[IC] Welcome To Shine City (Season 1)

[dreamyteatime]

April made sure her front door was locked before starting the (fairly short) walk towards her work. She was listening to music which allowed her mind to wander, and almost inevitably it fell on her least favourite subject- Andy.

Andy was a boy April met in the summer after she'd finished high school. He was seemingly perfect, and they were into all the same music, same films, basically the same everything. April fell head over heels in love with him, and she thought he had fallen for her too. She was torn apart when she found out that he was cheating on her.

April shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts of him. I need to stop thinking about him...he isn't worth it! He hurt me, i'll admit it. But that's in the past. I need to look into the future. After arriving at the Mochavine Cafe & Bar, April tugged her earphones out of her ears and gently put her phone in her bag. She walked in, and stopped for a moment to look around the cafe. By the window was a cute boy that April sometimes saw here, usually drinking coffee and reading. She tore her eyes away from him, hoping that he didn't catch her staring! April dumped her bag in the staff room before bumping into Rosanna and greeting her with a smile and a friendly "Hey!"

[MyCatGinger]

"Trying to impress someone, mm, Rosanna?" Shou leaned his cheek in his palm, elbow against the table as he lazily smirked over at Rosanna patting down her hair and fixing her clothes as best she could. His half-lidded eyes only widened when she told him that there was no more strawberry cheesecake, to which he picked his head off up his palm, and used the same two fingers to get rid of his lollipop stick, now reduced to just a white skeleton of what it formerly was. He grabbed a tissue from the little holders on each desk and wrapped the stick in it, garbage to be thrown away later. "Heh. Someone coming in to see you, soon?"

Pausing for just a beat when she told him the new options, he sighed rather dramatically before drumming the fingers of his free-hand against the desk whilst he considered. Since the cheesecake was out, and he wanted something rich to go with the coffee, the black forest cake it would have to be, "I'll take the black forest then. Those darn kids, they'll end up eating everything in this place except you one day."
And here he chuckled, "Actually, no. They probably will, after all that cake. A sweet girl like you? Great dessert."

It was true. Shou had known Rosanna ever since she started working at the Mochavine. She was sporty, spunky and full of life more often than not, and Shou told her more often than not that she was more of an outdoorsy girl, full of fields and beaches and parties on the beach, that she must have been some sort of party-mermaid in her past life.

Among her babbling, Shou sleepily caught the mention of her name, and then it finally did click why she called him Professor more often than not. He was used to it, seeing as he was called it about five days a week for an achingly long period of time. "Shou Matsuoka? Yeah, that guy, huh? Real big-shot with the ladies..."

"Nick is definitely an interesting boy. He doesn't pay his studies much heed, I'm afraid, but he's a good kid. He's got this addiction to bubble-gum that I'm starting to worry might be fatal." he mused, "Otherwise? He has the most interesting hair I've seen in a while. Dyed purple, and this lovely shade of blue. I suppose he isn't bad-looking...He really is such a flirt, but I'm sure he probably has a girlfriend already. He gets just as many love-letters on a daily basis as this Professor Shou, I can assure you that. They fall out of his desk in my class, too. With all that flirting he does, I bet she must get jealous. He mentioned you on the radio this morning, actually."
Shou glanced out blankly through the window, watching the world go by and avoiding Rosanna's gaze. Nick wasn't wrong. She was a real sun kissed beauty. He began to wonder if he was really out of her league or not, when the bell on the door chimed softly and the woman with the beautiful pink hair stepped in. Though he was taken by her, if only for a couple of seconds, with a little grunt he tore his eyes away as well, sighing a little as he did. How old was she? 20? 21?
I'm getting too old for this to be funny.

He couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to her.
Alessandra.

"Suppose that's the end of your shift, huh, Rosanna?" laying his cheek back in his palm, he looked over at the young woman with the same lazy smile from earlier. "I'll make sure to tell Nick he's got some little ladies very curious as to what he's like. I'm sure I'll see him in my class. In my Biology class."
He paused, and feigned a nonchalant yawn, stretching out his arms and mid-stretch letting his gaze find Rosanna's again. He gave her a little wink, "Professor Shou Matsuoka's Biology class, to be more specific. Checkmate, little lady."

Though he found himself more focused on April. Usually, he'd pop in and never be able to catch her name, because he was either too focused on a book or caught Rosanna just as she was leaving, so had no real need to speak to her. This time, however, it seemed like she would be the one bringing Shou his cake and coffee.
"Good afternoon, Miss April."
He fumbled with the name, only catching it on a beat from Rosanna's lips when she mentioned her.
Don't want to make a bad impression, of course.

[Saarebas]

Arty walked with the older man, who went by Shou, as he made his way to the bus stop. He noticed Shou trying his best to hold back and cover up his laughter, Arty found it rather funny. The fiery haired fellow never had a problem with people laughing at his blunders before, he had become quite use to it by now and actually found that laughing at his own mistakes made them a lot easier to handle. He joined in with the smaller man's laugh, though Arty's own was more of a hearty chuckle than a smirk, only stopping when Shou accepted Arty's handshake. Arty gave Shou a large grin as he shook his hand, though it faded into a puzzled look as he realized that the professor had handed him something. Looking it over didn't seem to help Arty figure out what he was just handed, he might of never had Shou not explain to him it helps with burns. "Oh thanks mate. This is real good of yo' to do." Arty said, regaining his smile and giving a Shou a quick nod as he slipped the sachet into his pocket. As the bus pulled up and Shou gave him a goodbye Arty held two fingers up to his head in a slight saluting manor. "Ay I look forward to talkin' to yo' next week mate." He said before he turned and stepped onto the bus.

Arty knew the bus route like the back of his hand because he had been using it for what felt like ages. He knew every twist and turn that would be taken, every bump and bounce that was coming, and every sudden stop and jerk that the driver would make. Despite all of that Arty still refused to take a seat, preferring to let someone else have it while he held on to one of the many hand rails hanging from the roof of the bus. This particular ride was extra bumpy, Arty had to catch himself a few times in order to keep himself from falling face first onto the less than hygienic floor. After about twenty or so minutes Arty arrived at the gym, though after being tossed around more than he would of liked. "I really do need my own car." He said with a chuckle as he walked into the gym.

"Oi Devin 'ow are yo'?" Arty said in a jolly voice to the man behind the counter. Devin chuckled before telling Arty that he was fine and it was good to see him again. Arty always liked Devin, he was a nice guy, in fact Devin was the one that got Arty working out in this gym in the first place. After a little talk Arty made his way to the changing room and to his personal locker. He changed out into a tight fitting white muscle shirt, a set of dark blue gym shorts, and a pair of rather old looking sneakers. "Lets do this." Arty said to himself as he exited the locker room, doing some stretches as he did so.

[Narcotic Dollie]

"Slow down there, darlin'," Nori laughed, rocking up onto her tiptoes and patting the other girl affectionately on the shoulder. "Yes there's internet and you can move in as soon as you're ready. And I will love you forever if you'll help me with the laundry, but I won't make you do all the cleaning by yourself," the blonde answered, rocking back down and putting a hand on her hip. "I work at Club LUSH as a DJ, which is why I'm covered in glitter. The boys like it when I'm sparkly. Well, I guess some of the girls like it too," Nori paused here to give the taller girl a playful wink.

"From Afar is my second favorite manga and I have absolutely no opinion on turtles," Nori finished, honey colored eyes flicking over to the clock on the wall. Shit, she was gonna be late if she didn't get going soon. "Kameyo, huh? Nice to meet you, roomie," the blonde said, before nodding her head toward the front door. "I'm gonna have to go to work now. The spare key is on the dining table and I think there is some...carrots in the fridge. Actually, I might have eaten those yesterday," Nori chuckled, rubbing at her upper arm self consciously.

The petite blonde started to head out for work but paused, turning to look back at her new roommate. "You're over 21, right?" Nori asked, tilting her head to the side. "You should come with me tonight. It's a great way to meet new people," the girl offered.

Grabbing the spare keys from the table, Nori offered them to Kameyo before she herded the blue haired student out of the apartment. Locking the door, Nori walked over to the street and let out a wolf whistle, causing a taxi-cab to appear almost out of thin air. Opening the rear passenger door, Nori paused and waited for Kameyo to catch up. "C'mon Kame-girl, let's get you out on the town!"

[Dolerman]

Rosanna's manic hair patting didn't go unnoticed, the handsome professor even made a cheeky comment asking her if she was expecting to impress anyone which just made her giggle nervously as she cut a slice of black forest cake and placed it onto the plate. He responded to her questions in a calm and authoritative voice, it was soothing and sexy at the same time. Rosanna cursed herself for not wearing something a little nicer today. But managed to stay casual and chatty as she served his order of coffee and cake.

Blue and purple hair? really? Hmm I'm not one for over the top colours in hairstyles personally but I bet April would..

The bell rang as April came through the front door ready to start the late afternoon/evening shift looking beautiful as ever as she took out her headphones and went into the staff room, greeting her as she walked past her. A strong sense of releif washed over Rosanna as she finally got to leave work and get home for a much needed shower but not before the professer hit her with a bombshell. Shou Matsuoka's Biology class....is HIS biology class! Rosanna had really done it this time.

Ahh ha, yeahh of course Professer Matsuoka, I knew that, I was curious to see if that Shou was someone who stole your identity, or was a doppleganger... or ummm, Oh look at that my shift is over! I gotta run

Rosanna's beautiful hispanic complexion was glowing as red as a stop-light as she fumbled over her words and ran into the staffroom to get her bag. She returned April's sweet smile but then got very close and grabbed her hand and leaned towards her.

April, I did it again, I made an idiot out of myself in front of another cute guy! If he asks about me tell him I was running a high fever or something. I'm not blonde enough for the reputation that I'm quickly getting as an airhead its not fair, I'm totally new to this city! You look great by the way, I'm gonna be wearing that dress you gave me last week to LUSH tonight, I know you dont clock off till midnight but pop in if you can okay?

Rosanna rushed out the back entrance so she wouldn't have to face the professor that she embarrassed herself in front of and jumped into her Chevrolet and drove back to her apartment, catching a little bit of Nick Weston's ridiculously catchy tune on the radio before getting in the shower, her mind wandered about her interesting day and who she might see at the CLUB LUSH tonight and what sort of tunes that Nori Haywood will be spinning tonight.

As she finished up in the shower she decided to text April with a picture message:

Hay gurrrl! so good 2 finally b clean! I Feel like a new Rosa!! :) How much would you bet me to show up like I am right now...

Showeeerrr Selfiieee

LOL JK JK, I'D Never go out like this! imagine if dat hot teacher saw me...actually lets not imagine that! hahah catch you later :) xoxoxoxo -Rosanna

[Roecoon]

Kameyo blushed as Nori patted her on the shoulders. I'm so embarrassed! She still listened to her answers with relief. Nori seems like a really nice person. Maybe they could even be friends! Kameyo was never very good at making friends so it was pretty exciting! It made a lot more sense that she was a DJ. Oh! That's right she was mentioned on the radio! Now it was clear why she slept so late and was covered in glitter. "The boys like it when I'm sparkly. Well, I guess some of the girls like it too," Kameyo giggled a little at the gesture. " Well you are rather pretty, so i suppose you get hit on all the time."

So she likes my manga and doesn't hate turtles, this is going well! Kameyo was pleasantly surprised how flexible she was with the time frame. She accepted the keys and quickly shuffled out the door. Hopefully she hadn't made her late. She made a mental note to go shopping tomorrow right after class. Maybe she would do something nice for Nori. After all she did just show up out of nowhere. "You're over 21, right?" Kame nodded and stuttered a bit as nori walked away "B-but I've never..." Hey. It would be rude to turn down her offer, besides it's not like you have anything else to do, use this opportunity to get to know your new roommate.
Sure you'd be SURROUNDED by random people, but it could be fun right?

When they got into the car Kame decided this would be a good time to introduce herself a bit more. Kameyo looked out the window and let out a relived sigh "Thanks a lot, i've been wanting to move out of the dorms for awhile now. Would tomorrow be alright? Oh and don't worry I don't mind cleaning really, i'm actually pretty good at it."Kameyo looked down and twiddled her thumbs" I...only ask about the turtles because i have a lot of turtle things...i think they're cute. I'm really glad you have internet,...you see I actually work from home. The kids at the academy make it a bit difficult to concentrate. It can get pretty loud at times." Kameyo blushed a little and pulled a bit at her pigtail." Actually i'm a manga artist, and I actually made From afar....so i was glad you liked it."

[Knight of Doom]

Amaya left the locker room fully clean and ready to go to work. She checked her phone for the time. 1hour, that was just enough time to walk to work at a pace that wouldn't get her sweaty. Which reminded her, she should probably get her car fixed, she had no knowledge of cars and if she wanted-"Oof!" The sound came out of Amaya's mouth as she whacked face first into a sturdy object. Her phone fell from her hands and her bag slipped off her arm with a loud THUD. It took her a moment to blink away the stars and to clear her jostled head, when she realized she had fell down and landed on her butt. Finally, she looked up to see what she ran into. She probably looked ridiculous right now.

Then it dawned on her, she ran head first into a person. The pillar of a man looked practically unfazed at what had just occurred. "I'm so sorry!" Amaya squeaked. His flaming red hair suddenly made her realize that she knows him some where. But where? She wasn't quite sure, but she definitely didn't want to get on this guy's bad side. Even if she did know martial arts, any wrong move and she'd probably end up in the ER. Especially in the condition she was in.

She should probably get up, but she stared at the lumbering male. She couldn't shake the feeling that she has at least heard of him from someone. "Think, Amaya, think!" She mentally scolded herself. She stared harder as if the answers would come if she just saw the right thing. "Let's see, red hair, thick beard, tan-ish skin, hazel eyes, scars, a lot of muscle..." At this point it was almost infuriating that she couldn't figure it out.

[Stern Algorithm]

Shizuka heard her name come on the radio and was distracted for a moment when Jake started telling her about the 'Karma Contest', letting him place the $300 in her hand. Hearing her name on the radio while being told at the same time that she was on camera was overwhelming to say the least, causing her to pull back in anxiety; strong enough to be felt, but not strong enough to break Jake's grip on her hand. Shizuka's left hand went up to her chest as she closed her eyes tightly, her knees shaking slightly. However, after this initial moment of apprehension, Shizuka took a breath, regained her composure, and gently returned Jake's handshake out of propriety, trying to avoid looking directly into the camera. While Shizuka may have heard Jake's music here and there around the city, she wasn't that familiar with artists and did not recognize him for the celebrity that he was.

"Th-thank you, sir, but I can't accept this money," Shizuka began, trying to think of how to get out of this awkward situation, but because she was somewhat flustered, she sort of just kept talking, "I-I appreciate and understand what you're trying to do with your show, and I don't mean to be overly critical, but the people more able to give charity are less in need of a cash prize." Shizuka's eyes darted around as she kept trying to think of an easy out when her gaze fell on Jake's discarded cigarette butt. "Ummm, sir...if you want to set a good example for the viewers..." Shizuka's voice dropped to a light whisper, she didn't want to come off as mean, but it had bothered her, "C-could you...throw that...used cigarette into a...proper waste receptacle...?" She blushed, hoping that the man wouldn't take offense or feel humiliated in front of his audience. Shizuka chided herself for just making the situation worse.

[KRAZY J]

Jake let out a long soft breathe that he had been holding hoping she wouldn't notice who he was and it didn't look like she did.'she seems nervous having a bit of a stutter but she was a nice girl pretty too black hair down to the tops of her shoulders he was sure he had seen her at some point but he never really went to the school unless to ask that funny guy on the radio with the awesome hair,Nick Weston was it? I think it was,if he minded airing one of his new songs for he still wrote gotta keep the people happy after all.Wait off track i get distracted to easily this girl I know I've seen her face before but i have seen many faces it had to of been recent I remember the smell of honey vanilla chamomile tea yet he didn't recognize her from his normal stop for tea maybe it was one of the weekends my normal was closed do to remodeling yes that's it the shining kettle that's where I've seen her.'Then she said she couldn't take the money.This kinda startled Jake no one had never not taken the money he gave them he didn't know what to think of it.Then she asked him to pick his cigarette butt and throw it away?For my viewers? Oh! He forgot about the camera and the karma contest all together.This girl he didn't know who she was or her name but she was very nice so Jake walked over and picked up his cigarette butt and threw it in the trash can.Then he walked back over to to the girl and with a sigh."Yes I see your point but I don't think this was a charity you were planning so I'm afraid you will have to take the money plus It is required that your good karma be repaid.If you don't take the money and pardon me miss not to sound like a dick.... but I will drop it down your shirt."'she was too nice he had to give her the money she had already proved she would have done the same it was the reason she walked over here and with her being nervous she will except the money now she would not take the latter' Probably not the smoothest or best way but it should work or she'll just slap him but sometimes Jake gets carried away especially when it comes to beautiful woman but as his dad used to tell him "Being a dick is like having one you gotta let it out sometimes or you'll go crazy"Jake chuckled a little bit at that memory but it faded quickly as it was a memory of his dad."Sorry i get carried away sometimes i didn't mean to sound like a perv but you deserve this money and I had to think quick and sadly if it weren't for the gutter my mind would be homeless"He closed the camera as if to turn it off,took off his glasses for it was a good bet she had no idea who he was and probably didn't care at this point plus his glasses were collecting the sweat dripping from his forehead,and held out the $300 determined not to put his hand down till she took it.

[Saarebas]

Arty was going through his stretches as he walked down the corridor leading from the locker rooms to the gym floor. He started with his arms, fist pulling one across his broad chest for a few moments then bending it behind his head. He then moved onto his legs, taking long steps that brought his knee to the floor with each one. Arty may have looked more than a bit funny doing this, but he had long mastered the stretch-on-the-go technique as he liked to call it in order to keep up with his cluttered schedule. He had just moved onto stretching one of his legs behind him as he used the other for balance when he felt something bump into the back of him. It didn't do much to put Arty off balance, it would be hard for anything to do that, but Arty turned to see what it was regardless. Much to his surprise it was an actual person, that surprise quickly turned to worry. "Oh I'm so sorry miss." He said as he quickly got out of his stretching position and kneeled down next to the girl. "Are yo' alright? I didn't hurt yo' did I?" He said, the concern more than clear in his voice. He looked the girl over, looking for any injuries that he may have caused by his not paying attention. He didn't see anything too serious, but he did notice that this girl seemed a bit worse for wares though that wouldn't of been caused by bumping into someone regardless of how hard. As he continued to look the girl over, his eyes full of worry, he realized he recognized this girl. He had seen her around the gym a few times, though she didn't come as nearly as often as Arty did she did show up about once a week. Arty didn't recall her name, most likely because he never asked for it. He eventually pulled himself out his thoughts and refocused on the girl in front of him. He offered her a hand up. "Let me 'elp you up Miss, it's the least I can do."

[dreamyteatime]

April stopped as Rosanna grabbed her and told her: "April, I did it again, I made an idiot out of myself in front of another cute guy! If he asks about me tell him I was running a high fever or something. I'm not blonde enough for the reputation that I'm quickly getting as an airhead its not fair, I'm totally new to this city! You look great by the way, I'm gonna be wearing that dress you gave me last week to LUSH tonight, I know you dont clock off till midnight but pop in if you can okay?" April opened her mouth to reply but Rosanna had already hurried away. April shook her head smiling. Rosanna was always telling her that she'd done something silly in front of a cute guy, but in reality she probably just looked adorable- she always did to guys. Still, Rosanna was such a good friend to her, April thought it was the least she could do to make an excuse for her apparently "idiotic" behavior! April made a mental note to speak to the cute guy with the coffee and the book.

After tending to a few customers and cleaning a couple of tables, April decided to take a break. She sat down in the staff room and browsed her phone. A text from Rosanna had appeared, with a shower selfie and cute message. April giggled and texted back:
Hey Rosaaa!! Can't wait until i'm out of here-- this shift is driving me insane :((( Hoping to go to LUSH tonight, see you there xoxoxoxoxo Having texted Rosanna, April returned to working. She walked out of the staff room and made a beeline for the cute guy with the coffee and the book. She started off the conversation with a casual "Hi Sir, can I help you?" and a sweet smile.

[Narcotic Dollie]

"Thanks a lot, i've been wanting to move out of the dorms for awhile now. Would tomorrow be alright? Oh and don't worry I don't mind cleaning really, i'm actually pretty good at it," the other girl explained quietly, her hands held together in her lap. Nori smiled fondly at Kameyo, already liking her sweet disposition. Working at the club, the DJ didn't meet many people who weren't super outgoing, crude, or obnoxious, so it was refreshing to meet someone who seemed to be the complete opposite. 'I think I'm going to like living with her,' the blonde mused as she watched the blue eyed girl.

"I'm really glad you have internet,...you see I actually work from home...," Kameyo explained before fiddling with the ends of her pigtails."Actually i'm a manga artist, and I actually made From afar....so i was glad you liked it."

"Wha...?" Nori started, gaping openly at the other girl. "You illustrate 'From Afar'!?" the petite girl squeaks, completely blindsided by this information. Nori's hands start to shake from her excitement and she starts speaking hurriedly, her words rushing together,"Your-artwork-is-beautiful-I-can't-believe-I'm-going-to-live-with-you-Am-I-going-to-get-to-see-the-new-issues-before-they-come-out-Will-you-sign-my-mang--."

"Miss," the cab driver interrupts Nori's star struck ramblings, giving her a knowing smirk through the rear view mirror. "We're here," he said, motioning toward the building. It was still thirty minutes before they opened and the line was already wrapped halfway around the building.

"Er, right," Nori laughs before swallowing hard and trying to get a hold of herself. She pays the taxi and slides out, waiting for her new roommate to follow. "Right, so stick close to me and I'll get you in fine. My shift ends right at ten thirty, so if you're partied out by then we can go home or we can stay, completely up to you," the DJ explained, leading Kameyo around back and through the staff entrance. Someone had turned on the house music already and dimmed the lights. "Feel free to mingle and dance, but if you start to get over whelmed you can always find me at the sound booth," she continued, shooting the other girl a reassuring grin and giving her a playful punch in the arm. "Go have some fun, darlin'!"

[Knight of Doom]

Amaya was startled back into reality at the man's offer to help her up. "Oh, uh, thanks," She sputtered, accepting his hand. When he pulled her up, it was almost as if he was picking up a tiny kitten. There was almost no effort needed for him. It was a seemingly flawless movement. "Um, I really am sorry about that," She said, picking up her phone and bag. Amaya turned on her phone to make sure it was working, and to check the time. Oh no! She was going to be late! "Sorry, but I have to go. Um I'll make it up to you?" She blundered her way through her words, trying to get out of there as fast as possible. Then she nearly sprinted out of the gym."Oh,Bye!" She called out over her shoulder.

Once she exited the building, Amaya slowed to more of a power walk. The bright red girl's mind was going a mile a minute. Gosh, if one could die from embarrassment, she would have died 10 times by now. Amaya couldn't believe she sat there staring at him! Plus she babbled like an idiot, and didn't even give a reason for leaving! He, whoever he was, probably thought she hated him, and was a rude person. She didn't even get his name after promising to make it up to him. That made Amaya a liar in his eyes also. She outwardly groaned. That exchange could not have gone worse.

But still, Amaya felt as if she should now him from somewhere... Hmm. As the blonde pondered this thought she retrieved her roommate's slightly squashed sandwich. Wait a second, her roommate! That's it! A week ago, Amaya's roommate, Rachel, had tried to get into Club LUSH with a fake ID because it was only a couple months until the girl turned 21anyways. But the bouncer turned her away. The bouncer, according to Rachel, had been a huge bulk of muscles with fiery red hair and scary scars. If memory served, that bouncer's name was Arty! Well, at least she figured that part out.

Finally she arrived at work. By this time the flustered young adult, and calmed some of her nerves. There was no use worrying about it now. Checking the clock, Amaya realized she had some time, so she applied some simple elegant make up and changed into the beautiful kimono that was the restaurant's uniform.

Amaya's Work Uniform

The now confident girl clocked in and began to serve customers as they filed into the adequately filled restaurant.

[Stern Algorithm]

Shizuka watched as Jake tossed the cigarette butt. She was glad to see he wasn't offended; some people could get angry at the smallest criticisms, especially if it was in front of other people. But then Jake again offered her the $300, threatening to shove it down her shirt if she didn't accept. "V-very well, i-if you put it that way," Shizuka stuttered, blushing, feeling embarrassed and maybe even a little violated. Maybe it was sexual harassment, but more than likely it was just a sort of crude humor to accompany the show, so Shizuka decided to let it slide. She tenderly reached for the money, seeing it as the quickest, and possibly only way out of this escalating mess.

When he apologized and put the camera away, Shizuka relaxed a bit, and smiled slightly at his joke about his mind living in the gutter, though realized the somewhat inappropriate nature of the joke given the fact Jake was (to her knowledge) pretending to be homeless. When he took off his sunglasses, she looked into his eyes momentarily, then averted her gaze to not seem rude; also, she had seen something unsettling. She did wonder for a moment why he put the camera away, since she thought these sorts of shows usually kept filming; they could always cut away to something else, or edit it in post-processing, but she didn't question it. "I-I hope my reluctance to accept your prize didn't diminish the entertainment value of your program," Shizuka apologized, feeling that this level of awkwardness did not make for good television.

[KRAZY J]

Jake let his spontaneous smile dim to a slight smile"Again I'm sorry I just don't do well around girls that often that's why i chose...."He stopped in his tracks 'no don't say anything she doesn't know who you are dumbass try to keep it together it looks like shes about to leave then you can finish your rum and head to club lush to meet up with arty before he has to work plus tomorrow you need to talk to awesome hair about your new single wait she DOESN'T know who I am I could hangout with someone who i won't need to worry about reporters or journalists or fans or haters?No probably not at this point she probably thought he was just a game show perv plus she seemed extremely unnerved I'm probably making her uncomfortable I should let her go and finish my bottle,and smoke a cig.'"....To-to run this game show but I will be shutting it down so you don't have to worry about seeing it on the internet or anything and I should be heading home I need to fix my......fridge it's going out"'DUMBASS!!! Fix your fridge how do you fix a fridge just smile and when she leaves chug the rest of that bottle and go get a new one,say hi to arty,and come back.'

[Roecoon]

As Nori got out of the taxi Kameyo tipped him. She has always thought you should tip people when you can. Kame was beaming, she didn't look for praise, but she was glad she could impress Nori. So far she felt like she'd mostly been a huge dork. When she got out she searched her wallet for her I.D. and had it out and ready. "Feel free to mingle and dance, but if you start to get over whelmed you can always find me at the sound booth," Kameyo wasn't very familiar with mingling, but she could try. She had never been to Lush before, but she had heard about it on the radio and seen videos. I'm not sure I can dance in front of people. I mean the only time I've danced is alone in my room. She appreciated the thought of taking shelter at the sound booth, but she didn't want to interrupt Nori at work.

"Go have some fun, darlin'!" That's right, Nori would feel bad if I didn't have a good time. Kameyo then began to plan. As she walked with Nori she was thinking, Dancing might be embarrassing but people might be less inclined to talk to me if they think I'm busy. Also maybe if I keep moving around, they'll think I have somewhere to be, and leave me be. As they got closer the nerves started to build again. ...Maybe a few drinks wouldn't hurt as well. I'll just have to finish them off as soon as I get them so I don't get, what was the word...spiked! That was it. She wondered how many people were going to be there and if she would know anybody. She smiled, But at least she knew one person.

As they walked up to the doors, Kameyo was rather impressed. The place was huge! She could tell from looking in the doors it looked even bigger on the inside, it even had two floors! I bet a ton of people could fit in there. like literally, a ton of people. She stood at the entrance with her mouth open a little. Was she really prepared for this? Then she vaguely wondered who she should pay the entrance fee to, and who she is supposed to check in with. Kame didn't want her roommate to get in trouble. She turned to Nori and said "Hey, how much is the fee to get in?"

[MyCatGinger]

Oh God.
Shou's brown eyes keenly tracked the movements of the young lady with the pink hair, in what seemed to be moments from the time in which Rosanna disappeared into the staff room and, quite probably, home for her shift. It had only just hit the young professor that he probably never spoke to April before, and when she asked how she could help, his eyes frantically scanned the table in front of him. Rosa had already delivered the cake and coffee, so there was truly no need for the young lady to hang around.
But for some reason, Shou just wouldn't let that pass as easily.
"I...err." he paused, subconsciously biting his bottom lip as he weighed the options.
Order something new?
Say no, but ask her name? No, that's insanely creepy. She's also wearing a name-tag.
Get another cake? There's nothing else...
Unless...

"I...err, my c-coffee!" he blurted, cheeks barely a hue of pink. "Err, what I meant was, uhh...Rosanna must have forgotten to add the milk and sugar to my coffee! See! It's...it's black!"
He cursed himself internally. Whether sacrificing the perfect coffee for a chance to make the moment any less awkward was a good decision or not would be known to Shou later. He sheepishly looked away, as if something outside caught his attention, his voice in a softer tone now. It evidently shook, exposing him for his personal awkwardness and generally introverted personality. "That is...um. Please, Miss April. If you could fetch me some sugar and...some milk."
Did people even order milk on the side? His lack of experience with the very act failed him.

[Dolerman]

Nick changed into his jeans and stripy 'going out' shirt as his watch turned to 10:00PM. It was time to hit the Shine Junction, and attempt to make his way to the high street, hoping to maybe poke his head in Club LUSH before getting thrown out, it sucked being one of the most famous voices in town but not being able to go to the one place most of his fans will be on a weekend!

That being said Nick was happy that he could keep his mouth shut and nobody would know who he was when he wanted to stay incognito. As he approached the Shine City Bar street he snapped up a stick of blackcurrant flavored bubblegum which felt right as the night sky was dark. Nick theorized he might have taken up chewing gum so much to keep himself from talking so much, a useful addiction. His other addiction was beginning to itch, the addiction to broadcast on air. He couldnt help it, and he was enabled that his smart phone allowed him to run his radio show on air. So he found a small alleyway and got on his portable mic.

Its 10:15pm here in Shine Junction, and I'm telling you the streets are hot! the most beautiful people from the social upper echelon of shine city are littering the streets, why you ask? well only because Aoi Iwata is rumored to be coming to shine city for a secret signing party! yes THE Aoi Iwata In our very own home town! Wooo I am excited and I haven't even hit the bars yet! Some of the show's fans have spotted the lovely pink haired April working in the Mochavine Cafe alongside Rosanna I have to tell you, whoever that manager is must have some amazing taste to hire the most cutest women he can find to be baristas! Time for our very own Weston's Suggestions Folks are you having too much cake at the Mochavine Cafe? be sure to burn those Calories off at the shine city Gym, and not just to check out the very impressive bodies of people like Arty Grant and Amaya Tsukino although a little incentive never hurt right? ;P Anyway guys I better get moving if I ever hope to experience a bit of the nightlife so I'll leave you with this tune as you make your way to the all night party! Signing out! Later!

[Narcotic Dollie]

Nori waved her hand, dismissing the other girl's offer to pay. "Don't worry about it, you're with me. My boss doesn't mind when I bring friends, as long as they're hot girls," Nori informed, grinning wolfishly. "Now I've gotta get up there or they're gonna send out a search party. Remember, I'm right here if you need me," the tiny DJ repeated, before giving Kameyo another pat on the arm and bounding over to the sound desk. The doors where going to open any minute and she had to make sure the table was set up properly before then.

"Cutting it awful close there, Nori," Mr. Beauregard grumbled, seemingly materializing out of the shadows. It took every once of her self restraint not to roll her eyes.

"Sorry, boss," Nori replied, brushing her golden hair behind her ears and draping her headphones around her neck. "I was just showing my new roommate around," the twenty two year old explained, pointing a well manicured finger at Kameyo. Mr. Beauregard studied the blue haired girl from across the room before humming appreciatively under his breath.

"Alright, I guess I'll let it go. But you'll never get the prime time spot if you don't put more effort into your clothes," the assistant manager explained, raising a bushy brow at her wardrobe.

"What's wrong with my dress?"

"I can barley see your boobs."

"Most of the material is see through!"

"I need your cleavage to be easily seen from the dance floor," the middle aged man huffed, as if she was the one being ridiculous.

"Got it," Nori said through gritted teeth. 'This man is gonna have me up here in a bikini before this is all said and done,' the florist thought angrily, avoiding eye contact with the other.

"Nick Weston mentioned you on the radio today," Mr. Beauregard said casually, shooting her a meaningful look. Nori's breath caught and she froze, her face flushing a lovely shade of pink. 'Nick Weston knows who I am?' the young woman thought, biting at her lip anxiously. Almost every girl in Shiny City had a crush on the young radio announcer and Nori was no exception. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Mr. Beauregard was smirking knowingly.

"Not a word," she grumbled, before resuming her work.

---Time Warp!---

Ten o'clock found Nori grinning ear to ear and having the time of her life. Her feet ached and her hair was probably a mess from all the dancing she was doing, but the blonde loved every second of it. "That's all the time I have for tonight, my lovelies! DJ Dangermouse will be along shortly, but I'll leave you guys with this little parting gift...," Nori tells the crowd, pressing a button on the sound board and flooding the club with the song, 'Truffle Butter'. "Goodnight Club LUSH! Maybe I'll see you on the dance floor tonight, if you're lucky!"

[Stern Algorithm]

Pre-10:00PM timeskip

When Jake stated that he would not post the video, Shizuka asked, "A-are you sure? Wh-while I'm grateful, still, isn't this your livelihood? Won't you get fired? You can...post it...just...censor out my face or something... I-I mean...sorry, you should get home to your fridge, it's a shame to let good food spoil..." Shizuka bowed towards Jake.

---

Post-10:00PM timeskip

Shizuka got out of her after-dinner shower and changed into her pajamas. Her roommate was out with friends, so Shizuka had the dorm to herself. She poured herself a glass of milk, sat herself down on the couch, opened the book that she had recently started reading, and helped herself to some packets of rice crackers that were on the coffee table, settling in for some light reading before bed.