Start of Something Awkward [Tag: Hangetsu]

Gia

Nov 5, 2013 16:27:09 GMT -6

Ren’ai was regretting this decision the closer the date got closer and closer. The Firebender had issues sometimes remembering why she had agreed to this, but as soon as she thought about how bad things had been lately between her and her best friend, Yuri, she remembered why. She had been feeling vulnerable and very, very guilty about the whole situation. After all, their downward spiral really was all her fault. They had been fighting because she was… well, hot-headed and mean sometimes, and had been more so since her life hadn’t been working out the way she had wanted it to. That was partially due to fact that both Kamil and Tadashi quitting. They had been the Waterbender and Manager for her team, the Dragon Hawks. That was, of course, until they both quit on her.

That had really been the start of it all. Sure, the growing anti-bender sentiment was worrisome, but Ren’ai always felt that she could handle anything as long as she had Yuri and her dream – Probending. What happened when you achieved your dream, and it failed? If she had been a better Captain – and a better friend to everyone involved – maybe it wouldn’t have happened. However, she had failed her team, and worst of all, she had failed her friends. Well, now, she was down to one friend, and that was a tentative relationship still. Sure, things were getting better, but they had spent so much time fighting. Mostly because she had taken out all of her frustrations out on Yuri. She couldn’t bring herself to apologize about it, either, but at least they weren’t fighting as much anymore. It also still didn’t mean that things weren’t happening. Without a Waterbender, they had no Probending team.

That pretty much left her where she was now – on a blind date with someone she had only met once and vaguely remembered. Ren’ai only remembered that had been rather smug and arrogant when he and his parents had come over to her parent’s house for dinner a couple weeks ago. His name was Yutaka Mifune. She had heard of him and his parents, of course, but hadn’t actually met them before. She couldn’t even remember what he looked like. She vaguely remembered being unimpressed with him as a whole, so maybe that had something to do with it. It was making her parents happy, but since when had she cared about that? Giving monetary support to her Probending did not mean that they were supportive, and her mother… The Firebender pushed that thought away quickly. It wasn’t fair to get mad before Yutaka even arrived… not that telling herself not to be mad or annoyed would stop her from feeling that way, but at any rate, she could try to control herself a little.

Ren’ai sighed. Her mother had insisted on calling his family and relaying the message. Ugh, as if that’s how things were supposed to be done… She was told to meet him here for dinner. It was so stupid, and had only made her start regretting this more. The dark-haired young woman had decided to dress nice tonight, but then again, she always tried to dress nice. She had chosen a long black skirt, which had a slit on side that came up to her knee. Her shirt was red, with black trim and gold embroidery down one side. Her shoes were red to match her shirt, with a glossy sheen. She had taken half of her long black hair, and put it up with a decorative clip, the rest left down. Her makeup was light, with just the slight bit of color on her lips. She had crossed one leg over the other with one had across her lap, the other lying on the table as she waited for her date to arrive. She had gone ahead and sat down, because… honestly, if he didn’t like that… Well, she was starting to like being here less and less.

What if he wasn’t anything like her type? Well, Ren’ai could guess that, but as she had told Yuri, it wouldn’t hurt to at least give Yutaka a chance. After all, her type hadn’t worked out very well. The last guy she had dated was Liu, and he had been every bit her type. He had been tall, confident, good-looking, and a great Firebender to boot. After all, he had beaten her. That was how they’d met. Sure, she held no feelings for him anymore, but… That was what she liked, generally, because she was those things. Sure, whether his bender, or what kind of bender, didn’t matter to her so much, but… Taking a deep breath, the Firebender told herself to calm down and stop overthinking the situation. It might go bad, but she shouldn’t judge the situation before it happened.

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Anonymous

Nov 5, 2013 19:58:25 GMT -6

It took years for Yutaka to learn the name of the man who drove him to and fro. It wasn't until the man lying in the back seat of the car smoking with the door open realized just how terrible it must be to be a chauffeur.
This naturally did not dissuade him from making him pull over and crank the radio so he could listen to one last song and smoke one last cigarette.
He couldn't remember the song, only that the singer was pretty and had a sad voice.
...'cause nobody loves me, it's true...not like you do.

Yutaka found himself looking up into the face of his annoyed chauffeur from his reclined position.
"Not until I remember the name of this song."
Years of driving around a spoiled, music-loving rich kid had given Yutaka's chauffer Tsukuba a certain amount of patience and knowledge of music. Yutaka was informed that the song was called 'Sour Times'.
Yutaka sighed and stood and awkwardly rubbed his hand over his newly shaven face. It felt like someone else's face.
"Sour times, indeed."

His hair wouldn't move, it was so tightly braided. He imagined his scalp pulling away from his skull by dessert and briefly wondered if there was any way he could hasten the process and spend the rest of his evening relaxing in an emergency room.
While his plain black suit was expensive Yutaka refused to tuck in his shirt. It was a subtle statement of rebellion but also because he thought it hid his bulging stomach better. He remembered one young man around his age in a club referring to him as a 'bear' and Yutaka hadn't figured out if it was a compliment or not. Since then he always wondered if he looked like a wild animal or a stuffed toy. Neither seemed particular complimentary so Yutaka decided to conceal what he thought was his most bear-like quality.

Tie straight, hair neatly pulled back and contained, Yutaka felt almost ready to begin the process of not running out of the restaurant and check out a club or a late art gallery. When he saw Ren'ai even that seemed out of the question.
"Ye Gods, not her." He remembered meeting her once before and in an attempt to abort any attempt to match-making Yutaka decided to say the first inappropriate thing that came to mind. He didn't remember the exact words but he remembered comparing her to a broodmare selected by his parents.
He wondered if he should make a joke about his previous obnoxious behavior or pretend the whole incident had never happened.

"Sooooo," he stretched out his word as long as he could as he sat down across from Ren'ai while trying to think of a clever way to defuse his last comment.
He reached across the table to shake Ren'ai's hand in the most platonic manner he could. "I don't believe we've met. Yutaka Mifune."

Utter denial of reality tended to be easier than cleverness.

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Last edit by Deleted: Nov 11, 2013 12:01:46 GMT -6

Gia

Nov 10, 2013 18:14:15 GMT -6

Ren’ai hoped that Yutaka arrived soon so that this mockery could be over, and as luck would have it, he arrived at just that second. He had dressed decent, so at least there was that. The suit was a bit plain for her tastes, though, but that was a minor thing. Of course, he hadn’t tucked in his shirt. Wasn’t that customary? Hers wasn’t made to be tucked in, so that was a different story entirely. He was extremely… unimpressive, though, and she immediately wished she was not here. The Firebender knew that it was very shallow of her to look at someone and decide whether or not you wanted to continue on with the evening but… was it such a crime to want someone who could look as good as she did? If he lost some weight, he might be a decent looking guy, but she couldn’t see past that. Maybe that was because she was shallow… or an athlete, or a combination of both. At least now she knew why she hadn’t really remembered what he looked like. What’s to remember?

Yutaka’s first words to her didn’t really impress her, either. It was obvious he had no idea what to say. Had he even been on a date? She believed that he honestly hadn’t. Really, though, how hard of a concept was it that when you’d lalready met your date you didn’t say, “I don’t believe we’ve met.” Perfectly polite and proper if that were true, but seeing as how the two of them had already met once… it kind of made him seem rather dumb at the moment. Maybe he’s trying to be nice, she thought in a voice that sounded strangely like her mother. That was not what she needed right now, though she knew that it was probably true. He had been rather smug and arrogant upon their first meeting, so it wasn’t entirely a bad thing that he was at least attempting to act decently. She knew that she shouldn’t judge so harshly, because she was far from being an angel. She hoped that she didn’t go around to people she didn’t even know seeming like she owned the whole freaking world, though.

Ren’ai almost didn’t move her hand, but decided that if Yutaka was being nice, she could at least try. Reaching over and shaking his hand, she unfolded her legs and scooted her chair closer to the table. That was only polite, as they were supposed to be on a date, after all. “Ren’ai, Tasukete and Kyouko’s daughter, though we met a couple weeks ago, remember.” She tried to keep her voice as even as possible. The waiter came up at that moment and asked for their drinks. “Water, please,” she said, looking at him for a moment before looking away. The waiter then turned and asked for Yutaka’s drink order. She waited to speak again until the waiter had left, and in fact, for a moment, wondered about saying anything at all. However, this was supposed to be a date, and she had promised her mother that she’d try. Of course, she didn’t say how jhard, but that would all depend on him, she supposed. “So, I trust you found the place all right?” She had been waiting for a few minutes so, it’s possible that he had needed to look for this place. Of course, he could simply have been stalling, too.

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Anonymous

Nov 11, 2013 13:00:14 GMT -6

“Ren’ai, Tasukete and Kyouko’s daughter, though we met a couple weeks ago, remember.”
He knew the odds of a bout of jerk-targeted amnesia was too much to hope for.
"Yutaka-son of wealthy people with poor child-rearing skills."

When the waiter asked for his drink order Yutaka knew the proper thing to do would be to match his date's order with something non-alcoholic.
"Sloe gin fizz, please."
Even after messing up with his drink order Yutaka logically knew the he could maintain an image as an upright man if he didn't drink to excess.
"Um...two. Please."

“So, I trust you found the place all right?”
Yutaka grinned. "My driver did, that's what counts.

Conversation didn't seem strained until the drinks came, it seemed irrevocably broken. He hid his face behind his menu to hide, pretending he was deeply contemplating it.
He wondered if a joke might break the ice or failing that hiring an entire fleet of waterbenders to do so.
"I'm trying to figure out what we have done in the past to make our parents hate us so. I remember my father getting angry for touching one of his antique Piandao swords. Little did I know he'd get revenge all these years later."

He legitimately smiled for the first time that night as he spoke to Ren'ai.
"I can't even imagine what you may have done to deserve this. You must have been Ozai in the last life."
Other than to take the edge of the night Yutaka intended for his drinks to plug the tooth-filled aperture that was his mouth.

The waiter earned a significant tip by showing up right then to ask for their food order.
Finally remembering his manners, Yutaka gestured to Ren'ai for her to order first.
He actually took a moment to find something date-appropriate. "Boar-Q-Pine dumplings. Small, not messy, not noisy to eat and easy to share. It felt like the first decent decision of the day.

"So, um, hobbies and stuff. Like, what do you do for fun? All I know about you is that your pretty and your parents are in good standing. What are you like when you're not being forced on dates?"

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Gia

Nov 12, 2013 16:39:06 GMT -6

Ren’ai stifled a laugh when Yutaka introduced himself again – this time instead of saying his parents’ names as she had, he said that they were wealthy and had poor child rearing skills. It shouldn’t have been amusing at all, but considering how annoyed she was with her parents at times, she empathized. She didn’t entirely agree, but she wouldn’t condone him for thinking that way. He then proceeded to order two drinks. She tried not to react at that, but really? Wasn’t that a big much? There was such a thing as ordering another drink later in the evening. If he got drunk during this night, neither her mother nor him were ever going to hear the end of it. Oh, and he would regret it, that was for sure. “Tell me you’re not going to get drunk tonight,” she said a disapproving tone to her voice. This was not a good to start this night at all, she thought to herself.

Ren’ai shook her head when he said his driver had found the place all right. At least she didn’t use a driver. She either took a cab or walked as she didn’t own a car of her own – and refused to have her parents get one for her. The Firebender had gotten sick and tired of living off of her parents means, and she couldn’t afford on her own salary. Clothes were something she didn’t skimp on that – old habits and all that. Her companion for the evening then proceeded to try and hide behind the menu. Of course, as if that would make anything better. It wouldn’t make her go away, either. She glanced over her own menu as she heard him speaking to her. He was trying to break the ice with a joke, and despite herself, she laughed – a real true laugh. She took a sip of her water before deciding to respond. “I have no idea,” she answered honestly, “though I promise you, I was not Ozai in a past life. “My parents have this idea that I need to be married soon, and married rich. If you want my honest opinion, I don’t think my dad wants to leave me anything.”

It seemed like such a small matter to some – inheritance. She was sure that Yuri’s parents didn’t worry about it, since they were not rich – well off, yes, but they only had two children, so it wouldn’t matter. Yutaka’s didn’t worry about it, either. He was their only child as far as she was aware. Everything went to him. “You see, I have three brothers – two older, both married with a child, and one younger. That’s four ways to split my father’s money,” she explained. Any rich child would know what that meant. “They have this idea that if I marry rich, then they won’t have to leave me that much, and can split the majority between my three brothers.” The look in her amber eyes said everything that needed to be said – that she thought that the whole matter was stupid. She honestly couldn’t care either way. “Well, that, and my father’s getting on in years, or thinks he is, but if that were true, you’d think they’d be more worried about my little brother instead of me.” She gave a light shrug of her shoulders.

In really, Tasukete was in excellent shape for a man in his mid-fifties, and could probably still hold his own against his only Firebending child. He worried nonetheless, even with a wife that was in her early forties. “I guess that’s what I get for being the only girl.” That was not something that Yutaka could empathize with, of course. “Although, it may have something to do with me setting fire to things when I was younger, but that’s hardly my fault,” she said. “I was young. I’ve learned control since then.” Somewhat, she added silently, at least as long as I don’t get pissed off… which seems to happen to me often. The dark-haired young woman hadn’t even really looked at the menu when she noticed that the waiter was there, and that Yutaka was doing the proper thing and having her order first. “Um, can I just get the fish, please? Light on the sauce.” She handed him the menu back

Ren’ai and Yutaka were then alone at the table again, and he asked about her hobbies. “Well, on a day-to-day basis, I’m a waitress,” she said, though of course, that was a job not a hobby, but he had asked what she did when she wasn’t being forced out on dates. “I work at Watashi’s Restaurant.” She took a sip of her water before continuing. “I got tired of living off my parents, so me and my best friend got jobs at Watashi’s and moved out. She’s a delivery girl.” She thought about whether or not to continue since he was obviously not an active person, but he had asked, after all, and isn’t being truthful what you were supposed to do on a date? “When I’m not working, I’m either at home reading or out training, though I haven’t done much of that lately. Yuri – that’s my best friend –and I started a Probending team. We’re the Dragon Hawks, or will be once we find another Waterbender. I wouldn’t really call it a hobby, though my father would, despite the fact that he pays for everything anyway.” Her voice got clearly annoyed at that comment, though she didn’t elaborate on any details, but would if asked, of course. “What about you? Surely, you do something besides getting forced out on dates.”

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Anonymous

Nov 13, 2013 1:24:05 GMT -6

“Tell me you’re not going to get drunk tonight,”
Yutaka let a crooked half-smile creep itself across the right side of his face.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I think lying to you on our first date would be starting things off badly. We don't need that handicap, now do we?"

"I can't even imagine what you may have done to deserve this. You must have been Ozai in the last life."
“I have no idea, though I promise you, I was not Ozai in a past life. My parents have this idea that I need to be married soon, and married rich. If you want my honest opinion, I don’t think my dad wants to leave me anything.”

Yutaka couldn't help chuckle at how similar their situations were.
"It's like something out of a bad play. If it's any consolation, and I'm sure it isn't, my parents would probably trade me for you in a second. Apparently, the Mifune line is knows for good looks, keen intelligence and tenacity. I have all but three of those qualities.

Until Ren'ai mentioned being a waitress and a pro bender Yutaka was ready to write her off as a typical spoiled rich girl only interested in parties filled with back-handed compliments and bragging disguised as conversation.
His first sloe gin of the evening was gone but he didn't feel the immediate need to drink his second.
That's neat! I mean, I'm not a pro bending fan but that's great that you're doing your own thing in your own place. I, uh, tried the same thing but it didn't go so well."

“What about you? Surely, you do something besides getting forced out on dates.”
The large man rolled his hazel eyes while sighing.
"Nothing that pays as well, unfortunately." He set his elbow on the table and rested his chin upon it.
"I work for the city repairing roads. I thought it would be a good way to make money using my earth bending. As it turned out, they wanted me to work...all the time. Moving tons of gravel, filling in pot holes, repairing damage other earth benders inflict upon the city. I wanted something humble and blue collar. Now I know that people don't do these jobs because they are spiritually fulfilling, they do them because they have to."
He paused for a moment to cheer up. Thinking about his job sometimes depressed him.

As if to litterly shake the bad thoughts Yutaka reclined his neck to each side while taking a deep breath through his nose.
It centered him enough to smile.
"When I'm not working I explore. Walk around and find interesting places. I like jazz clubs and places with art. If I can listen to music or see a work of art I'm happy. It turns out that despite my wealth all it takes is a few yuans for street food and to cover a club fee to make me happy.

The hand under Yutaka's chin was reunited with it's twin to offer double the support .
"You ever think of getting married just to shut them up?"

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Gia

Nov 13, 2013 18:04:14 GMT -6

Ren’ai rolled her eyes at his comment about not lying to her on the first date – a true statement, of course, not one that boded well when it was talking about drinking. She decided not to comment on the fact that he’d regret it, because he’d find out if he was dumb enough to get drunk. Her mother wouldn’t hear the end of it, either. The Firebender shook her head when he said that his family would trade him for her in a second, because she apparently possessed all the qualities that his family thought that he should have. “I do not have keen intelligence,” she told him, “though I’m far from stupid, but I wouldn’t say that you were stupid either.” What was ‘keen intelligence’ anyway? Sure, she was far from stupid, but she didn’t think that people who had keen intelligence were so overly emotional the way she was. “Besides, it’s not fair what they said, but then again, my parents could care less about what I care about. I’m not their ‘ideal child’, either. Their ideal daughter would be married already, and have a kid on the way – the pretty little trophy wife.”

Ren’ai’s amber eyes flashed at her last remark. It annoyed her to end that her mother and father though that was best for her. Did they care what she thought? “Probending and waitressing don’t fit in that mold and I never hear the end of it,” she explained. She couldn’t really comment on his being attractive or tenacious. She didn’t know him well enough to know if he was or was not tenacious, and he was obviously not attractive. Although, being in shape would certainly help with that. The Firebender thought it better not to say that on a first date, though. Besides, chances were, he already knew that he could be doing something about it but chose not to for whatever reason – whether laziness, didn’t know how, or felt he couldn’t. She couldn’t think of a way to phrase a response to that without saying something insulting. That wasn’t a good way to start out any relationship – whether romantic or not. She had learned that the hard way recently regarding her friendship with her best friend, Yuri.

Ren’ai was surprised that Yutaka had said that he had tried to live on his own, and it hadn’t worked. “For me, the only way I have lived away from my parents is because of Yuri,” she admitted honestly. “If I didn’t have her, I’d still at my parents and they’d probably have married me off by now, despite the fact that I haven’t turned nineteen yet.” She took a sip of her water before continuing. “We split the bills. We live in a decent apartment, but it’s a far cry from what I grew up in.” You had to get used to not living the way you grew up in, and it hadn’t been easy for her. Her best friend was always there for her. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” She was honestly kind of curious, because it had worked out pretty well for her. There were certain things she didn’t skimp on, though, and that was clothes and makeup. She still used clothes that her parents had bought for her, and they always made sure to continue to buy clothes for her. She never lacked for that, which was for sure.

Ren’ai also felt slightly insulted when he said that he was not a Probending fan. How could you not be a Probending fan? Even her parents were fans, how could she have seen a match if they hadn’t been? “Probending is awesome, but if you’re judging by what you hear on the radio, it so much better in person,” she told him, “though I haven’t actually been to match as a spectator in a couple of years.” She had gone the year before last, and last year she had been participating. This year, she couldn’t bear to go. It hurt too much to know that she and Yuri had the talent, but couldn’t do it anyway. She titled her eyes down for a moment, taking a drink of her water as she ran her hands through her long, black hair. She needed to compose herself. After she had gathered herself, she looked up at Yutaka again.

Ren’ai was surprised when Yutaka said that he worked in construction. That was a hard job from what she heard, and she didn’t condone him for not realizing that people worked because they had to. After all, she hadn’t even thought about the concept of work until she realized she wanted to live beyond her parent’s means. “That’s not an easy job at all, from what I heard,” she told him, “but then again, no job really is. I enjoy waiting tables most of the time when I don’t have creepy old men hitting on me, rude people to wait on, or incompetent people to work with.” That happened more often than not, though, sadly. “It’s not an easy job, though, but it pays the bills, and that’s what I need for – at least until I marry rich and don’t need to work anymore.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm at the end of that remark and a smirk crossed her lips. “You’re working even though you don’t have to?” She wondered why he would just choose to work even though he obviously didn’t need to.

It seemed as if he didn’t like talking about it, but she couldn’t figure out why, so Ren’ai decided not to say anything more about it. The conversation turned back to their hobbies, and she was very surprised to hear that he liked to frequent jazz clubs and art museums. “Can’t say that I’ve ever been much of an art fan, but I also can’t say that I’ve ever set foot into an art museum, either,” she said with a light giggle. “I’ve never been to jazz club either, so it sounds interesting.” At least he had interests that weren’t shallow or anything like one would expect from a spoiled rich kid. Then again, she didn’t have those typical interests, either. The next question took her by surprise, though. She paused a moment to think about it before answering. “Several months ago, if you would have asked me that question, I would have beat you into next week, but now… I’ve decided due to recent events that it wouldn’t hurt to humor my mother, at least for the time being.” A sad look crossed her face and she once again averted her gaze to compose herself again. She was not going to get emotional tonight. “What about you?”

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Anonymous

Nov 14, 2013 13:27:56 GMT -6

“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”
"I...I..." He hung his head for a moment and wondered if he could somehow turn his thoughts into a self-deprecating joke.
"I went into adult life while a nineteen year-old child. I couldn't change a sheet or cook a meal. Now imagine a guy with a lot of interests and no concept of money getting his first paycheck. Rent, utilities, water...Paying for these things was foreign to me so as far as I was concerned I had some money to go and party. My first two paychecks went directly to the Golden Fan Saloon. Even when I got a handle on that there was still no money. I needed help so I swallowed my pride and asked my parents. They'll help me as long as I still have my job and go on the occasional marriage date.

“Probending is awesome, but if you’re judging by what you hear on the radio, it so much better in person, though I haven’t actually been to match as a spectator in a couple of years.”
Yutaka's eyes lifted as his spirits rose. It wasn't exactly something in common but there was a common thread between two of their activities.
"Music is the same way. Seeing it played live it so much different than listening to something on the radio or a record. Seeing someone talented doing what they were meant to do is a great experience. And when you're around other fans there's just this...uh..." He waved his hands around. "Atmosphere that you can't get from the radio."

“That’s not an easy job at all, from what I heard but then again, no job really is. I enjoy waiting tables most of the time when I don’t have creepy old men hitting on me, rude people to wait on, or incompetent people to work with. It’s not an easy job, though, but it pays the bills, and that’s what I need for – at least until I marry rich and don’t need to work anymore."

“You’re working even though you don’t have to?”
Yutaka shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose. I think if I begged and promised to act more proper I could quit and move back home. I don't really know why I keep at it. I'm always screwing up and slowing people down and the work...it's so hard. Some jerk earth bends part of the street and the city sends us in and we have to get yelled at by drivers even though we're there to fix the problem. All these things are bad but they're MY bad experiences."

As with any conversation Yutaka Mifune was a part of, the subject of art came up.
“Can’t say that I’ve ever been much of an art fan, but I also can’t say that I’ve ever set foot into an art museum, either, I’ve never been to jazz club either, so it sounds interesting."
"Oh, they're great! It's just that one place has more pretentious people than the other. I'll let you guess which one."

"You ever think of getting married just to shut them up?"
“Several months ago, if you would have asked me that question, I would have beat you into next week, but now… I’ve decided due to recent events that it wouldn’t hurt to humor my mother, at least for the time being.”
“What about you?”

Yutaka sighed and paused before letting out a chuckle hiding no small amount of self-contempt. "I'm here, aren't I? Most of the time I hate the idea of an arranged marriage...it's...it's just a stupid anachronism." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled a half-cocked smile. "But, you know...the more I'm around people who struggle with money I think about how a loveless marriage is a small price to pay."

Their entrees had just arrived and already Yutaka felt more at ease than when he first entered the restaurant.
"I must say that you are a lot more interesting than the other potential ex-wives I've gone out with."

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Last edit by Deleted: Nov 14, 2013 13:30:06 GMT -6

Gia

Nov 14, 2013 18:12:51 GMT -6

Ren’ai was a bit surprised that Yutaka was actually willing to tell her what happened when he had tried to move out. As he spoke, it seemed a bit of a personal experience to her, but then again, she understood completely. She nodded as he spoke, and not judgmental at all. “Oh, trust me, I know exactly how you feel, though I’ve been on my own for about two years now, I think.” Had it really been that long? “However, at first, I thought Yuri was going to kill me, she got so annoyed sometimes. She basically had to teach me everything – how to clean, when to shop and when not to shop, how to manage money… how to cook, though she still does most of the cooking.” She shrugged. “It’s not my thing.” The Firebender empathized greatly with what he said, though, and couldn’t imagine how horrible it would have been for her if she hadn’t had her best friend to help her through everything. It was a bit of a scary prospect now that she thought about it.

Ren’ai listened to what Yutaka was saying about music, and had to admit, that if listening to music live was anything like watching a live Probending match… it might be something worth doing .”I see what you’re saying,” she admitted. “It might something worth doing one of these days. Other than training and working, I don’t really get out much.” That was unless she was on a date. She and Yuri went out every now and again, but her Earthbending friend was dating so much now, and with their conflicting schedules, it didn’t usually. That, and when they were out of work and she wasn’t on a date, they were usually at home either talking or reading. That hadn’t even trained that much in… well, quite a while. They had really only trained once since she had brought it when they’d made up a week or so ago. Since then, with work and Tadashi coming back into their lives, they hadn’t really had time. It was kind of sad, because working out used to be such a big part of their lives when they were actually participating in the Probending season.

Ren’ai understood to a point what Yutaka was saying about work, and being able to go home if you acted proper. “My parents would let me come home,” she said, “if I agreed to stop this ‘Probending nonsense.” She scoffed and gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “If you don’t like your job, and you still want to work, than maybe you should find something else.” She shrugged. “There are other jobs.” Why had she started waitressing again? Why had Yuri chosen to be a delivery girl? The Firebender couldn’t remember now. It just seemed like… it had been an easy job to get, because restaurants were usually always hiring. At least that’s what Yuri had said when they’d gone into apply. Kohaku, their boss, had then tired hired both girls, but in two different jobs after they’d had their respective interviews. It seemed like so long ago, and that her life had always been like this, but it hadn’t.

Ren’ai chuckled a little as Yutaka told her she guess whether a jazz club or an art museum had more pretentious people, though she decide not to respond. She understood what he was saying about agreeing to an arranged marriage. “And then the struggles over with finding someone to marry when your parents are forcing you to settle down,” she said. “At the same time, though… don’t we deserve to find someone that we more than just ‘get along with’, because that’s my mother’s criteria right now.” She took a long sip of her water. It was so much easier to just go along with her parent’s wishes. She knew that some rich kids did that, but it all seemed so stupid now. “I mean, my mother met and fell in love with my father when she was eighteen and my father was thirty. She wasn’t rich. I don’t know about your parents, but mine can do, why can’t everyone?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m a bit torn on the issue, really.”

Ren’ai was glad that their food arrived, though the evening was turning quite as horrible as she had first thought it would when he’d walked in the door. Yutaka was not her idea of an ideal date… but as first dates come, she’d worse. She’d certainly had better, too, but all in all, it was not how she had expected this date to go. Evidently, Yutaka agreed. She smiled at his compliment, a true smile. “Thank you,” she said, honestly. “I could say the same thing about you. You’re… different than I thought you’d be after our first meeting.” He’d given her a less than stellar first impression, and while she saw aspects of that person in who she was sitting across from, he was not nearly as bad as she’d made him out to be in between that first meeting and their first date tonight.

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Anonymous

Nov 14, 2013 22:11:21 GMT -6

“At the same time, though… don’t we deserve to find someone that we more than just ‘get along with’, because that’s my mother’s criteria right now."
Yutaka shrugged. After defying his parents and failing it was difficult for him to process such high ideals as deserving more. "I think 'getting along' sets the bar rather high, actually. I've been to more than my share of high society parties and you can feel the loathing and contempt some of these married people have for each other."

“I mean, my mother met and fell in love with my father when she was eighteen and my father was thirty. She wasn’t rich. I don’t know about your parents, but mine can do, why can’t everyone? I don’t know. I’m a bit torn on the issue, really.”
Yutaka casually cut into one of his pork buns. He wondered to himself why people who loved one another would inflict something like an arranged marriage on their child. Then again, he found the idea of romantic love rather dubious anyway...at least when it came to families of wealth.

"I must say that you are a lot more interesting than the other potential ex-wives I've gone out with."
"Thank you. I could say the same thing about you. You’re… different than I thought you’d be after our first meeting.”
Yutaka couldn't help but blush for a moment. Compliments were sometimes hard to take.
"Well actually I'm...I..." he hung his head and let out an exasperated breath. "Thank you. What I mean to say is 'thank you'."

At a loss for anything to say at the moment Yutaka slid his plate of pork buns slightly toward Ren'ai. "Go on, I ate before I came here. It's a tip my mother gave me. 'Always eat beforehand and never eat noodles on a date'. I've gotten a lot of dating advice over the years but those are the only things that stuck. It's easier than 'lose twenty pounds' and have a manly jawline."

Right then Yutaka thought of something that would both break the ice and make certain that this date would not lead to a marriage interview.
"What's your worst date story? The one with the less pathetic date has to pay for dessert."

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Last edit by Deleted: Dec 13, 2013 0:25:50 GMT -6

Gia

Nov 15, 2013 14:55:43 GMT -6

Ren’ai had to admit that Yutaka had a point, at least when it came to arranged marriages. She’d seen the same thing, though of course, she hadn’t seen it as often. Plenty of people married for love, but in rich society, plenty more did not – or so she’d heard. As a child, the Firebender hadn’t really paid too much attention to it, but she’d heard about arranged marriages. “That’s a good point,” she agreed, “though I never paid much attention as a child.” Now, with her parents trying to force her into, she was paying more attention to it. In a way, it still kind of annoyed her, but at least she was being given a choice. Her parents wanted her to agree to it, which was something. At least that’s what she was telling herself as she sat across from someone they wanted her to consider.

Ren’ai gave a small smile as Yutaka struggled to accept her compliment. It was obvious that he wasn’t used to, and she wasn’t sure what to think about that. In a way, she could see why. After all, physically, most girls probably wouldn’t give him the time of day romantically. Personality wise, he’d set a very bad first impression when they had met. Neither one of those made for anything positive, but now that she was actually on a date with him… The compliment was well deserved. The dark-haired young woman supposed that she took it for granted. It wasn’t like she received them all the time, but she did receive them, and she knew how to take in stride and not be embarrassed. There was nothing else that she could say on the matter, so she chose not to say anything at all on the matter, at least for the moment.

Ren’ai accepted the pork bun gladly, nodding at his mother’s advice. “Thank you, and not bad advice,” she told him. It wasn’t necessarily good advice, either, though, because… well, didn’t you want someone who knew how to eat, and not just pick at their food? As for the noodles thing, though… that wasn’t bad advice, either. She understood his reasoning, though – as well as his mother’s apparently. The Firebender couldn’t comment on the ‘losing twenty pounds’ comment that he’d made, because… well, she’d never had a weight problem in her life. She didn’t understand how hard it was. None of her family had that problem, either. She didn’t want to say anything rude so quickly, either, so she decided to keep her comments to herself – at least for now, until it bugged her so much that she had to ask him if he’d ever even attempted to work out and better himself.

“Bad date story? Hmm…” Ren’ai thought about it for a moment, thinking about her dates until a couple stuck out in her mind. “Well, there was the one where I was set up with a friend of someone at work, who no longer works there and he barely spoke the entire night.” She enjoyed talking, and it had not gone over well that he was too shy to even try. Everyone’s nervous on a first date, come on! “Ooh, or then there was this guy, can’t remember how I met him, but he proceeded to do all the talking on our date. Literally, I could not get a word in edge wise. He evidently thought that he was greatest thing there was, and that I should agree. He even ordered for me. I got about halfway through dinner, and couldn’t stand it anymore.” She remembered that date. Ugh, she’d been so mad when she left there. “It took all my self-control not to send a fireball at his head before I walked out.”

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Anonymous

Nov 21, 2013 17:19:35 GMT -6

A most uncouth laugh escaped Yutaka Mifune's mouth upong hearing about his date's other dates.
"And these guys weren't even intentionally trying to sabotage things, right?"

He stifled another laugh then craned his head toward the ceiling and sighed as he lowered it to look back to Ren'ai.
"Would it be unfair of me to mention the dates that I torpedoed on purpose? There was one time where my date explicitly wanted to sit in a non-smoking section so I proceeded to spend that meal chain-smoking. She didn't even make it to the entree. If you want a story where I wasn't the villain, I have only one."

Yutaka took a moment to pick at and section off a piece of his last pork bun before eating it as he tried to find the right words.
"I was seventeen and not the suave ladies man you see before you," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I was just discovering music at the time and had a thing for musicians." He decided to neglect mentioning that he still had a thing for musicians since Ren'ai didn't need to know everything about him.
"She was the daughter of a middle-class dyer or something. What I most remember about her were her hands. She had calloused fingers." He smiled and for a moment got lost in nostalgia.

After an awkward pause the result of which was talking a little too fondly of another woman while on a date, Yutaka continued.
"As it turned out she played the upright bass, hence the callouses. She dragged me to a jazz bar that would need a fresh coat of paint to be considered a dive. So there I am, obvious rich kid in a suit and really out of place. I could only mumble and if I spoke it was into my chest. That night I was introduced to drinking and jazz and had way too much of both."

Yutaka's smile widened almost to the point of being a gaping hole in his face.
"Just like in a bad radio drama some guy tries to cut in just as she convinces me to dance. Now, I don't know if you know this about men but every one of us at one time or another thinks that they could be the toughest guy in the world. That night was my time. I threw my first punch ever and got my first beating ever. The date ended with me floating in a tank of water at the nearest healer."

A shrill giggle erupted from Yutaka who tried to suppress it by bowing his head. Het met Ren'ai's eyes again once he felt his unmanly laughter fade.
"On second thought, you win. That was the best date ever. The girl never called me back but I learned a great deal about music, drinking and the high price of acting macho."

Only a small sip of his second drink was taken since, much to his surprise, Yutaka didn't feel the need for a drunken haze to get through a date.
"Now that I have thoroughly embarrassed myself tell me something of pro bending. I know absolutely nothing of the sport. What do you like about it?"

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Gia

Nov 21, 2013 20:38:39 GMT -6

A smirk crossed Ren’ai’s face as Yutaka asked if either of them guys had been trying to sabotage the dates on purpose. “Nope, they were just idiots,” she said. Neither were very good dates in her opinion, and it was a hard decision as to which date had been worse. They were both equally bad for very different reasons. She gave a fake gasp of disbelief as he said that he had thrown some of his dates on purpose. In all honesty, it wasn’t that hard believe now that she knew that he’d been more of these “marriage dates” before. In the positions were reversed, she might have done the same thing. “That’s pretty bad,” she said, the look of fake shock fading from her face. “Usually, if I want to throw a date, my personality will do the work for me without me having to do anything on my own to throw it.” Not that she’d needed to throw a date, but she’d had guys not ask her out again – and she knew that it was because she could be very hot-tempered and emotional.

Ren’ai listened as he explained about his bad date, a genuine look of surprise and shock as the explanation went on. Wow, no wonder he considered that bad… it was really a bad idea to start a fight if you couldn’t back it up. She didn’t mention that she can hold her own any date of the week against anyone. But that was not a discussion for today, and chances are, he probably already knew that if he knew anything about Probending. However, he seemed to be distracted remembering this date, which seemed to have been a couple of years if she was correct. That annoyed her. It was very rude since they were currently a date – it may be a date encouraged by their parents, but it was still a date. Her eyes narrowed and her body stiffened a little bit, but the moment passed soon enough as he was continuing to talk about this “horrible date”. He actually seemed to be enjoying telling the story, though.

Ren’ai opened her mouth to ask if he had even thought about using his bending – or if he did use it and still failed miserably. She quickly closed it, deciding that was not a good thing to say right now. The giggle that escaped his mouth took her completely by surprise, and she wasn’t sure if it was in a good way. The Firebender was kind of surprised that he actually told her that she went on because the date was great. He’d learned about music and drinking, as well as a lesson about acting macho, apparently. “Acting macho isn’t the problem,” she corrected, “but you do need to be able to back it if you’re going to do so.” The dark-haired young woman neglected to mention that she could do so any day of the week, though she couldn’t stop the slight smirk from playing her lips. Well, she had worked hard to be at the level she was. Her father had taught her for many years prior to her concentrating on Probending more than classical Firebending. Every now and again, he’d surprise her with a small match to test her classical bending skills. She hated them because classical bending style was very different from Probending.

Ren’ai noticed that Yutaka hadn’t picked up his second drink, and was actually glad that he was getting drunk. That meant their date wasn’t going too terribly, if she did say so herself. It was also better for him, too. However, her thoughts were interrupted as he proceeded to ask her about Probending – saying he knew nothing about the sport, and wondering why she liked it. The Firebender didn’t stop the look of surprise that crossed her face – both at him asking about her greatest interest and for not knowing anything about it at all. “Well, I mean, the basics are there are two teams, one element each. Each team has a side with three zones. Everyone starts in zone one and the goal is push the other team back as far as possible, or off completely,” she explained. “There are three matches, best two of three wins – that is, unless you manage a total knockout in the third round knock all three of the other team into water. Not in any easy thing, trust me.” Part of her wondered if she should have said all that, but it was all like the fan and Captain in her took over and it all spilled out.

“Sorry if you didn’t want all that,” Ren’ai admitted. “The fan and Captain in me took over.” She gave a light shrug before continuing. “Anyway, what attracted me to the sport originally was the… aggression and confidence the athletes displayed. They were all so well trained, and watching the elements fly across the arena, it was… intoxicating to say the least. My parents took me as a child to my first match, and I’ve never looked back.” It was a fond memory for her. “Yuri and I immediately wanted to do nothing else. We wanted to be like those well trained, skilled athletes – cool, confident and aggressive. If you’ve never been to a match, you should go sometime. Watching it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It’s awesome to watch, and even more awesome to be in. It’s more than just… elements being thrown around, though. There’s real strategy and teamwork involved. All three of the team members have to be in sync. They have to make sure that they all work together so that one of the other team doesn’t take them by surprise and knock them back.”

A momentary look of sadness crossed Ren’ai’s face, which left her feeling a bit confused. On the one hand, she did generally love Probending. It was her calling, or at least that’s what she had thought. However, she was no longer doing it because her major personality flaws. “That’s actually why we lost the Quarter-Finals,” she admitted. “We didn’t work well enough together as a team. There wasn’t enough strategy. Still, though, I think Probending is awesome.” Realizing that she’d babbled on long enough, she gave an embarrassed shrug of her shoulders. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble on. Tell you what, why do you enjoy art and jazz clubs so much? I know next to nothing about either.” It would give him a chance to ramble on if he chose. It was only fair, after all. She had gone on a bit longer than she should have, but that happened when you got someone talking about something they loved, right?

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Anonymous

Nov 24, 2013 1:53:38 GMT -6

When Ren'ai first appeared to him Yutaka thought she was attractive enough. If he had to marry someone whoes only attribute was looks, he could do worse than Ren'ai. When she began to talk about bending she positively glowed and he went from "attractive enough" to "very pretty". When people did something they loved, or even talked about it, there was an aura about them that Yutaka found compelling. It was why he tended to fall in temporary love with any female performer he saw live.
He could see himself potentially not hating this woman. Then when she asked about art and jazz Yutaka could see himself actively liking her.

Bereft of pork buns, Yutaka's plate was clean and offered something he hoped his date would appreciate as much as he did-a visual aide.
He poured a dollop of red sauce onto the plate and gently dipped one of his chopsticks into it as he began to speak.
"I was rather slow as a child. Not a dimwit, things just took me longer than most so in addittion to school I was tutored. Tutors for reading, history, etiquette, you name it."
He began drawing swirls on his plate with a smile.
"And anyone of noble bearing has to know culture, right? My art tutor was named Baki. Any time I painted anything in class I got the same criticisms. 'That line isn't straight, dogs aren't green' and so on. Baki complimented my work and gave suggestions, not orders, on how to improve. Art became fun. We went to museums to see art on walls and parks to see art all around us. My tutoring stopped the first time I mentioned to my parents I wanted to be an artist."

When his story finished Yutaka tilted his plate upwards to show Ren'ai a stylized flame rendered in sweet-and-sour sauce using a chopstick.
"My jazz story is not quite as sentimental. I dabbled in it because it drove my parents crazy. It wasn't until that date I mentioned that I began to love it. Any time I bought a record I had to hide them from my parents if I didn't want them to end up in our fireplace."
He chuckled while squinting his eyes.
"The first album I bought was Blind Lemur's Moanin'. I had to keep it in a sleeve for Fire Nation folk songs."

Yutaka had no idea that things would progress beyond the entree but here he was: his plate was empty and the space across from him was not.
"Umm....dessert?"

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Last edit by Deleted: Nov 24, 2013 1:54:33 GMT -6

Gia

Nov 24, 2013 16:05:09 GMT -6

Ren’ai listened as Yutaka explained his love of music and art to her. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate music, because she did. Although, she had never been to a jazz club or anything like that, which he seemed to enjoy going to. However, as for art – that was something she’d never understood. She could appreciate when art was good, but she didn’t get why some people could stand there and explain what it meant. To her, it was just paint on a canvas. Yes, it could be pretty, but she didn’t get any meaning behind it, and even then, sometimes she didn’t get how some painting or other was good. It didn’t always make sense to her. She wasn’t naturally a creative person, so certain things didn’t just come to her. She didn’t always “get” it, though she could be envious of those who were as her date seemed to be. He seemed to be drawing on his empty plate with his sauce, though she couldn’t see what it was from her angle yet – if he was drawing anything at all. She was pretty sure he was, though.

Ren’ai’s eyes widened in surprise when Yutaka finished the story and lifted the plate to show her what he’d drawn. It was a stylized flame. She didn’t understand how people could do that. Sure, she could draw basic stuff, but making sauce in what he’d just done was beyond her. “You made that with just the sauce?” She leaned back in her chair, shaking her head a bit. “I just can’t do anything like that. I’ve never been artistically inclined.” She had athleticism though, but that could merely be learned by getting in proper shape and learning the right muscle control – at least in her opinion. Being a professional athlete, like a Probender, was an entirely different story. “I’m envious of those that can.” A sigh escaped the young woman’s lips. “I also had various lessons as a child to ‘enrich myself’ and ‘become a well-rounded human being’. I mean, I was decent at school, but the only thing I was ever really good at was the Firebending lessons with my father.” He had taken on the responsibility of teaching his only Firebending child himself. “I was never any good with art or anything like that, though it seems you are.”

Yutaka went on to talk about his love of music, and having to hide things from his parents. She giggled a little bit at that. “I can understand that,” she said. “I doubt your parents would want you listening to something like that. It’s not ‘proper’.” Just like her ambitions to be a Probender. Wait… since they had actually happened and she had succeeded, and then subsequently failed… Did that make her a failure? Or just a Probender that wasn’t doing it right now? She was brought out of her reverie when he suggested dessert. “Oh, yes, that’s right. I won if I remember correctly.” She wasn’t sure she agreed, but she rarely ate dessert anymore, so it wouldn’t hurt to indulge. As it happened, their waiter appeared at just that moment asking if everything had been okay. “It was fine. Can we have the dessert menu, please?” He nodded, asking if he could take their plates before leaving and returning with the dessert menu. Her amber eyes scanned it, before deciding on a piece of cake and handing it to Yutaka.

After the waiter had left, Ren’ai looked back at Yutaka. “So, I’m curious about something,” she said, taking a sip of her water. “If you love art and music so much, then why not do something with that? I don’t know if you have any talent with music, but you seem to be at least a decent artist, and I’m assuming if you love it so much, you must have a decent eye as well. Why not do something with that? You obviously don’t like what you’re doing now.” The Firebender shrugged. “If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine, I’m only curious.” Maybe it was just her, but she’d had only one ambition in life – to be a Probender. Loving art and music didn’t necessarily mean that you had to be an artist or a musician. Sure, she had done something else until she’d gotten her break, but surely there was something art-related that he could do if that’s what he loved so much? It made sense – at least to her it did.

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Anonymous

Nov 26, 2013 0:27:19 GMT -6

“I was never any good with art or anything like that, though it seems you are.”
Ren'ai's second compliment was easier to take gracefully than her first. It was definitely not something he expected on a date to placate his parents.
"...Thank you. I think sauce is an overlooked medium for art," he said with a slight smile. Now that Ren'ai as proved herself kind and likable Yutaka felt his shyness starting to return. He almost wished for Ren'ai to say something horrible so he could speak normally.

“So, I’m curious about something, if you love art and music so much, then why not do something with that? I don’t know if you have any talent with music, but you seem to be at least a decent artist, and I’m assuming if you love it so much, you must have a decent eye as well. Why not do something with that? You obviously don’t like what you’re doing now.”
Yutaka began scratching his cheek and gaping with an open mouth while letting out an extended "Uh....".
More hemming and hawing ensued until Yutaka came up with an answer.
"Sorry. I've never thought about it before. Other than the whole 'I'm not good enough' thing I just don't like the idea of making a living off of something I love. Art wouldn't be an interest anymore it would be a job. If I had to create something or risk starving I'd resent having to create. Besides...I don't let anybody see my art. It's too embarrassing."

After a moment of silence Yutaka thought of the right way to say what he thought.
"It's like being one of the people in the stands watching a match, I guess. A lot of them can probably bend but hardly any can do so on a pro level. Sometimes it's just nice to see someone who is excellent at what they do doing that thing."

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Gia

Nov 27, 2013 15:39:49 GMT -6

Ren’ai was pleased to see that Yutaka accepted her second comment better than the first. She didn’t really understand how someone couldn’t accept compliments well, but there were those people out there. Her question into why he had not chosen to do something with art or jazz seemed to have taken him off guard a bit. It made sense to her that if you loved something, you should do it for a living. He didn’t agree, though, and once he had thought it, he gave her an answer. She listened, analyzing his words for a moment. In a way, she almost wondered if it was a cop out – he admitted that he had never thought about it. She had honestly just been curious, but she understood in a way what he was telling her. Some people enjoyed having something has a hobby and only a hobby. Probending was not really a hobby to her, now that she thought about it – it was her life, and should be her life.

Ren’ai gave a shrug after Yutaka had finished, pushing all negative thoughts about how much of a sham her life had become. “I guess I can understand that,” she told him. “It’s like my boss son, Ichiro. Well, I suppose he’s one of my managers now – unofficially, anyway.” She took a sip of her water before continuing. “He’s a Waterbender, and a pretty good one from what I’ve seen. He’s also a Probending fan, and tries to go to as many matches as he could. However, he’s got no interest in putting the two together so to speak.” She did understand in a way. Now that she thought about it, she had no hobby, unless you considered training a hobby or reading. I guess those are hobbies, she thought to herself, though it never occurred to her that she didn’t really have one. That one thing that she loved – Probending – was far more than just a hobby. That was what she wanted to do every day for as long as she possibly could, which brought about a mixture of feelings she didn’t care to express aloud.

To deal with the silence that had started after she had finished talking, Ren’ai took a drink of her water. Luckily for her, the dessert arrived at around that time. The cake looked good to her, and she glanced to see if Yutaka had ordered anything earlier. The waiter was back after a moment to refill her water. After taking a couple of bites, she decided it was good. “This is pretty good.” She didn’t really eat dessert that much, so this was a rare treat for her. However, one did not stay in as good of shape as she was by eating dessert. She and Yuri always watched what they ate, even while they had been fighting. She pushed the plate towards Yutaka a bit. She didn’t eat sweets that much, so now that she had, she found she had too much and couldn’t finish it. “If you want to have some, by my guest,” she told him. “I don’t really eat desert that much.” She would make sure to go and work out tomorrow, with Yuri or not.

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Anonymous

Dec 2, 2013 12:56:01 GMT -6

Yutaka froze in hesitation at just before taking Ren'ai up on her offer to share her dessert. He'd never made it to dessert before...his dates had rarely survived the entree. Date dessert seemed like something utterly alien and a little bit intimidating for some reason. He gingerly cut off a piece of cake with his fork and found himself liking the taste of getting this far on a date.
"Thank you. I suppose as an athlete you have to watch what you eat."
He wondered if his own job might be a little easier if he led a more active lifestyle outside of work.

"So...uh, in pro bending what do the earthbenders do? Are there rocks on the field or whatever?" He imagined rocks flying through the air at incredible speeds and many, many instances of brain damage and death. Flying fireballs and torrents of water didn't seem particularly safe either.
The thought of drowning or being burned and bludgeoned to death left Yutaka bereft of appetite and he put down his fork. He'd never given pro bending a second thought...or even a first but suddenly he was curious. Yutaka had a tendency to be drawn into other people's enthusiasm at times. He'd never have been a fan of art and music if there wasn't someone around him who talked passionately about such things.

When the check came Yutaka looked at it and then at Ren'ai then grimaced and sighed.
"I didn't think past the entree. Uh, you see, I kind of, sort of...lied to my parents about where we were meeting. They think we're at Kwong's Cuisine." He pulled out a stack of ten yuan bills. "If I pay you ten yuans would you mind not telling your parents where we ate?" He paused. "Twenty? Either way I've saved about a hundred yuans. At Kwong's that cake probably would have cost one of us a day's pay."

Nervously, Yutaka's eyes darted toward the kitchen before standing up.
"I'm going to wash my hands."
He awkwardly stood and walked toward the washroom until he was sure Ren'ai couldn't see him and ducked inside of the kitchen. Once there he felt safe and produced his wad of ten yuan bills.
"I just want to say thanks for your hard work." His parents gave him an odd look when he asked for ten yuan bills but it would be nothing compared to the look of horror if they had seen their son tip every one of the cooks, waiters and dishwashers ten yuans each.

Upon exiting the kitchen Yutaka forgot to check to see if Ren'ai had seen him. When he sat down he practiced his excuse in his head a few times before uttering it.
"I got lost and wound up in the kitchen."

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Gia

Dec 2, 2013 21:26:34 GMT -6

Ren’ai nodded. “Yes, I’ll probably get Yuri to work out with me tomorrow or just go and train by myself,” she said, more as an off-handed comment than anything else. She was kind of surprised when he asked about how Earthbenders used earth in Probending. She tried not to seem amused by his comment about rocks on the stage, but simply did her best to explain. She could only imagine what he really thought about what went on a Probending stage. “No, of course not, there’s… well, they’re disks,” she said, putting her hands in the approximate shape of one – or as close to an example as she could get without actually having one to show him, and those she had none of. “They have to stay whole; you can’t break them, though you can bend more than one disk at a time.” Seeing Yutaka put down his fork, she wondered if he was full, and realized he had eaten before he’d arrived.

“Only Waterbenders are allowed to make headshots. Firebenders and Earthbenders are banned from doing so,” Ren’ai told him, unable to help herself from continuing with the basics. “Waterbenders and Firebenders have to keep their attacks less than one second in duration. Waterbenders have to bend from water from the grates on their side of the arena. Earthbenders have to use their disks on their side. Waterbenders have to keep water in their liquid state, and Earthbenders can only use the disks, and cannot use any other form of earth – including metal. Firebenders can’t use lightning.” It was a bit easier for Firebenders. There were no restrictions, except for the no headshot thing, the attack duration and no lightning. There were no other rules, like what water or earth to use. Fire was fire, and she was at least thankful for that. It was obvious why he asked about earth specifically, though, being an Earthbender and all. "When we train, Yuri bends the earth she sends at us into relatively the same size as the ones in the arena - or tries to."

Ren’ai laughed at Yutaka saying he’d lied to his parents, and volunteering to pay her off not to tell her parents where they’d gone. Her parents did go to Kwong’s, but the chances of the asking about them were slim. Besides, it wouldn’t be out of place if the servers and host didn’t recognize them or remember them coming in. It was very busy, and she hadn’t been there in years. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving the comment off. “I don’t need your money, either, I’ve got my own, and your secret’s safe with.” A smirk crossed her lips, pink for the night, so her face didn’t seem quite as pale as it normally didn’t. “It most certainly would have cost at least that. I don’t understand their prices anymore. I mean, Watashi’s has great food, and it’s not that expensive.” It was extremely cheap compared to Kwong’s, but not as cheap as others.

Ren’ai was a bit surprised when Yutaka suddenly stood up and excused himself. Following him for a moment, when her date was out of eyesight, she turned her back forward, taking a sip of water. She was almost sure he’d look towards the kitchen, but why would he go there? Deciding to shrug it off, at least for now, she told him she’d give him the benefit of the doubt. It was none of her business to begin with. When he returned his excuse was a tad lame, if you asked her. “This place isn’t that big to get lost and end up the kitchen,” she said, “but if you say so.” She shrugged her shoulders, and took another bit of cake, before putting down her fork as well. She was stuffed, though her old habits were surfacing and she didn’t say so. It wasn’t proper or ladylike, and she was on a date right now.

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Last edit: Dec 2, 2013 21:36:48 GMT -6

Anonymous

Dec 5, 2013 4:28:55 GMT -6

Yutaka felt a bit like an imbecile trying to grasp all of the rules of Pro Bending. The way Ren'ai described her sport made it sound a lot more elegant and strategic than Yutaka had previously thought...not that he gave sports much thought in the first place.
"Sounds a little like shogi...you know, different pieces that can only move certain ways so you have to move a certain piece at a certain time."
He took a moment to look at Ren'ai and grinned once he found which piece she would be.
"Kyosha. You'd be a kyosha. In shogi they can only move forward, never to the side or back."

He breathed a sigh of relief when the firebender across from him declined his bribe and still promised to keep his secret. That was another point in her favor. In fact, being forced into spending an evening with Ren'ai was actually a point in his parents' favor...not that he would ever admit that to them.

As lame excuses went, Yutaka thought that getting lost was one of his better ones as he did, in fact, often get lost. He refused to entertain the thought of telling Ren'ai the truth about his trip to the kitchen, it reeked of self-satisfied, ego-boosting philanthropy the rich condescendingly handed out to others.

"I have to admit that I'm at a loss. I've never had a date last thing long. I don't know what to do. What's the after dinner protocol? Um, maybe the Green Centipede Theater is still showing The Boy In The Iceburg."
Yutaka's forehead met his fist with a frustrated sigh.
"A mover. I should have gotten us tickets to see a mover."
Instead of racking his brain to think of something else Yutaka went for the obvious.
"What would you like to do?"

For one horrible second the rich young man who still had to work repairing roads reeled at how presumptuous he was being.
"Uh, that is, of course, naturally, if you would like to do something else? I know that post-dinner entertainment was in any plans, but...you know...you're nice and I'd kinda like for things not to end so soon."
It wasn't the first time that Yutaka had wondered if his bending would allow him to be swallowed up whole by the earth.

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