tabularasa_rp | [Open] This Is What Happens After a Month of Sleeping...

Entry tags:

[Open] This Is What Happens After a Month of Sleeping...

Who: Seto Kaiba & You
What: This is a catch-all for November where I will be adding prompts as the month progresses.
Where: All over
When: Various time periods!
Content Warnings: None currently

The Top-levels will contain the prompts, but I can always add more if you want something specific!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It had been a difficult process deciding on the best course of action for making good on that bet, ~~at least that's how he was choosing to define it~~. Lingering on the word date made him feel oddly apprehensive. Kaiba had questioned himself, multiple times for his more recent actions regarding a certain pig-tailed model but he wasn't coming up with any logical conclusions for any of it. He didn't like this affect she was having on him, and yet he felt oddly drawn to her. He tried to spend less time with her, ~~to no avail~~, but prolonged absences caused a persistent and irritating gnawing sensation to check up on her. Especially since all of that lucid dreaming nonsense. What did any of this mean?!

Kaiba was determined not to make this day weird, he had a plan and he would stick to it while accomplishing a few tasks at that. Whenever Ann woke up she would find a note slipped under her door, informing her of where to meet him, and when. If she didn't show, that was on her ~~or they could reschedule. Maybe. He didn't know..~~. Then he set to work on a few preparations and headed out.

If she did arrive at the domed structure, Kaiba wouldn't initially be in sight, but rest assured.. he wasn't standing her up..]

[ The last few days since their little race have been extremely busy. Between volleyball practice with Iwaizumi and other obligations to her other friends, she's been extremely preoccupied. Despite this, she's still been able to spend a little bit of time with Seto, though she's noticed that oddly, he's been a little bit more aloof lately. She's not entirely sure what's up with that, but she hasn't had the nerve to ask, either. If he wants to hang out, then he'll come around. If not.... well. She'll just have to deal with that. She's more antsy the days she doesn't get to see him, and when she's out and about, she looks for him and feels a keen sense of loss and disappointment when she can't seek him out.

Unlike Seto Kaiba, she understands what this is. She just doesn't really know what to do about it, or how to make it stop. Or if she even wants it to stop -- but she can't really read how he feels, even if he did agree to take her out on a date, something she still slightly regrets because it's not fair to him at all. And as the days go by and she's seen a little less of him, she's sort of given up on that idea at all. She can't blame him, it was a dumb idea on her part, and that really put him in a tight spot.

Ann's exhausted, and today's a rare 'off' day. So when she wakes up and sees a note just at the inside of her door, and she's quick to go pick it up and read it. It's short and to the point, and she's glad that she's alone because she's all smiles as she leans back against the wall and hugs the note to her chest. All exhaustion is officially wiped from her mind and body, because she's got preparations to make of her own. There's no way in hell she's wearing the same outfit out on a date, after all. Granted, her only choices are school uniforms, but she's going to make something work.

So, while he does his preparations, she spends the rest of her time picking the stupid logo off of a black blazer and a white shirt, and by the time she's finished, she realizes that she... is still a little disappointed with the outcome, but. It's better than wearing cut off shorts and the same winter top that she's converted over nad over again at least. And at least she's managed to pick a skirt that's mostly dark colors, the plaid is hardly noticeable. She ties the blazer around her waist, and it's... well. It's more appropriate, at least, than... her altered winter attire.

Before she leaves, she makes sure she looks as flawless as possible, giving herself one last once over and hopes that he approves, an she's off to the races. When she arrives to the designated location, she does arrive a little early because she's not one to show up late or be in a rush, especially for this sort of thing. He's not... here? Which is okay, that's fine, she's early. Though... even if he did stand her up, she wouldn't be mad. It's her own fault for putting him on the spot.

There's no thunderstorm in sight, but it's not stopping her from trying to mess with her phone while she waits. Nervous habit? Absolutely, but it's better than outright fidgeting. ]

[Conversely, Kaiba hasn't been sitting idly by either, the altercation with the volleyball dork, and the continual frustration from the pokedweeb quarter, had spurred on his motivations to make sure he was in tip top condition. Even though his poor showing had largely been dependent on having just woken from a coma, he'd taken it as a warning sign. Needless to say he was pushing himself and his objectives too far, with no signs of reigning it in anytime soon. In a way her other obligations were beneficial in this regard as Ann likely wouldn't have approved of these activities. ~~Why does her opinion matter?~~ It does though.

That coupled with the experiments he'd been trying to conduct with the influx of electricity, he didn't allot much time for socializing.

As he waited for Ann to show, he was feeling something else that he hadn't anticipated. There was a low-level of anxiety but also this unaccountable level of enthusiasm and excitement? He was .. looking forward to this? A light breeze tousled his hair as he rested against the top of the main dome. One of the panels was propped open so he could keep an eye on the interior. When he caught sight of motion within, he studied it for a moment. Breath catching, he watched unobserved as she tapped uselessly on her phone, and a slight smile brightened his usually stony countenance. Apparently they were of the same opinion that they didn't want to be caught in the usual attire on a ~~date~~.

With a shake of his head, he pushed himself up. Rather than taking a sensible route, he dropped down from the ceiling landing in a crouch. Making an impression was everything. When he stood up, he flung an arm out to the side giving her a chance to check out the new/old threads. Having also raided the school uniforms, the only thing he had taken from them was one of the blue tie, and white long-sleeved shirts, passing on the blazer entirely. He'd left some of the top buttons undone, forming a flattering and not too revealing v-shape and the cord of his locket was wrapped a few extra times around his neck for style. The pants he wore- well.. were his own, there was no getting away from that since he was not going to wear plaid. His jacket he'd left at 'home', but he still had the bracers which although they didn't go with the outfit were more for protection. They could still run into unfriendly monsters out here. Whether he startled her or not didn't seem to concern him]

You made good time.

[ If Ann had any inkling that he's been pushing himself like that, yes, she'd be displeased and extremely worried. As if she's one to talk, at home, she consistently pushed herself to the point where her friends had to tell her to stop, and that just made things worse because her fellow models hated her even more-- She doesn't want Seto to overdo it and get hurt or make himself sick, okay. She also doesn't... want him to not be prepared for any sort of craziness, either, though.

She's clueless to the fact that he's already here. As a matter of fact, she's expecting him to just sort of waltz in whenever he shows up, and so she doesn't bother to look up. She might be a thief, but right now, she's absolutely oblivious. She's also very much wishing that her phone would work, because honestly, she's so nervous that a round of Flappy Bird would be fabulous right now. A little bit of rage quitting never hurt anyone, right?

She's absently poking and prodding at her phone in a weak attempt to get it to work, when suddenly, it happens: she's not alone. It happens so quickly that she's entirely unprepared, and she damn near drops her useless phone as he lands. It's very fortunate that she recognizes him right away, because had that been anyone else, her phone would have been tossed so hard at them.

She doesn't have time to really think about that, though, or linger on that for very long, because this is the first time she's seen him in something... different. She can already feel her cheeks heating up at the sight of him; he's a handsome man no matter what he wears, but the fact that he got all dressed up for her is just a little more than surreal. He looks like he should be the model right now, posing for magazines with how effortlessly he pulls this look off. ]

And you made quite an entrance! [ She flashes him a bright smile despite the fact that her heart is still pounding from the aforementioned entrance, and she pockets her phone so that she can make her way closer to properly greet him. It's been a few days since the last she's seen him, and being in his presence again is just making her ridiculously happy. ] You look amazing, by the way!

[Truthfully, it was only a matter of time before Kaiba found another project to throw himself into. It might as well be physical conditioning and electrical experimentation. ~~They might be in different fields, but he could respect how driven she is, though even he might take exception with it later. Being a hypocrite himself~~. Moderation would be the key- but he didn't think he could afford that luxury.

When he takes that leap, he's actually surprised when she doesn't wing her device directly at his face. If that had happened he would have shown off his quick reflexes in intercepting it. He'd planned for that contingency anyway.

Now that they were on the same level it was easier to get a better look at her ensemble. She'd put some effort into placing her own spin on the uniform managing to look both casual and stylish. There was little doubt that she was still desirous of more clothing options as she had expressed before. It briefly made him wonder what she would have worn if she'd had access to her full wardrobe.

Both his flair for the dramatics and his own stylistic alterations seem to do the trick in impressing her. ~~See, there's nothing to this dating stuff..~~ He might think that now, but transitioning from the initial greetings might prove more of a challenge.] This was nothing, you should see what I have in store for my next announcement. [Playing it off, but truly sounding pleased. It was strange just how good it was to see her like this, not just by chance but by prearrangement.] .. As do you. [Saving his usual boastful acceptance of such things]

Did you have any trouble getting here?

[ Well, at least... it's for a good reason. Being prepared and ready for anything, physically and mentally, is very important. She can appreciate his drive and need to stay in shape ~~even if he should tone it down and also take care of himself a little more. Eat some pizza, sir~~.

She's just glad he didn't break his legs from that height, jeez. As per usual, she's in awe of his fearlessness and his ability to pull almost... anything off. ~~Seto your face is far too pretty to be lobbing phones at it, good reflexes aside!~~

She could only wish she had at least a quarter of her wardrobe from home. She hates that they don't have more options here... an entire mall school thing, and all they have are uniforms. She'd agonized over this, dragging several colors of shirts and blazers and skirts home until she'd decided on the blackest of black skirts, did what she could to spiffy up the short sleeved white shirt, and the blazer was just out of habit of having a jacket of some sort wrapped tightly around her waist. Seto, on the other hand, has completely pulled off the look he was going for -- he really is flawless in every way, isn't he?

Right now, she's more or less just focused on trying not to let on how nervous she is, but it's a lot easier right now, because she is genuinely happy to be back in his presence. Despite how flighty and nervous she can be, he is a calming force that she feels like she can be herself around, and she is very grateful for that. ]

Next announcement? [ Boy, he's just full of surprises tonight, isn't he? Her cheeks turn bright red at his return compliment, because it's sweet, and she really wasn't expecting him to say something like that. ] Thanks! I just wish we had access to things other than... uniforms.

[ But, they've already lamented over that together days ago, so there's no point in lingering on what could be. ]

No, not at all! It was a nice little walk, actually. I wasn't expecting you to be on the roof of this place, though... how long did it take you to scale that?

[That would have been a terrible way to have ended the date early, by incurring several fractures to his lower limbs. Thankfully, that didn't happen. You'd be surprised just how often being able to leap from tall precipices could come in handy- or given her secondary occupation maybe she wouldn't. ~~It's the only thing that saved him.~~

Let's face it, Kaiba could actually agree with her on that about the mall being underutilized and a waste. It wasn't as if anyone was holding regular classes here, there was no student body so why would they ever need those uniforms normally? Think of what else that space could be converted into- or uh.. other.. clothes it could have carried. Sure. It would have been only mildly embarrassing to have related how much thought he put into his appearance, though she likely already was aware that he was not immune to vanity. Things had to be just so, or they wouldn't cut it. Yes, yes he is flawless ~~or love is blind~~.

Currently his nerves were taking a hike too, he'd told her that he could pull this off and he was going to see it through. Failure was never an option.]

Mm, for my company- but let's not get into that. [Talking business on a date seemed inadvisable, passé even. Gauging her reaction is encouraging, the flush of her cheeks highlighting her delicate features.]

[You weren't supposed to expect it. Eh, but he couldn't reveal that much about all the thought he put into this, it was likely too much and would possibly make him look.. obsessive or weird] Not long, all things considered. [A beat passed and there was that fiddly transition period] I suppose you wonder why I chose this location? [Reaching up to give one shirt sleeve a tug to make sure nothing was out of place] I- hadn't had a chance to really inspect this location yet- so.. I thought we could do so... together. [The last word felt more emotionally charged to say, not sure how it came across.] Though, you might have been here before.

[ Please do not go shattering your long, long legs, Seto. Although she'd gladly carry him back to safety, even if they looked really stupid while doing so... though, yes. She would agree, that ability does indeed come in handy, and it's an extra bonus to do it so quietly, too. ~~Are you sure you're not really a Phantom Thief, too, Seto?~~

She thinks that maybe everyone here would appreciate a little... fresh upgrade to their wardrobes and accessories. Everyone deserves that, especially because right now, everything would be free. Maybe one day they'll get lucky. But, for now, they're stuck with what little they have to work with, and really, Seto could have come waltzing in in a trash bag and he would have made that trash bag look amazing. ]

Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it's something amazing. [ YOU CAN'T LEAVE HER HANGING LIKE THAT, MAN. It's okay, though, she gets it -- talking about work on dates and all. She'll keep that comment tucked away to ask about later, during non date night hours.

It's almost as though he's read her mind, though, and she nods at his question, but she remains silent, allowing him to continue on and explain. She still stands by the fact that he could have picked anything and she'd have been happy, and this is no exception to the rule. She hasn't been to this location, and the fact that he held off exploring himself just so they could do it together? It means a lot, and says a lot, too. ]

Look at you, scaling crazy buildings. All that training is already paying off! [ Ah, if only she could have been a fly on the wall to see him climb it, alas. ] That sounds great, though... thanks for bringing me along. [ Together, together, together. That's her new favorite word, she thinks, so long as it's associated with Seto. ] I've never been here, no, so this is exciting! Especially so... because it's with you.

[ She glances off to the side for a moment, almost a little afraid to see his reaction to that, before she forces herself to look back up at him. Carefully, she moves to his left side, very gently looping her arm through one of his, loose enough for him to tug free if he wanted to. ]

Which way did you want to go first?

[It would be an excruciating experience both in terms of actual pain and to hit to his pride. For his sake if he commits to a jump he had better always stick the landing. It certainly does. ~~Couldn't be, he doesn't have a code name.~~

That was most likely accurate, because even the most fashion-challenged person would get tired of the same thing day in and day out. Free. Don't remind him. Certainly the lack of currency was to their advantage at the moment, but eventually he would like to rebuild his empire once more. That's assuming this would be an extended stay, and so far it was. Ha, he never would have resorted to an actual trash bag.]

Definitely, I wouldn't accept anything less. [For now she would be held up in suspense, because his lips were sealed. A leak early on would destroy the impact of the reveal.

Perhaps he was a little too eager as he filled in the gaps for her without waiting for her to pose the question herself, but she didn't seem to mind. Aside from exploration he also had two other activities lined up if she was still up for them afterwards. That and he wasn't sure how long it would take to search the various sectors, and he wouldn't want the date to end too abruptly or run too long. He'd thought of everything- or so he assumed.]

It better be. [Considering all the hours he'd already dedicated to the cause. Perhaps sometime she would get the chance, the building wasn't going anywhere so far as anyone knew] Mm, of course. [As she affirmed his plans he felt a sense of relief but also elation. He wasn't sure if she would appreciate what was essentially still work, on a day slated for leisure] Glad you approve. [He still hadn't been prepared for her glowing sentiment about spending time specifically with him. His lips parted briefly but nothing came out]

[Deciding it was best not to address it at all, he had recovered by the time she looked back. Looking about the plaza, he was debating just where to start before she asked, though when she moved to his side, he looked back to her, puzzling over what she was doing. He didn't have long to wait for his answer, as she linked their arms together. Instinctively, he did think about pulling away, he generally limited all such contact, but- this.was.a.date. Feeling uncomfortable, he fought valiantly not to fidget. He could feel the warmth of her close proximity..

.. but he was in control here. This was fine. Reaching up with his free hand he encouraged her to firm up her grip. He wasn't a porcelain doll that would crack under pressure. Then he looked forward] Let's continue to the center, then we can peruse in a radial search from there. [Little did he know, but a fountain and some vibrant flower beds would await them there]

I know you wouldn't. [ There's plenty of time to harass him about it later. But that's not important right now, what with what they've got on their plate for the evening right now, and he seems pretty pleased with himself. He doesn't act like he's thinking this is some sort of chore... as a matter of fact, he seems content, and maybe even just the tiniest bit excited, too. ]

I think you're doing well! I'll bet you're going to put everyone else to shame soon enough, too. No one's gonna want to mess with you once you're finished! [ Except for her, but that's different. Clearly, she's allowed to continue messing with him. Granted, she's hoping that no one wants to start any scuffles with Seto or... anyone else again for a while period, considering that they're all stuck here and there's really no need for pointless wars if it can be helped. ] Definitely, this should be fun! [ She's looking forward to exploring with him, if he hasn't already assumed that. Considering her excitement and the fact she's already verbally stated so, at least, but she means what she said with every ounce of her very being.

He doesn't respond, but she doesn't expect him to -- silence is better than him snorting or shooting the idea down, and thus, she is very pleased. What she's most nervous about now is if he'll let her remain so close; he doesn't seem like the touchy feely type, and once again it's a gamble. She keeps an eye on his expression as she lightly links their arms together, and after a moment or two, he's actually encouraging the gesture. So, she does tighten her hold a little bit, very much enjoying the closeness. She's not particularly concerned about being attacked by creatures or monsters or people... or much of anything, really, but she does feel extra safe like this, too.

What a strange, wonderful feeling.

Ann nods up at him again and smiles brightly. ] Sure, that works for me! [ She's eager to explore, and she's glad to have his undivided attention. No racing or challenges, as amusing as those are, just a nice, tame evening of exploring. And it's not long before the space opens up to beautiful flowers and a fountain... what a weird thing to see after so long. Not to mention the other things that are in the background -- that sure does look like a poor excuse of a large castle in the distance. This area is a lot bigger than she thought it'd be, but that just makes it even better. ]

Wow, flowers... it's been a while since I've seen anything like this. I don't think I'll ever get used to how strange this place is, it really makes you wonder what's coming next, you know? [ A little worrisome, too, but this seems pretty calm thus far. ] Does any of it look familiar to you?

[Ann knew him well enough to be aware of his perfectionistic leanings. He also saw no reason to linger on that fact. Categorizing it as a chore would have been inaccurate, and while exploration was one of the tasks he assigned himself he did in fact enjoy it despite how it usually led to more questions than answers. He was willing to share it with her, making it sound like some consolation on his part but he actually wanted her to be here, and his body language was sending out those signals more sufficiently than his words ever could]

They should have known better than to mess with me before. [The subject was one of the touchier ones, but he kept from going into a lengthy diatribe. It was a near thing however- she meant well with her encouragement, but it brought up a reminder of unpleasantness. The need for revenge still prickled beneath his skin, enveloping him internally. He'd stressed the point to himself that he should attempt to remain more.... well.. not upbeat but at least not volatile. So far, so good? ~~Excuse him, while he plots his pointless war. Strikes out war, replaces with massacre~~] Mm, possibly enlightening as well. [It was rather hard to miss that Ann was fully invested in the proceedings. They had explored other areas together, but this was the first one that was really by choice.

Ann wasn't letting the opportunity pass her by to test the waters, and so far it was paying off. No risk, no reward. She was also correct about his type, Kaiba wasn't used to anyone touching him aside from his little brother. The mere thought of someone having the audacity to even try it was baffling and yet here she was reaching out to him and he wasn't striking the notion down. Guess Ann wasn't the only one that was nervous about making the wrong move.

Then she gives him that expression, she's positively radiate and it's almost too much to gaze upon her features for too long. In this instance it's a smile reserved only for him, and the warm feelings of an affectionate nature well up inside his chest.

The- sectors. Right. Focus. On. The. Sectors.] Mm. [She's so pleased that it's infectious. It's like seeing a completely different facet to her personality. Kaiba was almost too busy analyzing her, to notice the landscape. When he does look to the garden, he can't help but think that he accidentally selected the cheesiest location to take her. Hopefully, she doesn't assume he knew this was here because he didn't. It is like it's own microcosm in here]

I- think some of the others were trying to cultivate flowers. [Namely Aerith as her church. ~~Possibly Merlin as well~~. At least she doesn't find the delicate blossoms to be offputting. Like- why would she? But. ~~Cheesy~~. What a thing to be worried about.] It does. Whoever or whatever is behind this really seem to have no idea what they're doing. [So far! Shaking his head he answered her question.] Not a thing. I seem to have a minimal influence on the landscape...

[ It's true, and she also knows that there's no way he'd be able to manage a multi billion dollar company like he does if he wasn't a perfectionist. Almost everything he does is flawless in execution, and part of her wishes that she could be like that, too. More importantly right now, she can tell that he wants her to be here just as much as she wants to be here. It's amazing, really, to think of how far they've come -- they've gone from yelling and throwing semi-death threats at each other, to going on a date. How times have changed.

She knows that this particular conversation is going to go no where pleasant, and that's the last thing either of them need right now. So she gently squeezes his arm in a reassuring manner and smiles apologetically instead of out right answering and accidentally adding fuel to the flames. She really hopes that whatever Seto has in mind for Blue and Iwaizumi isn't... too terrible, at least. ] Yeah! I hope we stumble across something really cool. Or at least... something that we can drag back with us that might be useful.

[ Even if they don't find anything, that's fine, too. All she really cares about right now is living in the moment, and at this moment, she's absolutely over the moon to be walking side by side and arm in arm with him. It's surreal -- all of this, mixed with the lovely setting he's ~~accidentally~~ picked out for them, it's almost like a dream. A dream that doesn't involve shadows or pulsing meat or lava, this time around, but instead castle ruins and flowers and a far, far more pleasant, calming atmosphere.

Flowers are wonderful, but not as wonderful as he is, she thinks. Besides, it's been ages since the last time she's seen flowers, especially ones as pretty as these ones are. If they were at home, she'd probably pick one and tuck it into her hair or something, but she's also still keenly aware that things here are not always what they seem, and she doesn't trust these flowers to be normal in the slightest. ]

Really? [ Her attention is drawn away from the flowers and back up at him again instead -- despite the time spent in this world, she has yet to meet everyone, and it's the first she's hearing of this news. Flowers of any variety aren't nearly as interesting or vibrant as he is. It's such a change to see him dressed so differently, and he's so handsome and intelligent that he puts everything and anything that this place has to offer to shame. She's way out of his league, and yet, here he is, choosing to spend a pleasant evening out exploring with her of all people. She doesn't think it will ever stop blowing her mind. ] They should have probably done a little research before kidnapping a bunch of strangers and putting them into their little experiment... [ If. That's what this is. She's not about to rule the possibility out. ] Never say never... maybe its just saving something linked to you for a convenient time? Or maybe... this place is just saving the best for later, hm?

[The squeeze was a gentle reminder to keep himself in check- which likely wasn't the intention but it inspired the desired results nonetheless. The subject was being dropped faster than the shares of his rival companies after a previous press release. Whatever he had planned for his antagonists would take time to set up, ideally everyone would have time to forget the threats he issued. Let them think he had forgotten, but if there was one thing Seto Kaiba didn't let go of, it was a grudge] Considering that many locations are empty shells, I'm not optimistic that we'll find anything of worth- but there is still a possibility.

[So far things seemed to be proceeding smoothly, but he didn't exactly have anything to compare this to. Ann looked pleased, and was still remaining close so apparently he hadn't done anything to dissuade her yet. Although he had a good feeling about this, he didn't want anything to mess it up. Maybe he should have scouted the location ahead of time to ensure that it was truly safe- but then it would defeat the whole concept of exploring together wouldn't it? Besides, unless the flowers shot poison barbs, they should be fine.

What id they do shoot poison barbs?.]

Really. [He affirmed, placing a hand to hers. It was with the intention of removing her hold, so he could continue to draw closer to the foreign foliage in order to further inspect it, however her questions distracted him.. so it just prolonged the contact. Once again his compulsive behavior to remain in the know could benefit him in this area. He made a point to approach anyone he didn't already recognize to at least get an idea of who else was trapped in this mess. There were only a few that had escaped his notice currently residing here. Somewhat ironically as Ann was allowing herself to fixate on him and the date in general, he was trying to focus more on tasks. It didn't always work.. but somehow work made it easier to remain more in control of his emotions.] Undoubtedly. I can understand some of the subjects selected but not all of them... [Going on that experiment theory, which could be close to the truth] Next best, I mean, I'm already here. [Uh- maybe that was too much boasting. Should he have said that she is the best addition to the void? The fact that he mentally didn't shoot down the idea immediate forced a bit of color to his cheeks. Starting to feel the beginnings of being flustered, he resumed removing her grip on him and gently released her hand.]

Stay here. I want a closer look, but if there's something off about those plants there's no sense in both of us being exposed.

[ Ann's got a terrible feeling that Blue and Iwa are going to pay dearly for what happened, one way or another, and it's a little more than a concerning thought. A concerning thought that she's not going to linger on right now because there's nothing she can do about it for now, and also, it's best to just keep an eye on the situation from a distance. Not to mention, she's having far too much fun right now, thanks. ] Same, but you never know. And at least there's two of us to drag things back, right?

[ Though, part of her wishes that they'd brought boxes or bags or something. She's pretty sure she could have scrounged something up from the cafe, at least, but even if that's needed, they can always return with the proper supplies later. Supplies in general don't particularly matter right now, because she's finding herself suddenly very, very hyper focused on something right now: his hand on hers. She blinks a few times, feeling her cheeks heat up -- she doesn't think he's even thinking of it the same way that she is, though. ]

That's neat, though! I wonder... if people are able to cultivate normal flowers here, what else could we potentially make on our own? Mm... I guess I should get out more often and meet more people. [ That. That's what they're still talking about, right? She thinks it is. She's trying hard not to fixate on how good their hands look together, or how easy it would be to turn her palm up to lace their fingers together; how would he react if she did something like that? She knows for a fact that she would enjoy the contact, but she's not entirely sure that he would. Even if she thought he would, she isn't brave enough to initiate something like that; not right now, at least. ]

I'd still like to understand the point of any of this... [ She'd also like to know what the hell is going on in their respective home worlds right now, too. That next bit of his is... so very Seto that she can't help it when she laughs, and actually nods in agreement. ] Yeah, you're right! Can't get much better than that, I guess. [ Because she won't deny that much: she thinks very highly of him, and... yes, she agrees. He's definitely one of the best things about this place, and certainly one of the few people she is happy to see. Unlike poor Seto, she's more of a shut in of sorts, not bothering to go and meet or see any newbies that show up, instead preferring to generally keep to herself unless she sees someone is actually having issues seems to be in trouble.

She releases her grip on his arm, almost disappointed at the loss of contact, though she makes damn sure that doesn't show period. Her head tilts, and she quickly shakes her head. ] Wait! I'd rather neither of us got exposed... isn't there a way to test if they're dangerous or not from a distance? I can throw one of my shoes at them or something...

[If Kaiba has anything to say about it then they will pay dearly. He's relieved when she doesn't use this date as a platform to try and talk him out of seeking his brand of restitution.] I don't know with certainty, no. [.. and she had a point about multiple hands being more useful for such an endeavor.]

[Did you forget the winged-giraffe? If there's something that needs carrying, or hauling they've got it covered in spades. The point of this excursion however was not resource collection but terrain assessment. Unless they found something too good to pass up, he wasn't going to dedicate much runtime to the idea. Little does he know the effect his innocent gesture has on his companion as their fingers brush together. Ann was 100% correct in her assumption, he was not thinking about it the same way, his focus elsewhere.]

I guess, if you're in to that sort of thing.. [.. which he wasn't. Although he'd never tested it, he didn't think he had a green thumb. Would he even be able to keep a succulent alive? It was debatable.] There's probably a lot more things we're capable of pulling off that we're just not aware of. Either a need hasn't arisen to test it, or a hobby. [Apparently if they weren't still on that subject she'd managed to steer it back in that direction. It would have been so easy to turn the hand situation into a proper hold, but somehow she refrained and he remained oblivious.]

You and me both. [The lack of answers was going beyond irritation now. In this they would have agreed too. So much time had passed that it must have had some impact on their own worlds. At least she was able to see the humor in the claim. When she laughs, he feels himself start to smile.] No, you sure can't. [Feeling his ego swell a bit to have someone prop up his original claim. It mattered all the more because of the source more than anything. He never considered himself a people person but he did what needed to be done. He needed to know who was being gathered here to try and figure out why they were here, or how useful the others could be in a pinch. Information was necessary]

Come on Ann. It's a plant. I think I can risk it. [Normally these would be some famous last words. Still, she sounds so concerned he hesitates. Huffing he whips his jacket off and holds it in front of him like a shield. It'd break the momentum of any projectiles. Then he walks to the flowers... and.. nothing. They are just pretty flowers.] It's fine.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Open] This Is What Happens After a Month of Sleeping...

The Unforeseen Simulation Joint; Ann Takamaki Only!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject