feels wrong either way. Like he should feel one extreme of either not giving a fuck or totally put off. Not just vaguely uncomfortable. He actually feels more self-conscious about his own feelings than the situation itself—
Shit, get it together, Kuwata!
Luckily all of that internal conflict goes through his head in like, a second. Funny how thoughts work. All he really shows is a beat of more surprise, and different surprise, than is really warranted, and then he laughs and pushes through it with a minimum of awkwardness. (But not no awkwardness.)]
—But if you're asking if I'm surprised a girl like you would have a job like that, no way! It totally suits you!
[Maybe she's playing me. Maybe she has a knife.
No. Go away, stupid and unneeded thoughts. (And they're extra stupid because actually, Leon is the one with a knife right now.) God, he hates thoughts he never asked for.]
You're that type all over!
no subject
And so does she.]
I hope it still does. I'm a little out of practice and now that we're here my comeback's even more delayed. [She shrugs a little, pointing ahead at the shop right in front of them now. It's probably no surprise it looks like a small, trendy little place.] There it is! Come on. [She picks up her pace, a little more than excited to explore and leave behind the subject.] You do drink coffee, don't you?
no subject
But then the subject changes, and he shakes it off. Of course this is fine. It's Kujikawa! Nothing's changed. They're out together having fun, and he feels normal and alive again, mostly, for the first time in like a week. What more is there to think about?
So he speeds up to match her pace, letting himself soak in her enthusiasm and relax. She's so cheerful, so cute . . . ]
Yeah, sure! A guy's gotta get through the morning, right? I could probably use some right now . . . you think they've got food?
[He's starving at this point, too.]
no subject
It's nice having more friends. She didn't think she would have time back home to make more than just the Investigation Team (but who needs more than that?), but this has been great.]
It'd be a pretty sad cafe if they didn't have food. Places like this usually have sandwiches and muffins and stuff. [She tilts her face back to throw a wink to him over her shoulder.] You didn't really think I'd pick a place that wouldn't feed us too, did you? That just seems really wrong.
no subject
[Down on my knees? he thinks, but he'll save any innuendo, for the moment. She's teasing him, but the more he gets to know her, the easier it is to tell that she's just that kind of person, and it's not real criticism.
He heads up to the door behind her to grab it open and hold it for her. Ah, food . . . ]
no subject
She beams up at him as he holds the door open and she slips inside, looking back to make sure he isn't too far behind as she approaches the counter to check out the menu. It's standard cafe-fare, coffee and pastries and sandwiches and teas. She brings a finger to her lips in though, waiting for Leon to join her side.]
Everything looks so good...I want to try everything. [Which is totally impractical.] What catches your eye?
no subject
You mean besides you? Ha ha! Juuust kidding!
[Well, kind of kidding. Despite that, he is actually looking at the menu too, not just at her. Damn, he'd thought he was hungry, but now that he's this close to having food, the hungry he thought he was before is like a pale shadow of how he feels now.]
How'm I supposed to pick? I could order everything for real! Cafes are all about small portions anyway . . . even Western ones.
[It's probably a girl thing. He's one of those bottomless pit teenage boys himself. So he is definitely going to order a sandwich and soup and a cake with his coffee, without any hesitation.]
no subject
[But she doesn't seem to mind. She tilts her head, humming to herself and surprised at how hungry she is herself. She knows that Yu's told her to take it slow since they were just out there starving, and she trusts Leon to know his limits so she doesn't even stop him. They are small portions, evidenced by the salad and doughnut she orders with her coffee. She's not even really paying attention as she hands over her debit card to pay for the whole thing either.]
If you ordered everything now though, what would be the point of coming back another day? [A hint at possibly more coffee dates in the future? Maybe.] I'm sure they'd totally appreciate your patronage though.
no subject
Yeah, 'til I made myself sick, right? They probably wouldn't appreciate that! Sooo I'll just have to come back, like you said . . . you offering me company?
[Then it occurs to him.]
—Did you pay for mine too just now?
no subject
Yes, and yes. [Is it really that strange? Probably. But instead of calling it on being strange, she simply replies.] You can pick up the tab the next time we go out. How about that?
no subject
[SECOND DATE! SCORE
Okay, so maybe this isn't actually a date-date, and maybe also it's just beginning and he can't know if it'll go well, so cheering for a second one might be kinda premature. Still nice to hear.
He turns to find an empty table for them while they wait for their food, all smiles.]
So I should be scouting out new places, huh? I can do that! That's the kinda homework I can get behind.
no subject
I can't come up with all of the ideas, can I? What kind of places would you want to go?
no subject
It's all about the company, right? I'll try anything once! Maybe not anything . . . if you tried to drag me to the library, I might get a little put out, ha ha! But mostly I just wanna explore. It's like, I've been here a while now, and I still feel like I've only seen ten percent of this place.
[He drums thoughtfully on the table.]
Honestly . . . at first, it's not like I really liked the idea of getting used to it here.
no subject
Libraries aren't bad, but they're not really where you go when you want to spend time with people. You can't really talk in libraries, you know? Exploring doesn't sound like a bad idea. It feels like people are discovering new shops and stuff all the time.
[She can understand that though.] Getting used to being here sometimes almost sounds like giving up, huh? But I don't think that's really true.
no subject
[He props his chin up on his hand on the table, relaxed despite the topic. The truth is, he's mostly managed to avoid falling down a pit of paranoia; somewhere in the back of his head, he knows CERES is monitoring even this conversation, and maybe he ought to be worried about that. But he just can't be. He'd go crazy, rip his implants out and die or something. It's not worth the thought.]
There's gotta be a balance! . . . I'm workin' on it. So, how is it you think of it?
no subject
It is! It really is, and if we care too much about that I feel like we might miss something else even more important. I think it's more like...you know how you can learn how to ride a bike and it takes you a little while to get used to it? But once you know how to do it that knowledge becomes second-nature and you instinctively know what to do? Being here is kind of like that. We're learning and we get used to it, but when bad things happen instinct kicks in so we don't get in so much trouble.
no subject
[It takes him a moment to get, too. But he thinks it through, chewing a little on his lip (and its piercing), and it makes sense:]
You mean, it's not so much like "I'm totally fine with being treated like shit now by this place and its creepy overlords," but more like "I figured out last time how to deal with this crap so I'm not gonna lose this time either." Yeah, that's better. That feels way better than "getting used to it." —When you put it like that, the more they test us, the better we're gonna get at outsmarting them, huh? I hope they've got that in mind! . . . Actually, I don't! Let 'em not even think about that, for all I care!
no subject
Right. Just like that! Even when things seem completely hopeless we'll be able to get out of it because we'll know that we can beat them since we've done it all before. [She suddenly slams a hand on the table, excitement mounting as she allows her thoughts to carry on.] They've got other things to worry about, they won't even know what we're learning! [They will if these two keep talking about it where the implants can pick it up, but that's fine. A waitress soon comes by with a tray of their food and drinks which is enough for Rise to stop hitting tables. There's a polite "thank you" to their server before she continues.]
As long as we keep it in mind, that's all that matters.
no subject
He watches the server leave and then turns back to her, his amusement still written all over his face.]
That was pretty smooth, Kujikawa . . .
But I feel you! A hundred percent! I mean—back in that freaky place, I felt like, like, I don't even remember anymore, and it wasn't just me, right? But we're all back now . . . we can bounce back from all that crap without just forgetting it ever happened!
—Even if part of me totally wants to forget it ever happened.
[He'll cop to that.]
no subject
Inoue-san says my acting's improved a lot since my break. But anyway...I think a lot of us felt like that. That place was creepy and it was probably meant to make us feel dark and afraid. But up here I'm not afraid because I know we're all going to be together. [She gives him a pointed look then.] Is the part of you that wants to forget it bigger than the part that wants to hold onto what came out of that place?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)