[@Dynamo Frokane] [@Viciousmarrow] Back in her dorm Shizuka got into bed and recounted her dinner with Alban. The food was incredible, while Alban had been charming and observant. He was also a student at the academy, so Shizuka was sure they'd start running into each other more, now that they recognized one another. It turned out that he also worked at her favorite location, the aquarium, though it made her wonder how Nick was doing. He also played Wizardry, which made Shizuka unusually excited for some reason. Maybe it was perfectly normal to have niche hobbies, maybe playing card games wasn't juvenile; after all, Alban was a father, and that required maturity. Shizuka remembered how she had mistakenly believed that Alban was married, even though she should have put more weight on the lack of a ring. It was an embarrassing gaffe, and just thinking about it made Shizuka bury herself under her blanket. But if the dinner wasn't to introduce her to his family, then what was the purpose? Certainly it was to thank her for treating Lucille's injury; but after letting her oblivious nature hurt Nick, Shizuka accepted the possibility that Alban had other intentions, after all, he had asked her on another date. For a moment Shizuka considered the two of them together, but upon realizing where her thoughts were taking her, she snapped herself out of it, noticing how warm it had suddenly become. [i][color=a187be]"You're just a normal, average girl; he's a suave Frenchman,"[/color][/i] her humility reinforced. [i][color=a187be]"H-he said I was interesting,"[/color][/i] another part of her mind countered. [i][color=a187be]"He was just being polite, and he has a kid; he's probably not looking for a relationship,"[/color][/i] her humility argued. [i][color=a187be]"But we have a hobby in common. Maybe he's looking for a wife, and a mother for his daughter,"[/color][/i] she thought. [i][color=a187be]"And can you be all that? Can you be a wife, a mother, and more? After what you did to Nick?"[/color][/i] her humility countered again. [i][color=a187be]"..."[/color][/i] [i][color=a187be]"That's right. You're average, and you're not suited to romance,"[/color][/i] her humility thought with some finality, [i][color=a187be]"You don't hurt him, and he doesn't hurt you; that's for the best."[/color][/i] Shizuka reached over and turned off the lamp on her nightstand and went to sleep. [hr] The following week was full of exams, final projects, and grading. Alban texted her occasionally, and she replied cordially, chatting about her holiday plans. For Christmas, she took a train back out to the countryside to visit her family. While she had no siblings of her own, her family was very close-knit, and while she wasn't the oldest among her cousins, she had from an early age become the responsible one, often taking care of her younger cousins while her aunts and uncles were busy. It was from here that her housekeeping skills blossomed. It was certainly a time for celebration as a cousin of her's who was close in age, Satomi, had a child recently. Satomi's husband, Kyousuke, was Shizuka's classmate in high school. He had begged her to introduce him to Satomi, and she did, doing all in her power to help them get together. There was something cathartic, when it came time to let Shizuka hold the child, which brought tears to her eyes. After that, Shizuka decided she couldn't stay any longer, the same reason she went to Shine City in the first place. Of course, she didn't make a scene, payed everyone their respects, and quietly excused herself, making up some excuse that she couldn't stay for New Year's, and promising she'd come back at the next opportunity. As much as she loved her family, she needed to be alone; being back home, the loss of youthful innocence and the regret of time wasted stung too freshly. It was so much easier not having to think about what might be missing in her life, to bury herself in busy work, to strive for some distracting, far-flung goal, like a graduate degree. [hr] New Year's Eve 4:00 PM Shizuka had received an unusual text from Alban earlier in the day, one that was unusually forward, even a little raunchy. Shizuka was feeling mildly distressed, not so much for the contents of the text, but for the fact that she had replied 'yes' in the heat of the moment. She wondered if it was a joke, and if her quick, affirmative response made her seem 'easy' and stupid. And yet, here she was picking out a dress for the ball. [hider=Dress][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/3c/5f/74/3c5f741ba767571618864edb63702d19.jpg[/img][/hider] But she needed a mask. looking around the room, her eyes fell on the formless bust that stood out like a sore thumb on her desk. She remembered when she was just starting out playing Wizardry, she had gone to Lancom Arcade to witness a card tournament. There had been an audience raffle, where they were giving away pop culture paraphernalia. She had gotten, essentially, a replica helmet for a character from the Iron Gear: Gaseous franchise. [hider=The Helmet][img]http://i.imgur.com/oF6w6.jpg[/img][/hider] Shizuka put on the helmet and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked ridiculous, and would look even more so with the kimono on. Then she got another text from Alban, explaining that the previous text had been from his meddling mother, which made her chuckle, and relax a bit, glad to see that he was still close to his parents. He still wanted to take her to the ball. She looked in the mirror, then back to her phone, then at the mirror again. Then, in her unusually traditional mind, formed an unusually modern thought:[h1][color=a187be]YOLO[/color][/h1] Shizuka texted him back, [color=a187be]"I'd love to go with you, I'm picking out my dress right now,"[/color] giving no indication that she was maybe a little more adventurous than she's ever been in her life.