[He snorts, relaxing even more. All right. Good. That's out of the way; he trusts her, and it's good to have had that conversation, even though he didn't know himself that he needed it until it happened.]
Yeah, all the time! Not even I can bat a thousand, know what I mean? Guys who talk themselves into only speaking up to girls they're 100% sure will say yes . . . that's how guys end up never making a move on anyone, y'know? The more you do that, the more you talk yourself into thinking rejection's the worst. It sucks hard, but it ain't the worst!
[She frowns in the mirror then, more thoughtful than usual.]
Sometimes you end up thinking rejection's the worst though, especially if the person who rejects you is still someone you care about a lot. Those feelings don't go away overnight just because they said no to you. [And like that she perks up again almost immediately.] But it always gets better doesn't it? And there's always someone else out there, I think. It's pretty hard to imagine people saying no to you though.
[Not impossible, and she makes that clear when she catches his eye in the mirror, but a little hard to imagine.] You just make it sound like you've had a lot of practice, that's all.
I had a lot of success too! But yeah . . . 'course I had plenty of practice failing at it.
[But, he sees, it's not quite the same thing. He tilts his head and watches her, thinking about the implications of what she'd said there.]
But . . . the kinda dating I did back home, those weren't people I cared about a lot. I guess that'd be pretty different. I never tried confessing before to someone I really, really liked, 'cuz I never really, really liked anyone 'til I got here. Know what I mean? It's pretty easy when you've got nothin' to lose. That's the secret of guys like me! Ha ha . . . yeah, it'd hurt more than just my pride if I really put myself out there for someone and got turned down. That's normal, right?
I don't know if I'd even call what you did back home dating. [She's moved on to putting her hair up now, and she's not really judgmental about it but it's true. Dating, to Rise, means relationships that're based on more than just the physical aspect of it. With Leon she figures they were all just girls he slept with.]
But I think I know what you mean. [Her pride was hurt when Yu told her about Minato. It's normal. Despite that she doesn't seem to want to continue that line of conversation and instead finishes up and turns away from the mirror to face him with the rest of her make-up on and her hair thrown up. She practically bounces off of the seat and toward the closet, slipping a see-through blouse on over the camisole before stopping in front of her bed where Leon is. She stares at him for a moment, critically analyzing him even with a slight smile. Leon...likes someone here. And that's okay. She doesn't have to think about it because it's not her business. If he wants to tell her who, that's up to him. She shouldn't be jealous about it. It's not like she could ever explain herself to him either.
So instead, she holds out her hands to him to pull him up.] You ready?
[Damn, she's beautiful. His voice comes out a little weaker than normal; he's distracted getting a good look at Rise in full Rise-mode. Perfect hair and makeup, cute clothes, perky energy. Not that she doesn't look good all the time—that's one of the principal truths of girls, he's always thought, that a girl who's attractive stays attractive no matter what she does. She could have bedhead and no makeup and be wearing sweats and she'd be friggin' adorable. Better yet, she could be wearing one of his shirts, and nothing else, that'd be nice—
He takes her hands and has a moment where he considers pulling on her instead to topple her onto the bed on top of him. Just for play. Nothing weird or serious. Maybe he'd tickle her sides a little to make her squirm and laugh, and she'd be soft and wiggly under him (hadn't she started out on top in this flight of fancy? eh, things change) and . . .
That's not the kind of thing he can think about too long and then be in public, so he cuts it off and gets to his feet instead, grinning up—and then down—at her.]
[Leon...thank you for being a typical teenage boy. She's oblivious to pretty much all of his thoughts but the way she's examining him seems to say she knows she looks good, and she knows Leon thinks she looks good.
Even with Leon on his feet now and at his full height she doesn't let go of his hands immediately. Rather, she's holding both of them and swinging them for a moment before flashing another cheery grin at him.]
Thanks! And thanks for being cool about waiting...I can't think of a lot of boys who would. [That isn't entirely true but hey. From there, she's leading him out of the room to grab her shoes and her purse.] But you think it's worth it, don't you?
Heh, is that a trick question? It's definitely worth it! I mean, I got to talk to you and spend time with you and all . . . that's what we're about to go do anyway, right? So it's just like starting the date ten minutes early! 'Sides, I got to see your room!
[He winks over at her, letting himself be led along and outside.]
Sort of like having a backstage pass huh? [She throws in a wink, feeling particularly flirty today as they head outside and begin their walk to the shopping center.] You know...you're only the third boy to be in my room. [...the first two are Yu and Yosuke but she really doesn't think she needs to clarify.] And thanks for coming with me. I don't think anybody else would have been brave enough to try this.
[He thinks for a moment that's what she means, but then he remembers the context of the date, a second too late to catch himself. Whoops. He just amends it, laughing:]
Oh yeah, the ramen! I was gonna say . . . anyway, is it really that spicy? You sure you can take it?
[Damn, he can't wuss out in front of her! He's gotta be able to take this! His tolerance for spicy food is pretty moderate . . . at least he's not terrible at it, but what's he getting himself into? Well, it's not worth worrying about yet. He manages to keep his nerves out of his expression—for now.]
I had no idea you were that kinda girl, ha ha! I don't meet a lot o' girls like that. Pretty cool, Rise-chan!
[Leon this may very well be a trap. Be careful. But still she's oblivious to his worries and she's holding his hand as they walk along, a bit of a bounce in her step.]
Not enough people appreciate finer tastes! [A pause.] And you get used to things like this when you get cast in commercials and people want you to endorse their products. I've tried a lot of things before. This is a piece of cake!
Hey, you've got a point there . . . I never thought about it that way! Someday I'm gonna have to get behind endorsing all kinds of things! Man, what's the weirdest thing you ever did a commercial for?
[Aw yeah, showbiz life. Or, more pertinently right now, cute lunch date life. He links his hand with hers and keeps hold of it, walking close to her side and watching her bounce along. She's so cute . . . ]
[Leon, don't endorse things. Everybody lies and she doesn't like it as much anymore but now isn't the time to talk about it. This is cute lunch-date time.]
They had me dress up as a flight attendant once. Does that count? I think I still have the outfit at home, too...a lot of companies want idols to endorse their stuff because of their popularity. Some of these things aren't even that good for you.
Ha ha, seriously? A flight attendant? That's pretty cute, Rise-chan! There's somethin' about a girl in uniform!
[He winks at her, leaning briefly up against her side. A flight attendant . . . not the most conducive to fantasies, but not like, unworkable, either.]
Do you think it's possible for CERES to recover more of our stuff from home? I bet they could bring in a ton of my costumes. [It's mostly just a curious question as she leads Leon into the ramen bar, even holding the door open for him. It's warm, rich with spices and activity and she beams brightly in his direction.]
[Having the door held by a girl . . . well, she's that kind of girl, though, and he likes that about it. He follows her in and heads for the bar, pausing to let her fall in step with him.]
It's gotta be the bar! That's part of the ramen experience! It smells sooooo good in here . . . damn, I haven't had ramen in a while, it's one o' my faves!
[Cerealia's forced her to be more independent...which is both good and bad. Once they're inside though she lets him take the lead again, finding them on equal footing even as she glances at the bar. There're two seats right in the middle, it seems.]
You should have told me...I would have brought you out sooner! [And also it would have been more excuses to spend time with Leon.] Cerealia's great for trying new things but sometimes you just want stuff from home, you know? [She starts to drag him to the bar.] I didn't really get to have ramen much back home either with my schedule. Only sometimes.
Wellll, to be honest, I eat the instant kind plenty . . . I can't really cook, y'know? I'm always ordering out or getting something instant I can make easy! Or goin' out like this, but I hate going out on my own, so I only do this kinda thing if I've got a date. Friend-date, any kinda date! Sometimes you forget how good the real thing is if you eat too much of the instant stuff, right? . . . Not that I don't like the instant stuff too.
[He slides up onto the seat on the right, dangling his legs. The bar is half the fun.]
Any time you got room in your busy schedule for me, I'll come eat ramen or anything else you want, Rise-chan!
[Sometimes it's just endearing to listen to Leon ramble and it reminds Rise just how different he is from her other friends. Not that that's such a bad thing, but it's a good refresher for her. She places herself on his left and turns to half face the counter and half face him instead.]
When I was working all the time take-out was the only way to go. Actually getting to sit down and eat somewhere was pretty rare because I was always so busy, so making my own schedule here has been great. [She smiles though.] I'll always make room for you. But it doesn't always have to be ramen, you know? [She's lifting a hand to flag down a server to procure a menu.] That's half the fun of going out. You try new places and new things.
I'd get sick of anything if I ate it all the time, anyway! . . . You should come over sometime, we could order delivery. Y'know, if you want! But I like gettin' out of the house too, so I win either way, right?
[He winks at her, grabbing a menu when they're offered and flipping it open on the counter. Of course he was already winning, if it's time spent with Rise.]
I'm not tryin' any crazy alien stuff, though. Just sayin'!
Ahh, where's your sense of adventure? [She's mostly teasing him even as she gives a cursory glance through her own menu. She seems to already know what she wants so she's idly perusing their drink options.] That does sound nice though...you and me at your place with good delivery and maybe a good movie or something. I haven't been to your place very much anyway.
Yeah? I'm totally up for this anytime! Sometimes the best kinda date is the staying in kind!
[IT'S CERESFLIX AND CHILL. HELL YEAH.
Okay, she's probably not actually proposing that, but it's still a pretty thrilling prospect. Him and Rise, cuddling on the sofa, watching some movie and eating pizza or whatever, maybe with his hand up her shirt . . .
He shakes himself back to reality long enough to stare at the menu, but he's gotta try the spicy ramen if she's getting it, right? It'd be uncool to pick something else!]
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Yeah, all the time! Not even I can bat a thousand, know what I mean? Guys who talk themselves into only speaking up to girls they're 100% sure will say yes . . . that's how guys end up never making a move on anyone, y'know? The more you do that, the more you talk yourself into thinking rejection's the worst. It sucks hard, but it ain't the worst!
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Sometimes you end up thinking rejection's the worst though, especially if the person who rejects you is still someone you care about a lot. Those feelings don't go away overnight just because they said no to you. [And like that she perks up again almost immediately.] But it always gets better doesn't it? And there's always someone else out there, I think. It's pretty hard to imagine people saying no to you though.
[Not impossible, and she makes that clear when she catches his eye in the mirror, but a little hard to imagine.] You just make it sound like you've had a lot of practice, that's all.
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[But, he sees, it's not quite the same thing. He tilts his head and watches her, thinking about the implications of what she'd said there.]
But . . . the kinda dating I did back home, those weren't people I cared about a lot. I guess that'd be pretty different. I never tried confessing before to someone I really, really liked, 'cuz I never really, really liked anyone 'til I got here. Know what I mean? It's pretty easy when you've got nothin' to lose. That's the secret of guys like me! Ha ha . . . yeah, it'd hurt more than just my pride if I really put myself out there for someone and got turned down. That's normal, right?
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But I think I know what you mean. [Her pride was hurt when Yu told her about Minato. It's normal. Despite that she doesn't seem to want to continue that line of conversation and instead finishes up and turns away from the mirror to face him with the rest of her make-up on and her hair thrown up. She practically bounces off of the seat and toward the closet, slipping a see-through blouse on over the camisole before stopping in front of her bed where Leon is. She stares at him for a moment, critically analyzing him even with a slight smile. Leon...likes someone here. And that's okay. She doesn't have to think about it because it's not her business. If he wants to tell her who, that's up to him. She shouldn't be jealous about it. It's not like she could ever explain herself to him either.
So instead, she holds out her hands to him to pull him up.] You ready?
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[Damn, she's beautiful. His voice comes out a little weaker than normal; he's distracted getting a good look at Rise in full Rise-mode. Perfect hair and makeup, cute clothes, perky energy. Not that she doesn't look good all the time—that's one of the principal truths of girls, he's always thought, that a girl who's attractive stays attractive no matter what she does. She could have bedhead and no makeup and be wearing sweats and she'd be friggin' adorable. Better yet, she could be wearing one of his shirts, and nothing else, that'd be nice—
He takes her hands and has a moment where he considers pulling on her instead to topple her onto the bed on top of him. Just for play. Nothing weird or serious. Maybe he'd tickle her sides a little to make her squirm and laugh, and she'd be soft and wiggly under him (hadn't she started out on top in this flight of fancy? eh, things change) and . . .
That's not the kind of thing he can think about too long and then be in public, so he cuts it off and gets to his feet instead, grinning up—and then down—at her.]
I've been ready! You look good.
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Even with Leon on his feet now and at his full height she doesn't let go of his hands immediately. Rather, she's holding both of them and swinging them for a moment before flashing another cheery grin at him.]
Thanks! And thanks for being cool about waiting...I can't think of a lot of boys who would. [That isn't entirely true but hey. From there, she's leading him out of the room to grab her shoes and her purse.] But you think it's worth it, don't you?
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[He winks over at her, letting himself be led along and outside.]
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[He thinks for a moment that's what she means, but then he remembers the context of the date, a second too late to catch himself. Whoops. He just amends it, laughing:]
Oh yeah, the ramen! I was gonna say . . . anyway, is it really that spicy? You sure you can take it?
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I don't think you should be worrying about if I can take it. The spice is the best part but some people think it ruins it.
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I had no idea you were that kinda girl, ha ha! I don't meet a lot o' girls like that. Pretty cool, Rise-chan!
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Not enough people appreciate finer tastes! [A pause.] And you get used to things like this when you get cast in commercials and people want you to endorse their products. I've tried a lot of things before. This is a piece of cake!
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[Aw yeah, showbiz life. Or, more pertinently right now, cute lunch date life. He links his hand with hers and keeps hold of it, walking close to her side and watching her bounce along. She's so cute . . . ]
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They had me dress up as a flight attendant once. Does that count? I think I still have the outfit at home, too...a lot of companies want idols to endorse their stuff because of their popularity. Some of these things aren't even that good for you.
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[He winks at her, leaning briefly up against her side. A flight attendant . . . not the most conducive to fantasies, but not like, unworkable, either.]
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Should we get a table or sit at the bar?
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It's gotta be the bar! That's part of the ramen experience! It smells sooooo good in here . . . damn, I haven't had ramen in a while, it's one o' my faves!
[A B-ranked gift according to the present guide.]
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You should have told me...I would have brought you out sooner! [And also it would have been more excuses to spend time with Leon.] Cerealia's great for trying new things but sometimes you just want stuff from home, you know? [She starts to drag him to the bar.] I didn't really get to have ramen much back home either with my schedule. Only sometimes.
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[He slides up onto the seat on the right, dangling his legs. The bar is half the fun.]
Any time you got room in your busy schedule for me, I'll come eat ramen or anything else you want, Rise-chan!
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When I was working all the time take-out was the only way to go. Actually getting to sit down and eat somewhere was pretty rare because I was always so busy, so making my own schedule here has been great. [She smiles though.] I'll always make room for you. But it doesn't always have to be ramen, you know? [She's lifting a hand to flag down a server to procure a menu.] That's half the fun of going out. You try new places and new things.
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[He winks at her, grabbing a menu when they're offered and flipping it open on the counter. Of course he was already winning, if it's time spent with Rise.]
I'm not tryin' any crazy alien stuff, though. Just sayin'!
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[IT'S CERESFLIX AND CHILL. HELL YEAH.
Okay, she's probably not actually proposing that, but it's still a pretty thrilling prospect. Him and Rise, cuddling on the sofa, watching some movie and eating pizza or whatever, maybe with his hand up her shirt . . .
He shakes himself back to reality long enough to stare at the menu, but he's gotta try the spicy ramen if she's getting it, right? It'd be uncool to pick something else!]
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Give her time okay.But she's watching him patiently, pleased with herself and more or less studying him for the time being.]
And since you live alone…we wouldn't be interrupted like we would be at my place either. [But that's all she says before she grins.] Ready to order?
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[He is probably signing on for Hell, but at least it's Hell they'll go through together.]