[IC] Shine City II: The Next Season

[Takashi]

@Delta44@lovely complex
The cat ears sat like a sac of bricks on Yutaro's head. His smiles were strained, his shoulders slumped, and his lines to the cute girls were either weak or non-existent. Hell, his players were even winning tonight. None of the other dealers seemed to be bothered by the addition, and Yutaro wasn't even sure why he was so self-conscious about it. They were just toy ears, nothing too crazy. He went to scratch his head, but his thumb set off that ridiculous twitch feature. SNAP! Yutaro flinched as a young woman took a picture of him, wondering just how many people would now become acquainted with Cataro. Wait isn't she... He took a glance at one of the flyers advertising tonight's performance. It was definitely her.

The significance of what had just happened slowly began to sink in. A pop star had just taken a picture. A pop star that very likely had a social media account. That she would upload pictures to. Of him wearing cat ears. That meant... one hundred dollars! If his picture made it to a celebrity account, then that would definitely be enough publicity to win the boss's challenge. He grinned as he gave the ears another poke, seeing if he could time a wink to the twitch. Maybe these things weren't so bad after all.

Yutaro didn't pay much attention to the performance as the monitors blanketed the casino with Amity's presence. He wasn't exactly into pop music and he often found idol culture a bit excessive, but he supposed she wasn't so bad. "If I am hesitant, nothing will begin," he hummed. OK, it was pretty damn catchy.

"Hello, Yutaro. Nice cat ears!"

That was a voice that could kindle jollity in even a grumpy cat like him. "Ryoki! Nice..." As soon as he looked up and caught a full view of her, he couldn't help but blush. The way that uniform let her hair cascade behind her bare shoulders, the way it outlined every curve of her physique, the way it accentuated her already bountiful assets made him feel tight in his... collar. He cleared his throat to give himself a half a second to recompose himself before he continued. "Hell, nice everything!"

"Do you get a sweet lil tail like I do~? Oh, wait, never mind - your tail is on the front. Maybe I should give the little guy a tug~?"

"Hey now, we're still in public," Yutaro countered, though the grin he gave her was anything but bashful. "But maybe later if you ask me nicely I can show you how to make me purr." She gave him one of those alluring winks as if to say maybe, maybe not before resting on the bench.

"I didn't think working as a waitress would be so tiring, but I'll admit, it's pretty fun. And you can stop drooling, you know, hehe!"

"Heh, sorry, we cats can be easily distracted when thinking about milk." Now it was his turn to chuckle and toss her a wink, which he somehow managed to synchronize with a twitch of his left ear. "But seriously, I'm glad you like it here. It's a hectic business, but the crew here always has your back."

"The night's still young, though. Even so, how goes the blackjack tables? Also, I hear there's like a concert going on or something. What's with that?"

"Ahh, you mean that?" He motioned to the monitor showing Amity's performance. "The boss is always doing stuff like this. A pop star one week, a virtuoso another. You see, we've got our regular customers that'll come here no matter what's going on, but by switching up the entertainment, he can draw in different crowds." Now, Ryoki would see that Yutaro actually had a brain beneath those cat ears. He had spent his few years in the academy well studying business, and his voice filled with a tone of academic excitement as he justified the owner's curious decisions to Ryoki. "You see, ninety-five percent of the people watching the concert right now probably don't identify as gamblers. Look at the crowd, split between younger boys and girls just old enough to get in here, and older businessmen letting off some steam after a tough day of work. Half of them have never pulled a slot machine lever before." He went on to explain how all of the profit from the concert went to the performer, but the surge of business that would result from new players and widespread publicity would earn them huge profits.

Then, Yutaro realized, that the last thing Ryoki came to his table for was to hear him crunch numbers. "Ah, sorry if all that stuff is boring you," he said, rubbing the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed grin, unintentionally causing the ears to twitch. "I guess the boss is rubbing off on me."

[BeastofDestiny]

(Collaboration by BeastofDestiny and @Narcotic Dollie with mention to @lovely complex. Content Warning: Sexual Assault)

After clinking his bottle with hers, Kyle took his shot of rum, the familiar burning feeling running down his throat as he rode it out and let the alcohol settle in his stomach. Fortunately because they ate, he wouldn't get drunk nearly as quickly so he could afford to take another drink or two if he wanted. He started watching the cartoon in front of him, recalling the episode airing as one he watched back in the states, he started snickering as he watched until Nori exclaimed, "Oh, Jesus!"

Kyle jumped, "What!? What wrong!?" Was the weatherman in the room with them? Shit he needed to call the police...no fuck the police he wanted the goddamn military--- “I’ve gotta get more clothes on."

'wut...' he thought as he watched her jump from the couch and escape into his bedroom. Kyle plopped back into the couch, breathing a sigh of relief, 'Jesus this is gonna give me a few gray hairs...'. He continued watching the tv, briefly considering what Nori said, “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you, that just reminds me of my dad. He says only stoners burn incense. Something about it covering the smell of ‘hippie lettuce’? I’ll have to tell him I met someone who can prove him wrong the next time he calls." He sighed, knowing that would have to be a conversation that came up sooner than later...he wasn't sure how she'd take it. “I’m gonna get some water,” Nori said as she came back out, "Alright, glasses are in the cupboard---" Kyle did a double take as he saw the sweatshirt she was wearing before bursting out in laughter, when he regained his composure he said, "Sorry, I just think that's the most awesome sweater I've ever seen." He wasn't kidding either.

He took another swig of rum before hearing Nori from the kitchen ask, “Kyle, you aren’t married, are you?" Kyle chuckled at the question before standing up and walking towards the kitchen, "That's an odd thing to ask. Well if I am, and if she liked it, she shoulda put a ring on it." He laughed a little at his own joke, the alcohol might have been kicked in a little. When he got to the kitchen and saw the look on Nori's face he asked her, "What's wrong?" Noticing she was staring at the fridge, she opened it for him to reveal... 'Well there's my groceries, the usual stuff, milk, eggs, bread, Amity's cake--- oh she doesn't think-- ohhhh.... goddammit'

He threw his head back and groaned in exasperation, how many times had he gone through this now? Every single relationship Kyle had been in since high school Amity had somehow managed to interfere with it either directly or indirectly. He was so used to it by this point that he even had a presentation set up for it, "Come with me, I need to break out my yearbooks." He turned around and strode into his room, not noticing whether Nori followed him or not, he was kind of annoyed to have to do this, this would be the third time he'd have to explain himself to Nori and it wasn't even his fault, again. Kyle enters his room and heads straight for the closet, opening it up he finds a box on the top shelf that he pulls down, its fairly large and cumbersome, but he gets it down. Opening the box he rifles through it, all the while thinking, 'Of course she comes on the day right after I meet a girl, I swear she probably came here because her, 'Kyle has a new girlfriend' senses were tingling'.

Kyle strides out of the room, not even answering her question and he seems irritated at her for some reason, like she’s the one with the ‘Happy Anniversary’ cake in her refrigerator and another girl’s jacket on her bed. “Look, if you’re married, that’s fine, but I’m not into that scene,” she huffs, already slipping her rain boots back on. Dammit, she really liked him too. Kyle was cute, funny, sexy as hell, and apparently very much taken. ’I hope they’re at least in an open relationship,’ Nori thinks as she pulls her coat on. ’His poor wife. God, I’m such a tramp. The other woman, really Nori? Mum would be so proud of me.’

The blonde would have just left, honestly, but her duffle bag was still held hostage in his bedroom. Steeling herself for an awkward conversation, the DJ puts on a brave face and follows after the American. The big man is pulling a box out of the top of his closet, his back still turned to her. “Look, it’s, erm, it’s fine, I get it, if you guys are into swinging, no judgement,” Nori says, rubbing at her arm anxiously as she reaches down to grab her bag and shouldering it briskly. “I know a lot of people who are into that, and it’s cool and all, I’m…I’m just not,” the small girl informs him and to her absolute horror she finds herself tearing up. ’Really Haywood? This is when you decide to get over emotional? Fantastic,’ Nori thinks, staring pointedly at the floor and setting her mouth into a firm line so her lips won’t tremble.

'ah-hah!' Finally Kyle found a small stack of year books, from freshman to senior year. "Perfect, so now I need to- what are you doing?" He noted the shoes and coat on the girl as she retrieves her duffle bag from the corner of the room.

“Look, it’s, erm, it’s fine, I get it, if you guys are into swinging, no judgement.”

"For gods' sake Nori I'm not married, but if I start off this conversation with Amity Bellerose, famous pop idol celebrity superstar gave me that cake and left that coat there," he says pointing to the jacket as he walks over to the bed and plops himself down, "Then you won't believe me until I show you what's in these." He says tapping the books. He folds his arms and stares at Nori giving her a look like he wants to tell her something, but he's concentrating on the words he wants to say.

"Look...I know we've only known each other for a couple of days now and...I know I haven't made the best example of myself in that time," he's referring to the club and the fight as his brow crinkles in memory, "But I wouldn't want to fuck around with anyone like that, especially not you. I know this might be asking a lot right now, but please, trust in me a little more."

He breathed in a little and exhaled softly before opening up the book and flipping through its pages, "If you come and sit with me, you can make fun of all my old high school photos."

"For gods' sake Nori I'm not married, but if I start off this conversation with Amity Bellerose, famous pop idol celebrity superstar gave me that cake and left that coat there. Look...I know we've only known each other for a couple of days now and...I know I haven't made the best example of myself in that time. But I wouldn't want to fuck around with anyone like that, especially not you. I know this might be asking a lot right now, but please, trust in me a little more."

The last statement about her needing to trust him a little more made Nori so mad she was certain she was physically vibrating from it. "I'm not being unreasonable, Kyle," Nori counters levelly, crossing her arms over chest. She doesn't know how to tell him that it wouldn't be that weird for him to know an international pop star, Shine City seemed to be like catnip for famous people. Between Aoi Iwata, Roza Markov, Jake Vanguard, and her old roommate Kameyo Inoue, it sort of seemed like their sleepy little town was teeming with celebrities. But telling him that wouldn't be helpful right now and what's really upsetting her is that he's treating her like she's being irrational. "You're the one with the 'Happy Anniversary' cake in their fridge, cowboy, not me. What am I supposed to think?"

"If you come and sit with me, you can make fun of all my old high school photos."

"I don't want to make fun of anything, Kyle, I just want you to tell me whats going on," Nori says, shifting her weight anxiously from one foot to the other and flexing her grip on the strap of her overnight bag.

"I'm not being unreasonable, Kyle, you're the one with the 'Happy Anniversary' cake in their fridge, cowboy, not me. What am I supposed to think?"

Its not like she was wrong, but its not like he's ever had to deal with a 'happy anniversary' cake in the fridge.

"I don't want to make fun of anything, Kyle, I just want you to tell me whats going on."

He stared at Nori dead in the eye and with as serious a tone as he could muster he just went out with it, "Today's date marks the 5th year anniversary of when I saved my friend from being raped in the halls of my old high school." He just let that hang for a moment before continuing, "Amity, was crazy head over heels for this guy Spencer, a real piece of trash who happened to have more than just a couple of side chicks. Amie caught him and one of his girl's making out, I only just happened to be walking by when I saw her pinned on the ground underneath Spencer." He felt anger welling up in him as the memory flooded back, "I let my anger get the best of me, but I saved her from being assaulted. That day we became friends and we watched each other's backs until the day we graduated, since then I hadn't seen her for well over two years and she surprised me with a visit today. She gave me that cake in recognition of our friendship, nothing more."

"That's all you had to say," Nori murmurs quietly after a moment of tense silence. "I'm not some crazy manga heroine that jumps to insane conclusions, I'm a sensible person. You didn't have to get upset with me, you could have just told me." The air is thick with tension from the exchange and Nori feels like she's being suffocated by it. Kyle is still visibly angry from the memory of his friend being assaulted and Nori doesn't know what to do at this point. "I'm gonna go. You're mad, I'm upset, and being cooped up together is only going to make it worse. I'm sorry you don't feel like I trust you enough but if you stop to think about it, I think you'll find that it was a fair assessment on my part, given the evidence I had," she finishes, her voice quiet as she adjusts her bag. "Thanks for dinner Kyle, it was delicious. I'll text your phone when I make it to the hostel."

Those were the last words he wanted to hear, "Nori, wait," he shot up from the bed, a worried look on his face, despite what he might be feeling right now, above all he was still freaked out from the movie, "I can't let you go out, not after what we just saw. It's already late and it's already dark, please stay the night, if nothing else...I can take a step outside and...cool off and give you some space..."

He was wringing his hands nervously, cracking his knuckles simultaneously, "If there really is someone after you...I don't want you to...Nori I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because I'm being stupid," he finally spat out.

He sounds so sincere that Nori's resolve starts to waver and she stops, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. 'Heaven help me,' the blonde thinks as she takes in his anxious hand wringing, his face open and honest as he asks her not to go. 'I'm so screwed.' the tattooed girl realizes, because she knows she can't say no to this man when he's asking so sweetly. It's not an entirely positive revelation though, because Nori is terrified that if they keep on going this way she's going to end up being a doormat or Kyle is going to resent her for constantly having to apologize. Nori felt like she was in an emotional minefield and at any moment she could say the wrong thing and set another bomb off.

"Alright, I'll stay," she relents. "Thank you, Kyle. But I'm still sleeping on the couch," the DJ says firmly, because she's going to follow through with at least one thing she says she's going to do, dammit. "I'm gonna take a shower now, if that's okay with you."

Kyle breathes a sigh of relief when Nori agreed to stay "Yea, of course," he suddenly felt tired, "Bathroom is at the end of the hall, there's towels in the closet."

He watched her as she walked out the door before he fell back onto the bed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly, 'Real smooth Parker, you almost made her leave with a killer on the loose'. He could hardly blame Nori for thinking the way she did, she barely knew him, was invited into this strange man's home and finds a fucking 'Happy Anniversary' cake in the fridge. He sighed and thought about Amity, she always caused him trouble and yet he still stuck by her side for all these years, she wasn't all bad, just a little rough around the edges. He stared at the year books he went through the trouble of pulling out, "Well...no reason not to look through these."

He pulled out the first book, his Freshman year, and started reminiscing.

[Stern Algorithm]

"Awesome. I'll see you then, Shizuka!" Alban expressed with delight. Lucille broke eye contact with the pink haired female to wave good bye to her new friend, a bright grin on her face. "Bye, Shizuzuuu!" With that, they let Shizuka get back to work and strode back to their table. Al took 2500 yen from his black wallet, inscribed with "軸" ("Axis"), and placed it on the table, enough to cover their purchases plus a decent tip for both their waitress and the magician. Before he could usher his daughter out the door though, Lucille ran over to the pink haired woman and hugged her.

Chuckling to herself, Amity found it adorable Lucille was butchering her lyrics, "Close enough". This song wasn't her greatest hit but it definitely was an energetic one, she glanced at Copen only to see him looking at her...very intently. Nervous now, she stood up and placed 23,000 yen on table. "Oh look at the time... I should get going..." She gave Copen a wave and stuck out her tongue in a cute fashion, and promptly started towards the door.

@Viciousmarrow

@lovely complex

@Daxam

Shizuka bid the father and daughter farewell and took the money back to the register, writing down how much was in excess of the actual bill; an amount that would be tallied up at the end of the day and distributed among all waitresses, and now, magicians. But when she picked up Amity's money, here eyes widened. This must be a mistake, but Amity ran out of the building and got in a car faster than Shizuka could call her back. Shizuka consulted the barista about what should be done, but he merely chuckled to himself and told Shizuka to leave it be and simply be grateful for her customer's generosity, the barista having seen past Amity's disguise and being well aware of the extravagant spending habits of the rich and famous.

When Shizuka left, she took her allotted share of the accumulated tips of the day, while a good portion remained for Zac.

---

-Sunday, 9:29pm-

Alban stood underneath the awning of Le Bistro, the French restaurant on Shine Junction that he was treating Shizuka to. Both of his black gloved hands hung beside him, while he faced the darkened sky. He longed for a moonlit night, yet the dreary, overcast skies denied him one of his favorite things in the world. His cheery 4 year old daughter was nowhere to be seen, as his mother had come by earlier in the day to pick Lucille up. Grandmothers needed to spend time with their granddaughters after all. Tonight was a casual outing with a new acquaintance, one that his mother was especially excited to hear about.

'Al! You're going on a date with someone?! I am SO happy for y'all!' the distinct Southern American accent of his mom popped into his head.

Alban didn't really consider this a date though. He barely knew Shizuka, although he did think she was rather attractive. However, looks weren't the basis of what he was attracted to. He needed someone who could help him raise his daughter, someone who was supportive, accepting, and compassionate. Tonight wasn't going to be about romanticizing a lady, it was going to be about having fun and showing her his gratuity. He glanced down at the clothes he had changed into. A nice, brown pea jacket with a white dress shirt and dark blue tie underneath. He stuck with jeans to keep it casual. It was nothing fancy, but he looked decent at least.

Alban's look for tonight.

His gloved hands reached into his jacket pocket and brought out his modestly sized smart phone. A press of the side button and the bright illumination hit his eyes. 9:30 the phone's clock read. Almost time to start heading inside. After all, he had made reservations for 9:35 just in case one of them ran a little late. It was always good to be prepared, he thought. Pocketing his phone, he looked both ways down the street, searching for Shizuka. He had no doubt she'd be here soon though.

@Viciousmarrow

Before arriving, Shizuka had gotten a text from Alban, saying that Lucille would be staying with her grandmother so it would be "just us two". The funny thing about the word 'us', is that the one being addressed can never be sure if 'us' included oneself or not, in this case, Shizuka assumed that it did not include herself, and referred to Alban and his wife. Wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella, Shizuka arrived at Le Bistro. Seeing Alban, she quickened her pace until they were close enough to talk.

"I hope I didn't make you wait long," she said apologetically. Straightening up, Shizuka blinked in mild confusion, her eyes darting around Alban's head, her gaze peering over his shoulders, looking for the person she expected would be present. Shizuka decided to pay it no heed, 'Mrs. Alban' was probably waiting inside to get out of the rain. "Thank you so much for inviting me. I've never had French cuisine before. I'm really looking forward to it."

[Daxam]

After parting ways with Ryoki, Zac had noticed the time and made a mad dash back to the Shining Kettle. While he returned after Shizuka had left, he had still made it back just in time to avoid being counted late. The barista then showed Zac his share of the tip left behind by one of the customers, a tip he felt he didn't deserve for being gone so long. However, he resolved to spend the rest of his shift earning the tip, doing his best to entertain and please whatever customer had come in.

Due to this, his shift felt like it would never end, thanks to how hard he was working, but he still had a blast regardless. When the end of his shift did roll around that evening, Zac was happy to take his earnings and return home, where he changed into a more comfortable t-shirt, jacket, and jeans. After dressing, he pulls out his phone and checks the time.

For a moment, the idea to call Ryoki flits through his mind, but is immediately pushed aside when he realizes that if she wasn't working when they met, then she was probably working now. After a moment of deliberation, he pulls up Ryoki's number. Instead of calling her, however, he sends her a brief text, simply letting her know to text him should she find herself in possession of some free time.@Delta44

"So," he mutters to himself. "What to do, next?" Thanks to the money he made during his shift, he didn't have to worry about about bills and food, anymore, and even had a little spending money. I don't feel like going to the club again, he thinks, and I'm sure everywhere else is closed, right now. He checks his phone again. 9:30. Yep. Definitely closed. Suppose I could just go for a walk, then. After weighing his options (those being 'sleep' and 'take a walk'), he figures it was still too early to sleep. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he steps through the door and heads back out onto the sidewalk once more.

[Bozo]

The Apartment

2130 hours

Detective Holland waited. It had been awhile since had entered Miss Haywood's apartment. It had been quiet then, not a sound or sliver of abnormality in sight, nothing but the soft ticking of a clock accompanying the silence. Then, as soon as nightfall came, as if on queue, it had begun to rain. And as the flickering streetlight waned in the darkness of the room, he couldn't help but shudder and grit his teeth. Not because he was cold, but because he knew that on this night, someone would be coming to kill him.

Or Haywood, rather.

Placing a cigarette in his mouth, he calmly took out the .38 revolver from his the holster on his chest, quietly opening the action and loading the bullets inside.

One in the chamber.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Close the action, spin the chamber, pull the hammer back.

Wait.

He always hated waiting. Especially when he knew something bad was about to happen.

A flash of thunder interrupted his thoughts, and although he wasn't sure, he could almost swear he heard the door open. And, down in the hallway, a pulsating orange light began to creep up through the darkness and linger.

Almost like...fire.

----

Heavy footsteps sloshed through the downpour away from the DJ's apartment, a smoldering torch firmly gripped at their side.

Oh, he couldn't bear to see such a pretty face die directly.

He could see the apartment begin to smoke through the lens of his gasmask, briefly watching it flare up and crackle in the flames.

Oh no, such a pretty little girl should remain in doors during this little shower.

You stay there, and cook.

[Dolerman]

Aoi Iwata

Aoi

Name: Aoi Iwata

Age: 26

Appearance:

Height:5'9

Weight:131 lbs

Likes: Traditional dance (and food) from all different cultures, winter and spring, rivers and waterfalls, flowers (especially sakura blossoms), fancy clothes, uniqueness, cats, all kinds of music, tea, the spotlight, dreaming.

Dislikes: The heat, being alone/ignored, people that don't mean what they say, idle time.

Profession: Actress (Star of Milky Hearts 1 & 2, and Lady Moonlight)

Bio/Personality: It may come as a shock that the actress you see on television inserts herself into her roles in such a way, she lives them. She can be described as little else but beautiful, inside and out. She is graceful, soft-spoken and always smiling, and her romantic nature at heart is what pushed her to pursue hee acting career in romance films.

She grew up as the fifth child of seven sisters and two very traditional parents, teaching all the girls dance as they grew up. Though they've all moved to different parts of the country now, the sisterly bond is strong as ever and her parents are now old, and well cared for. The sisters all seem well off, but Aoi is the second most settled out of them all, the first being her eldest sister who is married, and besides her own endeavour in the shoe design department, her husband heads a prestigious law firm.
Aoi dreams to one day find a man who loves her despite her career and fame, and someone who sweeps her right off her feet....Or at least she knows that's what her parents want, her true desires may not be accepted in a traditional Japanese family.

_______________________________________________________________________
9:46pm, Grand Shine Hotel, Shine County

Aoi was absolutely stuffed, so much fine dining over this week, she felt like she was twice as heavy as she was before she left her home in Kyoto to go on her first Offical Promo tour for Milky Hearts III the 3rd in the franchise that made her famous. It was a cliche ridden love story about a geisha in neo tokyo who curses the men she falls for with terminal illness. Which allows the plot to constantly justify deathbed love confessions. Aoi was never a huge fan of the storylines but the cinematography and production values are so high, its hard not to be charmed be the romantic drama megahits.

Promo tours were also a minor annoyance for her, she loved her fans but sitting for hours on panels asking questions about her love life and when Lady Moonlight will get a sequel annoyed her to no end. She also had to spend a lot of time talking to various hotel owners and millionaires who were huge fans of the show, endlessly flirting with her and offering to to take her on romantic getaways, she was always polite but never accepted their offers, Aoi had always wanted something different in her own romance.

She was looking forward to New Years Eve, it would be her first real chance to take a break from promotion and enjoy the city, her agent already had all the major fancy VIP venues booked out for her. But Aoi had her eye on something in particular for the new years countdown, there was somewhere in shine city she wanted to go in particular, someone she wanted to see. The Golden Haired Angel hadn't left her mind since she was last there. She picked up her compact talker and contacted her assistant.

Sebastian, can you please...book me a table for 8:00pm on new years eve? I'd like one of the private booths at The Tiny Snowflake If its available.

Aoi closed her eyes and smiled, as a celebrity as famous and wealthy as her, it was comforting to know she could still get excited about certain things. She played the theme song for Lady Moonllight in her hotel room, the film never sold very well, but she always loved the soundtrack.

[Viciousmarrow]

"I hope I didn't make you wait long," she said apologetically. Straightening up, Shizuka blinked in mild confusion, her eyes darting around Alban's head, her gaze peering over his shoulders, looking for the person she expected would be present. Shizuka decided to pay it no heed, 'Mrs. Alban' was probably waiting inside to get out of the rain. "Thank you so much for inviting me. I've never had French cuisine before. I'm really looking forward to it."

@Stern Algorithm

"Oh, no. Don't worry, I've only been here for 5 or 10 minutes. I'm an early bird, I suppose." he responded to her, noticing her eyes dart to and fro as though she was expecting someone else. Al was a bit confused by that, but he played it off. Perhaps she had just seen someone or something behind him. "You've seriously never had French food before? You've been missing out on a lot, mademoiselle!" the blond man exclaimed, adding a pseudo-French accent to his last sentence. He quickly opened the door for her, and ushered her inside.

The restaurant's aesthetic was very authentic inside, very much resembling the Parisian eateries he had been to in his time in France. The floor consisted of black-and-white tiles, the ceiling, a nice cream color, was adorned with many lights, and the walls were a mahogany brown. If Alban didn't know better, this place could be mistaken for being a real French diner. Their hostess, a young Japanese woman, greeted them with a curt bow. "I have a reservation under the name Voclain for 9:35. There's 2 of us." Alban told the hostess. Checking the list over, the woman quickly found his name. "Right this way please." she told them, now holding two menus in her hand.

They were led to a private booth in the corner of the restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the public. A single flickering candle was sat in the middle of the table, its small flame dancing to its own beat. Fortunately, there weren't too many people eating here this late at night on a Sunday, so the restaurant felt relatively exclusive and quiet. As they sat down, their waiter came over. "What can I get you two to drink?" he asked them. Al thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Can I get a bottle of red wine and two glasses? And of course whatever she wants." the blond man requested, shooting a look at Shizuka. "If you want the true French experience, you'll need at least a glass of wine with your meal! It accentuates the taste."

Alban appeared to be entranced by this restaurant, a giddy smile on his face. "This place reminds me of home... It feels like forever ago." he uttered, his eyes sparkling in the light.
@Stern Algorithm

[Stern Algorithm]

Flashback:

@MyCatGinger

Having left the Shining Kettle, Shizuka made her way back to campus and to her dorm room; there were still several hours until her dinner with Alban, just enough time to finish grading the final projects and exams for Dr. Matsuoka's class. While she was grading, Shizuka looked outside at the dreary weather; well, at least most people thought it was dreary. Shizuka didn't mind the rain, in fact, she rather liked it. The cold and the wet had a somber, muting, calming effect on the world, while it simultaneously revitalized the earth.

When it came time, Shizuka headed out, taking public trasnportation to get to Le Bistro, where she'd meet up with Alban. While riding the bus, she got a text from Shou asking about the grading. Shizuka texted back to let him know that everything was ready to return to the students on Monday.

"Oh, no. Don't worry, I've only been here for 5 or 10 minutes. I'm an early bird, I suppose." he responded to her, noticing her eyes dart to and fro as though she was expecting someone else. Al was a bit confused by that, but he played it off. Perhaps she had just seen someone or something behind him. "You've seriously never had French food before? You've been missing out on a lot, mademoiselle!" the blond man exclaimed, adding a pseudo-French accent to his last sentence. He quickly opened the door for her, and ushered her inside.

The restaurant's aesthetic was very authentic inside, very much resembling the Parisian eateries he had been to in his time in France. The floor consisted of black-and-white tiles, the ceiling, a nice cream color, was adorned with many lights, and the walls were a mahogany brown. If Alban didn't know better, this place could be mistaken for being a real French diner. Their hostess, a young Japanese woman, greeted them with a curt bow. "I have a reservation under the name Voclain for 9:35. There's 2 of us." Alban told the hostess. Checking the list over, the woman quickly found his name. "Right this way please." she told them, now holding two menus in her hand.

They were led to a private booth in the corner of the restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the public. A single flickering candle was sat in the middle of the table, its small flame dancing to its own beat. Fortunately, there weren't too many people eating here this late at night on a Sunday, so the restaurant felt relatively exclusive and quiet. As they sat down, their waiter came over. "What can I get you two to drink?" he asked them. Al thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Can I get a bottle of red wine and two glasses? And of course whatever she wants." the blond man requested, shooting a look at Shizuka. "If you want the true French experience, you'll need at least a glass of wine with your meal! It accentuates the taste."

Alban appeared to be entranced by this restaurant, a giddy smile on his face. "This place reminds me of home... It feels like forever ago." he uttered, his eyes sparkling in the light.

@Viciousmarrow

"The wine will be fine," Shizuka said to the waiter. Since she wasn't very experienced in this environment, she decided she'd simply go along with Alban's recommendations. Shizuka didn't drink often, she'd had sake a few times at formal events, and beer when she went on outings with her classmates, but never in great quantities. She had never had an alcoholic beverage that wasn't made from grains, sake being made from rice, and beer being made from barley or wheat, so wine made from grapes would definitely be a new experience for her.

However, the short walk from the entrance to their booth made Shizuka feel uneasy. Shizuka looked around one last time in a futile attempt to locate Alban's wife, but the size of the booth and the fact that the reservation was for two was evidence enough that it really was just going to be the two of them. "E-excuse me but..." Shizuka began feeling rather awkward, "I was looking forward to meeting your wife..."

[Delta44]

@Takashi@Daxam

Ryoki's shock from the milk joke only faded once Yutaro began talking about business. It was almost enough to make her stop talking altogether, though she managed to keep herself together by taking a deep breath and regarding him with a look that clearly conveyed the message: 'Oh, you cheeky son of a bitch, you~!' She was going to retort with some witty one-liners herself, however found herself becoming incredibly invested in Yutaro's ramblings of business and famous people performing for the casino. It got her thinking...

"Oh, no, it's actually really nice to know!" Ryoki smiles brightly. Yutaro could just see the fascination glowing from her. "This is actually really nice to know, because I've been meaning to score a new venue to perform at for awhile now. Mochavine is forever my favourite as it was the place I started at, but here, at the casino... I wonder what the boss would think; a bunny girl on stage? Hmm..." She seems to be in thought, however before Yutaro can speak, she suddenly leans forward with big, bright, almost innocent eyes staring him down. "Hey, you think it's a good idea, right? I could totally perform here and it'd be awesome!"

Bzzt! Bzzt!

"A-ahh~!" Ryoki moans softly, her face turning a little red.

...

Did her melons just-

Bzzt! Bzzt!

"S-son of a f-fuck! Who's texting me? That's two in a row!"

...

The answer is yes. Yes they did just vibrate.

Ryoki leans back and reaches her hand into a place Yutaro may have dreamt of seeing himself, before pulling out her phone. A message from Zac, speaking of how he wants to hang out when she's free, and one from her father, speaking of some fancy party she'll probably end up attending soon. 'It's been awhile since I last wore a nice dress...' After reading the two messages over quickly, she sighs and puts the phone back in it's proper resting place, before looking over at the likely confused and possibly dazed Yutaro. "Oh, uh, just pretend you didn't see a phone just now, please. You're not supposed to bring phones into work, but my sister has been getting a little spooked lately, so I'm keeping my phone on me. If you keep quiet..." This time, she leans forward not to show off her eyes, but to show off the whereabouts of her phone. "... then I'll let you take out my phone after work~. Deal?"

She grins and returns to standing by the table, giving the probably dazed Yutaro a wink sweeter than chocolate, allowing him time to recover if he needed it. 'I still don't know why they don't have pockets on these bunny suits... That's poor designing, right there...!'

[Rekaigan]

9:30pm, Shine Academy Dorm

Kazu had spent most of the day moving into his new dorm at the Shine Academy. His mother was right, he had too many books among other things. He sat down on his bed feeling exhausted after sorting what could be said to be 3 bookshelves full of books. He had his own library in he room. However, he didn't have more than one bookshelf, so there were just stacks of novels and educational books next to the actual bookcase. His chest of drawers had a sword stand on it, where his katana sat. He looked at it thoughtfully. I probably won't be using that for awhile..Unless.. Unless he found a dojo to practice. The movers that had helped him move in his belongings had looked at him wearily when he had set up the stand. A dangerous man indeed. Especially one that didn't talk. Scary. Of course he'd reassured them that it was blunt. It didn't seem to comfort the movers at all. And that was the first lie he had 'said' since moving to Shine city.

He sighed, stretching his arms and back a little before getting off his bed. I need some fresh air.. He scratched the back of his head in thought. Where should he go? Oh that's right. One of the other students at his Grandfather's dojo had told him that Shine Park was a pretty good place to go for some fresh air. And with that, he left his dorm room, of course, locking the room before leaving.

______________________________
9:45pm, Shine Park
______________________________

As expected, there was no one here, since it was almost 10 at night. Everyone was probably in Shine Junction or something. He didn't like crowds too much, but he could bear with it if he had to. The few street lights that illuminated the park only shone upon the park benches, whereas the rest of the park was lit by the moonlight. He found a nice spot of grass in the park clearing, laying down in it with a sigh. And tomorrow...To the Enchanted Florists. It was going to be his first day on the job at the Florists. The owner had told him to come in for training tomorrow morning. Morning... Kazu groaned to himself. Mornings.... Nooo..

[Viciousmarrow]

"E-excuse me but... I was looking forward to meeting your wife..."

Alban had just poured them a glass of wine and taken a swig of his when those words came out of Shizuka's mouth. His eyes seemed to expand twice their size in horror, and he immediately started choking on the wine that hadn't yet met his stomach, coughing up a storm. He balled up a fist and beat on his chest until the coughing ceased. "W-W-Wife?!" the blond man stammered out, still in shock. He quickly held up both of his hands, staring at each of his ring fingers. Fortunately, there was no ring there. "O merci, mon Dieu!" (Oh thank you, God!) he triumphantly spoke, clasping his hands together in praise.

Breathing out and relaxing, Alban let out a nervous laugh, reaching back and scratching his head. "Sorry, I don't have a wife, Shizuka. The only women in my life are my daughter and my mother. Lucille was..." he pauses for a moment, considering how to phrase his words. "She was a surprise. Her mother, well... She wants nothing to do with either of us. She went back to her parent's estate in Seoul, I think..." Al's expression took on a more serious appearance when he got onto the topic of Lucille's mother. He couldn't forgive her for abandoning her daughter and responsibility as a mother. There was a certain malice for that woman lingering there in his heart for every time his daughter cried out for her mother, only to have no one there to take that place.

Al suddenly raised up the menu, taking a large gulp of wine and thumbing through the entrees. "Soooo... do you see anything that catches your fancy? I would suggest the boeuf bourguignon or the frog legs. I dont know if the frog legs are as good as my mother's though. She's from Louisiana in the United States, so she was practically raised on them." he cheerily stated, bringing back his smile and diverting the conversation away from heavy topics. The blond definitely didn't want to turn a fun night into a depressing one.
@Stern Algorithm

[LovelyComplex]

Finishing up her mother's songs in the set list, slower and less energetic, but definitely more soulful. The curtain closed and Amity let her breathing steady. There was no reason for her to be nervous. That was a piece of cake. Thinking to herself, the idol knew this would be a perfect time to get some fresh air... without supervision. Peering through the curtain, she saw her trio packing up and getting ready to go back stage. Seeing a crowd of dancers leave the stage, she squeezed between the two tall men and nonchalantly walked down the stairs. She had 20 seconds before Liam's sixth sense started tingling. Ten seconds before Renee would enter backstage and see that she was gone...

Whispering to her dancers to pick up the pace, they sped up and her face looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with the trio. While they walked, one of the dancers gave her his suit jacket and fedora as a temporary disguise. Nodding to herself that it was time, Amity burst out of the group of dancers and ran for her life. Ran like it was nobody's business. She needed to get to the door in 15 seconds before Luke started chasing her. Grinning to herself, Amity was excited for a little freedom until they caught her.

@Delta44@Takashi
For just giving a mostly energetic performance, the idol surprisingly still was capable of speeding through the casino. From a distance, she heard Liam angrily yell her name. She saw some young people notice her and contemplate what just ran passed them. She was drawing near the cat guy she had taken a picture of earlier. Rolling onto the ground, she proceeded to crawl under his table and hid behind the players of this blackjack game. They won't foresee this! (I hope) While she was under the table, she caught sight of a bunny tail on a woman's costume. Too cute. Lifting Kyle's phone up, she snapped a picture of the woman's bottom and went straight to Instagram.

@BeastofDestiny While she looked through filters, she could see the legs of Liam and Renee. Luke was already out the door. Typing quietly, she wrote: "She got dat bunny bubble butt! Bubble bubble bubble butt~. #datass" and posted the picture on Kyle's social media. Keeping quiet and holding her breath, she watched Liam slowly approach the table. She could tell he was tempted to look under it..

"Please don't, please don't, please don't."

Renee pulled him toward her, "You know she's roaming the streets, right? She always goes straight for the door."

Liam responded with silence and then the two left the building. Letting a big exhale out, Amity patted her chest in accomplishment. Crawling out from the blackjack table, she jumped up and stretched, "Successful escape!"

Looking at the people staring at her, she bowed from her performance taking off the fedora (briefly revealing her pink hair) and then looked at the Cat man and Bunny girl, "Keep up the good work Mr. Cat and Sexy bunny lady. I'm sure you're gonna make people lose all their money tonight!"

Putting the hat back on before anyone noticed her hair, Amity cooed on, "With that gents and bunny lady, I bid you adieu! For I have people to avoid, places to go, a night to enjoy!" Then she leaned in to whisper to the Cat and the Bunny, "This guy right here..." She subtly gestured to the a bald man at the Cat's table, "He's really drunk. Get all his money."

Backing up, she waved goodbye, "Until we meet again!" She took a quick selfie on Kyle's phone sticking her tongue out and with the two right behind her. Then she gestured to the phone which showed she'd remember their faces and off she went into the night.

-

10:00PM @Rekaigan

Strolling in Shiny Park with her performing outfit (Clicky), a man's large suit jacket, and a fedora, Amity breathed in the glorious night air. Her phone was going crazy so she put it on silence. Putting her phone away and taking out Kyle's phone she started a video, @BeastofDestiny "Dude, you totally missed my epicness. I rolled under the casino table and then bam! Got away from the trio. You know how hard that's gotten? REALLY HARD. I had to be creative. I wonder what you're up to. We need to hangout properly... you know where you don't get into a--"

Before Amity got to the word "fight", she seemed to have entered a clearing and...

~Trip~

She fell over someone, who was laying on the grass. Her fedora came off revealing her pink hair.

"Ouch..." Kyle's phone had closed and ended the video. Opening her eyes, she realized she was on top of a boy. Her ice eyes scanned him... He had green eyes and brown hair... he felt pretty fit too... "Uh... I'm-- sorry." She was frozen in embarrassment, Amity knew she should get off him but she couldn't move.

[Rekaigan]

@lovely complex

He really felt like he was one with the comfortable patch of grass by now. He had forgotten what time it was and he almost drifted to sleep.. If it weren't for someone tripping over him.

Thump.

To say it was a pink hurricane was a complete overstatement, but it was a funny metaphor to think of at the time. His grass green eyes gazed into the girl's blue eyes with some expression of surprise and confusion. She looked quite cute, but it wasn't going to distract him from the current situation that could lead to some misunderstanding.

He slowly pulled out his phone, glancing down at it to type for a moment, he brought it up to eye level so that the girl could read what he had written. "No need to apologize. Are you alright?" It said. He gave her an amused smile. He'd never been in this situation before, but it was very..fictional. Comical.

[LovelyComplex]

@Rekaigan

He brought the phone to her face and she read the text:

"No need to apologize. Are you alright?"

That's weird. Was he a singer? She knew sometimes when she'd start to lose her voice she'd stay silent for a couple days and drink tea with lemon. She observed his physique... by the look of him, he didn't look like a musician. She shouldn't judge though. He could be one hell of a metal singer for all she knew!

Accepting the fact that he wasn't speaking, and thankful he broke the ice, she pushed herself off of him but sat beside him, close and like a friend. Hugging her legs, Amie explained, "I'm sometimes all over the place... Don't worry. A little fall like that won't hurt me. I've tripped off stage before. That was embarrassing. I was in the hospital for a few weeks." With caring eyes, she pressed her hand on his chest, "You sure I didn't hurt you? What are you doing out here by yourself? I know for me... alone time is something I wished I had more, but somehow..." She looked at her situation in this moment, for some reason Amity had a strong radar for attracting, or in this case, crashing into people.

Shaking her head, the idol took back what she said, "You don't need to answer that. You probably just like the night sky." She gave him a serene smile and then looked up at the stars, "Me too." Then she let out a giggle, realizing her bottom was now wet, "But now our butts are wet! It's been raining all day today."

Shrugging to herself but still with a happy expression on, she looked around. The girl didn't mind a little wet grass. The air was cold, but it was bearable. The air smelt fresh and the night was just overall a nice time of day.

Realizing she didn't introduce herself, the idol grinned and thought to herself, "Who knows if he knows me, but I'm not going to lie! That's the least I could do."

Not really looking around to see if there were other people that could hear her, she introduced herself offering her hand for a good old fashioned handshake, "The names Amity. Amity Bellerose. But you can call me Amie." She didn't know how well versed this guy was in pop culture, so there could be a chance he had no clue who she was or he just wouldn't believe it. Either way, she laid out the truth and waited for his response patiently.

[Haeo]

A reflection stood confidently in a slim coat, a button down shirt of deep red and black slacks that ended just as they touched the top of the feet. A man, still young enough but a man none-the-less, examined himself in a full length mirror, the only actual furniture in the apartment apart from appliances. There was a lot going on in the world, a lot going on in this city, but this building was deathly silent. Both the four bedroom, three story house beneath him and the other one bedroom apartment, that shared a wall with his, were empty and still. He was the building's only occupant. And he was going out.

But, even though the nightlife was about to start, he wasn't looking to party. The look in the brown eyes of this young man was that of a man working. That was what he was looking to do. Businesses cost money to buy and he didn't have enough yet. Still, he had made progress. He had a place to stay and it was very reasonable since the landlord lived in another city now and needed someone to take care of the other rentals. He basically paid utilities and a hundred over the top, if you did the math. His hair was neat enough and his clothes were fine, loose enough to allow movement but pseudo-formal enough for either an office or a restaurant. He might even get into a club with this. Though, that reminded him to turn away from the mirror and crouch down so that he could rummage through his bags. There were two suitcases, a large duffel, and a backpack. It was the backpack that he opened, snaking his hand through the stuffed thing until he located his wallet. It took a few minutes since the thing was slim and black. It also had a name printed on it, Vern C. Smith.

The suitcases and the backpack had the same name printed on them in simple block letters. But, the duffel had elaborate and colorful lettering with glitter to outline the name, The Limit Breaker. Vern pocketed his wallet, picked up the duffel and hauled its heavy bulk to a closet. Then he turned the glitz of the name toward the back of the closet and shut it inside. Two minutes later, the lights were off and the door was locked with him on the outside and a key in his pocket.

He had heard that there might be a nibble on the other apartment but that the person wanted to meet in the park for some reason. It would be fine if this person showed and fine if they didn't. They hadn't specified a time or spot in the park anyway. He needed to take a look around town and the park was a good place to start. Anyway, it would be Vern's first night in a new city. He set out with strong strides. It wouldn't do to delay his introduction.

The walk to the park was pleasant with the wet sheen of the pavement and the scent of the rain still hanging on the breeze with the moon drifting high above. There wasn't as much lighting as he had expected but he had good night vision so it wasn't an issue. Though he did notice several points of movement in the dim light. It seemed like the park was fairly popular, even at night. It might have helped if he had been told something about who he was meeting. But, since he didn't have that, he just had to wing it. Maybe the landlord had told them something about him instead. Still, all he could do was walk around like somebody waiting for a meeting. So, he did.

He shortened his stride to a stroll and kept one hand in his pocket on his phone in case the landlord had given this person his number. It was set to vibrate so that he wouldn't disturb any couples out tonight, like that pair on the grass. Then again, the glow of a cellphone screen was visible so it probably wasn't a very romantic date. The girl had pretty flambuoyant hair though. Not many wear pink that boldly. Interesting, but not his business. He stayed on the path and passed them by, still watching and waiting.

[Daxam]

Zac wasn't sure how long he had been wandering. Half an hour? An hour? Regardless of how long he had been walking, one thing was certain: he was lost. Of course, it would be easy to remedy this situation, should he carry a map around with him (he didn't care enough to get on a data plan for his phone: all he really needed it for was texting and calling, anyhow). However, thanks to the assortment of magic items he tends to carry around with him, he wouldn't know where to put it.

Now, he was walking down some street in some part of the city, alone. "Thanks for this stellar sense of direction, Mom," he mutters to the empty air.

But, wait? What's that, just down the street?

Could it be...it is! Shine Park! If that is indeed what it is (after all, how many parks does one city need?), then Zac knows just where he is!

...Kind of!

Striding forward with a grin, Zac makes his way to the park. Once there, he looks around, getting his bearings. While doing so, nearby, he hears the sound of something falling and turns to the source to see a pink-haired girl on top of a guy, who was showing the girl his phone. Looking around once more, Zac gives a defeated sigh, realizing just how hopeless he was, before making his way over to the guy and girl as the latter takes her seat next to him. "Hi," he says with his trademarked grin, "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but could either of you help me? I am hopelessly lost."

[Rekaigan]

@lovely complex

Kazu listened to the girl ramble on about herself. He couldn't blame her. He couldn't respond fast enough to say anything, neither could he speak. He felt her hand gently press against his chest, her expression seemed soft and caring. He didn't really understand the gesture, but he was sure that it wasn't something to look too deeply into.

"You sure I didn't hurt you? What are you doing out here by yourself? I know for me... alone time is something I wished I had more, but somehow..."

He was about to try answer her question, but she immediately told him not to answer. I was just.. Y'know, relaxing. He thought to himself. He figured that he should get faster at typing or something. When she mentioned the fact that it had been raining, he blinked as if it was new information to him. He only just realized that his clothes were damp from the wet grass. No wonder it felt kind of cold.. He thought as he sat up, just noticing that she had gotten off him.

"The names Amity. Amity Bellerose. But you can call me Amie."

He looked at her hand for a moment before he grasped it with a gentle grip, without really shaking it. He let go of her hand and quickly typed on his phone before showing her the screen again. He might as well tell her everything. Or else it might be troublesome. "My name is Kazuma Watanabe. Please, call me 'Kazu' for short. It is a pleasure to meet you, Amie. I apologize for my lack of response. I cannot speak." The text said. He gave her a warm smile, as if to say that she shouldn't worry about it too much. He didn't really expect her to know sign language or anything like that. He was used to it being this way.

@Daxam
After his brief introduction, he looked up at the source of another voice. He said something about being lost. Kazu shook his head for a moment with a slight frown, typing on his phone again. "Sorry. I'm quite new in this city as well. I cannot assist you."

[BeastofDestiny]

(A Continuing Collaboration written by BeastofDestiny and @Narcotic Dollie)

When Nori has finished her shower, she wraps a towel around herself and stands at the counter, scrolling through the messages on her phone. Detective Holland hadn't texted her yet, which was making her increasingly anxious. The blonde puts her phone back down and closes her eyes, remembering their conversation from earlier that morning.

Nori hesitates for a moment, before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and asking, "Can you text me every once in a while, so I know you're okay?"

"Don't worry about me." Oliver smiled, lowering his hands before adjusting his hat. "But I do appreciate the concern nonetheless. It'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

She wants to text him to make sure he's alright, but thinks better of it. After all, what if he had forgotten to turn his phone on silent and she gave away his hiding spot? 'He'll be okay, this is his job, after all. Besides, he has gun,' Nori reassures herself as she finishes drying off, pulling her 'My cat must be my Senpai' sweater back on along with a pair of plain black pajama pants. The florist reaches for the doorknob and inhales deep, exhaling hard as she steels herself for another awkward interaction with Kyle.

Nori pushes the door open and finds Kyle sitting on his bed, his large hands flipping through the pages of one of the many yearbooks scattered around him. "Hey," Nori says, flashing him a nervous little smile. "Thanks again, for letting me stay with you," she tells him, brushing her damp hair over her shoulder as she crosses the room to stand by him.

Lots of good memories of days gone by, and here he was now an adult with a career ahead of him, his friend back in town, her career ahead of her. It felt odd, reminiscing like an old fart, but he did have to wonder where the time had gone as he looked over a picture of him and his friend dressed as secret agents for Halloween. There were a couple of good ones in here, though some of the stuff was unrecognizable or illegible as Amity had taken the liberty to use his year books for writing and 'art' projects. He was so lost in his memories he barely even heard the door open, "Hey," the familiar voice pulls him back to reality, "Thanks again, for letting me stay with you."

"Its not a problem at all, my door's always open to anyone who needs it, I know I don't have much here, but I try to be as hospitable as I can," he looks up at her with a weak smile knowing full well he hasn't been, "I'm sorry, about earlier. I can't blame you for thinking the way you did, I probably would've thought the same if the roles were reversed."

He frowns slightly, noticing she has a somewhat nervous or anxious look on her face, "If you don't really want to hang around me right now, I'd understand, I haven't exactly been the most graceful ass tonight."

"No, it's alright, I don't really want to be alone right now," Nori admits, because it's the truth. She's worried about the whole weatherman thing, she's still scared from that awful movie, she feels bad for blowing up on Kyle, and the last thing she wants is to be alone and dwell on everything that's happened today. "I probably could have handled it better than I did too," the DJ concedes, sitting down next to him on the bed so they're almost touching. "I'm sorry," she adds, stretching out her pinky finger so that it's just barely touching his hand. "I think I'm ready to make fun of your high school pictures now, if that's still okay?"

He smiles, noticing her pinky is extended, he extends his in return to gently embrace it, "Absolutely." He nods and pulls open his junior yearbook, flipping through its contents he starts regaling about times with friends, pranks pulled on teachers, adventures and camaraderie in different clubs. There were plenty of pictures of him with friends, guys and girls, Amity was the most prevalent in all these photos and that was because the school knew the two were inseparable (some actually thought they were dating).

"This is James and me at the talent show, he needed a partner for this ninja fight scene he had in mind, he was going to do it with another guy, but he sprained his ankle a week before the show. Now I don't know a lick of kung fu, but man did James whoop my butt into shape that week, he choreographed everything so I just had to follow the move sets, but I can still feel the bruises from when he'd keep throwing me to the ground."

He laughed, the whole thing was pretty absurd, "You'd think in a school with 2,000 plus kids, he would've found a different partner, but nope he had to come to me, I suppose that's what friend are for though."

Continuing through the pages he eventually stumbled upon the class photos section and showed Nori a few people he remembered, good people he'd hang out with from time to time. There were plenty of portraits that were blotted out in black permanent marker, another vandalism caused by his eccentric friend. "Aside from Amity and James, I usually hung out with Mike Wolcott and Xavier Myers, both really cool dudes, the four of us usually got up to no good, nothing bad, but..well not really good either." He flipped the page as he laughed before suddenly stopping when his eyes rested on one of the pictures, 'Oh...I had forgotten about that.' The thought filled his mind as he stared absentmindedly at the picture of a girl with short raven black hair, grey eyes and fair skin, cute half-rimmed spectacles adorning her face, the writing 'eh, she's alright I guess', is below her portrait.

The girl

Nori listens as he recounts his highschool years, smiling when he reaches out with his pinky and wraps it around her own. 'Amity Bellerose, huh?' Nori thinks, blinking down at one of the many pictures of Kyle and her together. The DJ had seen pictures of the songstress on the occasional concert poster or magazine cover and she looked just as flawless and put together as a high schooler. Nori had always liked her music, it was really fun to remix. 'I'd kill for eyelashes like that,' the blonde thinks as she peers down at a close up of Amity, leaning in to get a better look. 'They look so big that I think she could knock people over with them if she blinked fast enough.'

Nori stops studying the starlet and looks back up at Kyle when she realizes he's grown quite. He's zeroed in on one of the pictures in the corner of the page so Nori traces his gaze to see whoever it is that has him so preoccupied. "She's lovely," Nori admits when her eyes land on the other girl, untangling their fingers so she can run her hand over the page. "Teenage flame?" The tattooed girl asks, scooting a little closer so their legs are now pressed together. "It's cool, I hear everybody has one," Nori comforts, before scrunching up her face and adding, "Well, not me, but that's just because the only other kid my age lived on the rice farm next door and only had one tooth. And stank. Constantly. But I hear that people who grow up in bigger towns all have one."

Nori pulls her hand away from the yearbook and reaches over to cover his completely, looking back up at the American. "Did you want to talk about it?"

He looks down at Nori's hand on his own before moving back up to her eyes, her inquisitive gaze piercing and unyielding. He scratches his neck, briefly considering the prospect before he decides on opening up about it, "Julia Dawson, a teenage flame? Yea that'd be one way to put it, a high school sweetheart another...she was the last serious relationship I had before moving here. She was funny, smart, nerdy, gorgeous as hell," a smile crosses his lips before wavering slightly, "My life brought me out here though and her life brought her elsewhere, we wanted to stay a couple and even planned on the whole long distance thing. As the summer drew on and was coming towards a close, we both somewhere along the way came to the realization that it'd never work."

Kyle leans back, turning all the while to reach up for an object hanging from the wall. Its a small metal wristband lined with different objects, he brings it back and presents it to Nori, "She gave this to me as a memento, before we broke up, I gave her a metal chain with a jade stone attached to it." He leans back on his hands and stares up at the ceiling, "We burned bright, we burned hot, but before we knew, we burnt out. Personally, if I had the choice, I wouldn't want the same situation forced on me again."

Nori looks at the wristband, the metallic surface gleaming in the bright lights of Kyle's bedroom, but she doesn't touch it. Some things aren't meant for everyone. "That sucks," she says instead, reaching over with her off hand and patting his knee reassuringly before pulling hers back completely. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

There was no great love lost in Nori's past. The first guy she had ever been with was a friend that had reluctantly agreed to it, like she was asking him to take out the trash or do the laundry instead of taking her to bed. Then there was Jennifer, but she was more just someone warm to cuddle with when Nori got to lonely. She had liked Nick quite a lot, but they had never been able to go on a date, thanks to her cold feet.

"Do you want to watch SpongeTod TriangleShirt with me until we forget about serial killers and pretty American girls?" Nori asks, nudging at him to try and shake the serious mood that had befallen the room.

He nods, a small smile on his lips as he stares at the DJ, "I'd like that," as he leans back to put the bracelet on the hook he had it hanging from he says, "Besides, I'd much rather think about pretty Japanese girls instead." He gives her a cheeky grin, nudging her arm with his gently before leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek. He gets up from his bed and moves to his closet, putting the year books back into the box, he leaves the box on the floor wanting to deal with it later. Instead he reaches into the closet again to grab a spare pillow and comforter for Nori, "Your sleeping accommodations madame," he fakes a British butler accent all while bowing very slightly to the petite girl.

A slight rumbling formed in his belly, even though they'd just ate not a couple of hours ago, he was kind of hungry. "eh..hehe, cake and alcohol go well together right?"

"Besides, I'd much rather think about pretty Japanese girls instead," Kyle teases, his voice dropping a little in pitch as he swoops down to plant a kiss on her cheek. Nori hadn't expected the peck and she feels the heat of a blush begin to creep its way up her neck. He turns to the closet to retrieve something from the top shelf and when his back is to her the blonde reaches a hand up to gingerly lay it over the cheek that he smooched, the corners of her lips twitching up just a little bit.

"Your sleeping accommodations madame," Kyle starts in a funny accent, and Nori drops her hand before he has a chance to turn around and see her. He gives a silly half bow that causes her to giggle as she reaches out and retrieve the fluffy blanket and pillow. "(Thank you,)" she replies in English, her accent so heavy that it almost sounds 'Thonk you'. It was the only phrase she knew in the language other than 'I'm tired of these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane.'

Because, you know, reasons.

As they trot back over to the living room, Kyle's stomach makes a noise like a dying hyena and Nori can't stop herself from cackling. "eh..hehe, cake and alcohol go well together right?" He asks, somewhat sheepishly.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Nori agrees, dropping the blanket and pillow off at the couch before going to the kitchen and fetching the entire cake, along with two forks. "Is it okay if we eat it straight out of the pan, like heathens?" The blonde asks, plopping down on the couch next to Kyle and using her fork to scoop out a piece and holding it out to Kyle as an offering.

He beams a smile at her, despite the heavy accent, he knew what she was trying to say and he couldn't help but express his appreciation other than with a simple "(You're welcome)."

Nori agrees with him that cake is a good idea and as she goes off to retrieve it, he plops himself on the couch. When she returns the entire cake is in her hands with two forks, "Oh god, really?" he starts laughing as she sits next to him. Is is okay if we eat it straight out of the pan, like heathens?" She buries the fork in the cake, pulling out a nice chunk and offering it to Kyle.

He taps a finger against his chin, weighing his options, "Wellllll---*om*" Suddenly and without warning, Kyle's mouth snaps down on the fork like a crocodile, his eyes briefly dart to Nori's as he gives her a little grin before pulling the piece of cake away from the fork, leaving it safely in his mouth as the utensil leaves. He chews it, noting how rich, moist and flavorful it was, "MMM~, I knew Amity flew in this morning, but this cake tastes homemade, when did she even have the time?" The cake has turned into a nice chocolaty mess in his mouth as he keeps chewing, before taking a swig of rum to wash it down; surprisingly it actually tasted nice with the rum.

"Oh god, really?"

"What? It's less dishes this way!" Nori explains as Kyle chops down on the fork, provoking a giggle out of the diminutive blonde. The American chases the bite of cake with a swig of rum and Nori raises a brow before warning, "Be careful with that, alcohol will get you killed in a slasher flick too." The brunette has a trace of icing on his chin so Nori leans forward, swiping the pad of her finger over it and popping it in her mouth. "S'good," she murmurs around her finger as she licks it clean, before scooping out a bite for herself and nibbling at it. It was tasty, but after all the food Kyle had fed her for dinner Nori was way too full to eat much.

Instead of forcing herself to cram anymore food into her already stuffed belly, Nori sets the cake down on the coffee table and stretches out on the couch, resting her legs over Kyle's lap as she pulls the fluffy comforter over herself. After what feels like and eternity of wiggling and shifting, she finally has a nice little cocoon set up for herself and the blonde lets out a contented sigh, turning so she can watch SpongeTod go on his latest adventure at the Krunchy Kelp.

He shakes his head when she comments about the drinking, "So is there anything fun to do that won't get you killed in a slasher?" Nori sets down the cake and busies herself into a nice burrito, her legs extended over Kyle's lap, his hands rest on them and he watches the show with her. The episode was a rerun, just another busy day for SpongeTod with Señor Crustatio being a stingy bastard again. A thought began to form in his head and his thumb started absentmindedly rubbing small circles into her leg.

"If you knew it was your last night, wouldn't you want to live it up a little?" He kept staring at the screen as he posed the question to her.

Nori turns to look at Kyle, her brows furrowing a little at the question. "Well, yeah, I guess. If I was sure I was going to die, I'd probably want to do something crazy," she admits, chewing at the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "...but if I wasn't completely sure I was gonna kick the bucket, I'd want to do everything I could to stay alive," the blonde declares, before adding, "I like living. It's my favorite."

"Its kind of interesting don't you think? None of us are really sure if we're going to die today, tomorrow, or in our elder years, so we're constantly trying our best to stay alive, so we can go on living."

"Stop it!" Nori huffs, reaching over and pinching his arm playfully. "That conversation is too deep for our second day of knowing each other. Plus, I'm in the oldest, most beat up sweat shirt I own. If we're going to start talking about our imminent demise, I have to at least be wearing pants that have actual buttons," she explains, pulling the covers back and rucking her sweater up a little so he can see the waistband of her sweatpants. "See? Just a drawstring. Do these look like the pants of a woman who has any sort of authority discussing our looming downfall?"

He rubs where she pinched, a brow raised as she pulls up the covers and part of her sweatshirt to reveal the band on her pants, "Its not like you need a suit to talk about fate, destiny and the infinite nature of the cosmos, you just need the right mindset, and...clearly alcohol is taking me there," he pondered that a moment and poked her leg before shaking his head and continuing, "I think you're right though, it might be too late for that kind of talk, so why not make out about it?"

The blonde is so blindsided by his question that she lets out a startled bark of laughter and actually snorts a little, much to her dismay. "Oh Jesus, I'm sorry, I just didn't see that one coming," she explains, smoothing her shirt back down and propping herself up on her elbows to get a better look at him, the Krunchy Kelp crew completely ignored in favor of this conversation. Kyle's cheeks are just a tad rosy from the rum and his eyes are bright with good humor and something else. 'He's serious,' the DJ realizes, her pulse quickening a bit as she mulls it over.

"Yeah, okay," Nori replies after a second, her gaze focused on his lips before flitting them back up to meet his eyes. "But keep your hands above the belt, cowboy. And if the Weatherman bursts through that door you have to sacrifice yourself for me so I can get away."

She was only kidding about that last part.

Sort of.

Not really.

"Every woman for herself huh?" He smirks, "How kind of you. Fine, I'll deal with it knowing that in the end, totally worth it."

Kyle wraps his arms around Nori, pulling her close. He gives her a teasing grin before planting his lips into hers for a deep kiss, the brief exchange lasting for only a few seconds before he pulls away and chuckles at how flushed her face looks. He goes back in, locking their lips together, feelings of passion and contentment welling up inside him.

@lovely complex

[MyCatGinger]

(Collaboration with the charming Amaya @Knight of Doom)



Dear Mr. Mastuoka,

Due to an unfortunate technological issue, my essay will most likely be turned in late. I apologize for any inconveniences, and also will accept any deductions of points that you feel is necessary.

-Amaya Tsukino

Shou took another long drag of his cigarette. He was sitting now, at a fragile table for two with elegant Parisian café-style chairs flanking either side. They stared out into the open, and the man's eyebrow raised at the distant sound of a siren.
Was it an ambulance? ...the police? Something was up in Shine City.

Maybe it would not be such a quiet night after all…

His smartphone buzzed on the glass surface of the table by his side. Languidly and lost in a trance, he went to scroll through. A single unread email stared back at him from the notifications panel.
Without hesitation, he flipped to it, an odd curiosity and a tiny smirk behind the lenses of his spectacles.
It wasn't uncommon for students to message him on his academy email on Sunday night, or the day before an assignment was due. The name he saw was quite peculiar, though. One he wasn't used to seeing before.

Amaya Tsukino

Instantly, he began on a reply, after tipping the ash into the ever-handy ashtray just within his reach.

To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Late Essay

Dear Miss Tsukino,

Yours isn't a name I've seen often on this mailing list. Is it the first time you will be handing in something late?

I appreciate you letting me know in advance. Technological issues can happen to us all. I'm curious to ask what happened, but I'll leave that at that, should you wish.

He paused.
And then his fingers moved across the keyboard to add:

I can give you until the end of this week, Miss Tsukino, especially if it's a first time offense. I'm afraid after that, I will have to begin deductions.

The rain has been pouring down today. I wouldn't be surprised if your power went out.

Do not hesitate to email me should you need anything else.

Keep well, and please stay safe.

Shou Matsuoka
Shine City Academy, Dept. of Biology.

The email Amaya received was way too considerate given her circumstances. She should have got it done and turned it in sooner. However, as the college student glanced back at what she had finished of her new essay, there was no possible way to get a quality essay done by the end of the night. Even if she did stay up till midnight.

As kind as the professor’s offer was, there was no way she could accept it. Especially since many students would hate her for it. A student getting favors from a teacher? Many would accuse her of being a suck up, or even worse, having relations with a teacher. The thought paralyzed the blonde. It was a bad habit, but Amaya was always self conscious of what others thought of her.

To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: RE: Late Essay

Dear Mr. Mastuoka,

This is, to my knowledge, the only assignment that I have turned in late. However, I can not accept your offer to move the due date solely for me. I'm responsible for my work. If anything I should have turned it in earlier instead of the last minute. It's my fault, so there is no need to give me any leeway.

As for the technological issues that caused the loss of my essay, I'm not quite sure what happened. My laptop just shut down on it's own, but I don't believe it's because of a power outage, as my laptop immediately booted up when I hit the power button.

Thanks for your concern,
-Amaya Tsukino

Shou wasn't expecting a reply.
Consequently, he was surprised to feel his phone vibrate against the glass tabletop again. He went to pick it up, stubbing the cigarette butt in the ashtray.
And then he read it, with his eyebrow quirking as a curious smile took his lips.
It was much more common for students, whoever he did grant a grace period, to send him thanks and “promise it won’t happen again”, but he had to respect Amaya’s honesty. After all, it was her first time. He shrugged his shoulders as his fingers tapped away on the little touch keyboard, him having to squint just a little against the light of his phone on the gloomy evening.
...somewhere, he was laughing to himself. Kids these days had laptops, not desktops like they used to, Shou! So a power outage would, in most cases, mean nothing of significance. He mentally hit himself. How silly…

To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: RE: Late Essay

Dear Miss Tsukino

I had thought as much; yours really is not a name that frequents my email often.

Concerning the essay, I will give you until Wednesday morning, then, before I begin mark deduction, seeing as this is your first time, and I’m sure the records will hold true. It is, however, your choice whether you would like to utilise this time to re-write the essay, or finish it all tonight. Quality is key, keep well in mind.

Technology in itself is strange, but if this becomes a frequent issue, I suggest taking your laptop to one of the skilled repairmen at Shine Junction. As somebody who frequents desktops, a power outage seemed like the most logical conclusion. It seems this new age is passing me by...

Ah, I worry for all my students and colleagues in this weather.
You never know what might happen. And dangerous things happen to the best of us in bad weather.

Stay safe,

Shou Matsuoka
Shine City Academy, Dept. of Biology.

He wondered if the girl knew about the story of the physics professor who was murdered in the rain four years ago. That’s what they dubbed the story, anyway. The professor lingered on the memory of Alex, just a while longer. It seemed like, even four years later, she was forever on his mind. And it was at that moment, as if by pleasant coincidence, Jinxie, having decided she would much rather be outside than inside snoozing, padded into the balcony and before Shou could so much as stop her, launched herself into the empty chair sitting on the other side of the table. And there she sat, a pretty little lady of a Jack Russell, curling up on the pillow of the seat and expectantly eyeing her owner. He smiled a little wider as he reached across to give her a scratch behind the ears. She was a good dog.

Amaya was searching through the files on her computer. There was a seperate document she typed up that had all the requirements she needed for the essay. Her Biology folder was filled with typed up notes, study guides, and previous essays. Towards the more recent documents, one of the names stuck out. A document called “Biology Essay Final” caused the blonde’s heart to race. Could it be? She double clicked on the icon, and after a few moments, a Letter Document popped up with words flooding the page. A smile broke onto the stressed girl face as she scrolled down. By the end she was laughing with joy. It was her finished essay!

”Yes!” Amaya exclaimed, stretching back and spinning around once in her chair. She took a brief moment to thank whatever deity was out there. Before checking her email once again. It seemed as though the professor had sent an email back. She scanned the email, skipping over the parts about the essay. Then, her fingers flew over the keyboard to type her response.

To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: RE: Late Essay

Dear Mr. Matsuoka,

Good news, I have found my finished essay! So, there is no need to worry about any late work from me. It seems as though my computer auto saved it before shutting down. Sorry for the inconvenience.

As for the technology issues, I’m hoping it was just a one time thing. It would cost quite a bit of money to get a new laptop or get it fixed. And while I have a steady income, I am still a college student! It’s quite expensive to simply be here. That plus all the Christmas shopping I’ve done has taken quite the toll on my wallet. Also, you’re not that old Professor! Besides not many people know exactly how many of the devices we use, work. (Including me)

I promise I’ll stay safe, so don’t worry too much about me. I can handle myself pretty well. After quite a few years in martial arts, I’ve learned quite a bit about how the human body moves. It’s quite interesting actually. But that’s besides the point. You make sure to take of yourself as well Professor Matsuoka!

-Amaya Tsukino

The professor was delighted when the email came in, for more reasons than one. His worries were quelled and it so happened that the distressed student did indeed have her essay. Huzzah!
He shook his head, smiling as he pocketed the phone, went to scoop Jinxie into his arms despite her yelp in protest, and carried her back in, shutting the veranda door behind him.

Discarding the robe and plugging his phone in by his bedside, the man climbed into the large bed, spectacles sitting silently on the nightstand by his head.

At least it was a night that ended well, and tomorrow would be a new day…

Miss Tsukino, you certainly are an interesting young lady, and luck appears to have favoured your side. Should you have asked for anything more...I wonder if the universe would have granted that, too?

[LovelyComplex]

@Rekaigan

"My name is Kazuma Watanabe. Please, call me 'Kazu' for short. It is a pleasure to meet you, Amie. I apologize for my lack of response. I cannot speak."

"Kazu! I like that. That's cute. Kazu~ Kazu~ Kazu~" She giggled to herself enjoying the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. Then her face turned serious as she nodded in full understanding, "Can't speak... this is the first time I've met someone who couldn't speak, well besides that actress who got laryngitis." She thought back at that time when she was up against a female who had similar talents as her but wasn't as expressive. Her name was Rachel Kidd and she was a complete bitch. Her competitor was extremely passive aggressive to the point that Amity just wanted to take a baseball bat and slam it against her face. An entitled prick in Amity's opinion... or she could of just rubbed her off the wrong way by flirting with Maxwell Tatum. She was all over him. Well, Rachel got laryngitis and had to email the director saying she couldn't be considered for the role. Thank god! She would have ruined the film.

@Daxam

"Hi," he says with his trademarked grin, "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but could either of you help me? I am hopelessly lost."

Suspicious of this new arrival entering out of the blue, Amity walked closer to the man and looked at his face with narrowed eyes. He had relatively long hair for guy, didn't reach Luke's level though. She gestured him to bend down closer to her height level and then the questions rushed out.

"You're not a cop are you? Are you truly lost? Did someone send you to look for me?" She poked her head around him to see if the trio was lurking in the park. She saw another guy walking by @Haeo, she couldn't quite see him from this distance... but that wasn't going to stop her from using Zac's body to hide her.

Grabbing Zac's shirt and bringing him closer to her, his face inches away from hers, she let her ice eyes look dead into his as she whispered, "If you're being honest. I'll help you get where you need to go with my GPS." Her eyes filled with paranoia, Amie continued, "There's a guy watching us. I don't trust him. Nope, Nope, Nope! Not one bit."

Letting go of Zac's shirt, she brought her attention back to Kazu and offered, "We should all walk together! I wouldn't mind learning this area myself." Plus, she'd like to know where her acquaintances lived and if Zac's intentions were pure. Picking up the fedora off the ground, she put it on and tried to hide her pink hair in the best way she could.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Sirens were heard passing the park and heading toward Shine Junction...

She muttered to herself, "I wonder what happened..."