”YAOWZA I can’t believe I slept this long! It's already 11:14AM on Saturday I need to get my butt down to the Lancom Arcade to see if my Sup…”

Nori sprinted from her place in the living room to her bedroom, where her evil, traitorous alarm clock had once again magically changed the station to Nick Weston’s radio show. She quickly tuned it to the local acoustic station, only for the dial to move back to Nick’s station again on its own accord.

‘…its time for Weston's Suggestions I know how much my listeners LOVE movies so with great pleasure I'm let……’

“Not today alarm clock,” the florist growled, flipping the switch to the off position. Sighing with relief, Nori turned to exit her room, only to pause in the doorway a moment later. The hair on the back of her neck started to stand up and she broke out in goosebumps as an ominous feeling descended on the room. The girl turned slowly and swallowed hard, staring at the innocent looking alarm clock.

The switch moved to the on position and the volume dial turned itself up to the max setting, blaring out, “…THE CASINO AND SEE IF I CAN WIN BACK SOME OF WHAT I LOST ON THURSDAY, THAT DEVILISHLY HANDSOME YUTARO OTAMURA ISN'T GOING TO….”

“Oh sweet baby Jesus,” Nori whispered, staring at the radio clock with a mix of alarm and horror. “My alarm clock has been possessed by the devil.” Nori dove for the power cord and ripped it out of its place in the wall, before scooping up the satanically bewitched alarm clock and throwing open her bedroom window. “MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!” she yelled at a pedestrian who was walking on the sidewalk below her apartment. Nick Weston’s voice kept screeching at her from the radio and the tattooed girl was so freaked out that she barely waited a second after the person was clear of the window before she flung the radio onto the concrete below. It broke apart spectacularly and Nori let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as the speakers finally gave out.

“Sorry,” she called down to the stranger, giving a quick wave as they stared up at her in stunned silence. “It was being haunted,” Nori explained with a shrug before closing the window. After standing Nick Weston up four months ago, Nori couldn’t bear to listen to his show because she was so incredibly, ridiculously embarrassed over the whole thing. However, no matter how hard she tried to avoid the station, it seemed to follow her everywhere she went, most likely due to the fact that it was the most popular station in all of Shine City.

The blonde changed out of her pajamas and chose to wear a pair of black jeans and a modest green sweater for the day, trying to counteract the skantastic outfit she would have to change into later that day for work at Club LUSH. Once dressed the girl grabbed her roommate wanted flyers and set out to wallpaper the rest of Shine City with them.

---
“Hot Damn,” Nori murmured as she opened the door to the Mochavine. The line to be seated was so long that there was barely any room to stand inside the establishment. Spotting the bulletin board by the front desk where local community members advertised services, pets for adoption, etc., the DJ made her way through the crowd as politely as possible and began to tape up her flyer.

---

"Oh I'm sure there's much more talent behind your magic than that." Akane would then send Zac a smirk. "That's rather impressive. I look forward to your Houdini displays." A short giggle escaped her lips. Perhaps he would one day be able to wriggle free of numerous pounds of iron chains, but for now, it seemed a bit far off. Zac was definitely an interesting fellow. He was much different than the usual people Akane held in company. Of course, she never really got close to people who weren't complete bookworms like her.

Akane's eyes widened a bit as Zac asked her about herself. Oh boy, now I have to do the talking. She paused a moment, blank expression still present on her face as she was lost in thought for a few seconds. "Well... I'm not an interesting, fancy magician, first off. I don't have too many hobbies currently because of schoolwork and the like, but I do like to entertain myself with games and books. Not very interesting, I know, but ask me anything and I'll have an answer!" She puts on a determined smirk as she speaks. "I'm into plenty of other things, but I don't wish to bore you with all of that."

Heck yeah, knowledge.
"Schoolwork, though... Schoolwork is my main hobby." Akane ends on, sarcastically. "-And I think I am one of the best at that." She remarks with a flip of her hair, sarcasm still evident in her voice. She takes the last few drinks of her tea, eyes meeting those of her acquaintance. "I've not got the most interesting life in Shine City. I am fairly new to the place, after all." Akane gave a quick shrug before continuing. "Anyways Zac. I think I am going to have to head back to my dorm now." Without even thinking, she withdrew a pen from her shoulder bag, scribbling her phone number down on a napkin. "I hope this is an adequate way to stay in touch."

After exchanging a quick goodbye, Akane would then stand up, offering a short wave to Zac before she gathered her things, cleared her cup and left enough money to cover for both of their drinks with an additional tip. It seemed she did this without even realizing, as if it was an automatic thing, and was quick to exit before Zac could even attempt to protest.

@Daxam ((Sorry if I ended kind of abruptly. Feel free to make another post and I'll reply. I just wanted to catch up with everyone else. She wasn't trying to be cold with you. :P ))

---

Saturday 9:30 AM

Finally, a day for Akane to forget the usual school stuff. Of course, she still woke up relatively early as she was used to it. With all the classes she had on weekdays she rarely ever woke up after 10:00 AM. Depsite her day off, Akane still had not intended to spend the day idling around. Coffee first, then maybe a stop at the arcade, then I need to go look for that pet shop I think might exist in Shine Junction. Yeah... I need like at least five, maybe six cats... With her schedule planned out, she continued to fix her hair. She was never one to go about a day without a plan. Yeah it was weird, but she didn't care. Flipping her red scarf around her neck, Akane smiled as she ambled out of her dorm.

It was a short walk to Mochavine and she knew the route well. The cafe was one of Akane's favorite places to do work. With endless supply of tea, calming music, and the occasional brave person that approached her to chat, what's not to love? Akane flipped her phone out as she started her walk. With quick glances to her news article every so often, Akane tuned in to the radio as she walked.

As she entered, the place started to fill up. Akane gave a whispered Yes as she noticed her usual table was free. The table had enough room for four, and she never cared if anyone else sat there while she was doing schoolwork, but she always sat there. If the waitress could only give Akane the tea section of the menu, she would. Tea was what she always got, though, the flavor varied of course. Quickly, she picked her drink before the waitress even leaves her table. Akane taps her fingers against the table as she waits. Per usual she continues to browse the news on her phone with the addition of some of Akane's usual piano instrumental music.

There were a few other people in the cafe alone, but Akane was never one to approach others. She simply awaited her tea once more, thinking about her day. A whole day to practice her video games. Oh! And of course get like six... maybe seven cats in Shine Junction.

Rosanna had to get her workout done before going to work today, she had been slacking lately and had put on 2lbs! How was she ever going to find a hot guy fit into her Christmas party dress at the end of the month with all this laziness?


The workout was finished, after a quick shower she got changed into her barista outfit and took her moped to work because she knew she was running late! The sky was super clear for a winter afternoon and really enjoyed the cold wind sail through her hair as she hit the shine junction main road on the way to the Mochavine. She had her headphones in as she contemplated the Thursday Night were she found herself jealous of Amaya, she was a little embarrassed for her behavior. But tried to put it behind her as she sang along to her travel playlist.



Arriving at the Mochavine she noticed the place was already quite busy, with no seating space for a lot of the patrons. Her shift would not be an easy one, but she enjoyed the social atmosphere, and began to put on her best smile. As she got behind the counter she was approached by a VERY attractive man with black hair, she recognized his Casino Players outfit and realized he must be the Yutaro that she heard about on the radio this morning. Even with her dark hispanic complexion she was able to blush quite visibly as he made eye contact with her, she giggled under her breath and smiled Hi, I'm guessing you want a coffee right? I bet the job at the casino demands a lot of energy, so I'll get you something strong kay?

Straight after a very pretty girl with black hair and yellow/black scarf asked her for a black coffee and Rosanna winked and nodded as she asked. Rosanna would usually feel an overwhelming sense of jealousy when seeing a new pretty lady, but something about this one was just....dayumn... Rosanna shook her head as a couple flashes of suggestive images entered her head. Before she even had time to really contemplate her curiosities and prefrences she was alerted by one of the most lovely sounds she ever heard. It was the soft but assertive footsteps of Shou Matsuoka he seemed to be in contemplation of wether to order because of the limited space, but Rosanna called out from behind the counter.

Hi Professor! we got one slice of cheescake left! and plenty of Mocha Latte!

Rosanna flashed her signature smile as the unbelievably sexy Shou looked over.
As Rosanna smiled she noticed the popular Nori Haywood pressing up flyers on the notice board. Rosanna reminded herself to see what that was about when she had time, she also noticed a girl she hadnt seen before wearing a red scarf sitting by the window on her own. She was cute, Rosanna silently hoped that she wouldnt steal any attention away from her while so many attractive guys were in the room. <3

EDIT ((Sorry Sorry! Bad internet connection! Sometimes this happens! SORRY!))

"Ah, good morning." Shou replied absently to the gentleman who had just greeted him, his gaze having been caught by the alluring hue of yellow of a scarf on a woman dressed otherwise quite monochromatically. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the man who had addressed him, and gave him a gentle, if a little apologetic smile. There was something about his tired brown eyes that really gave away the blaring, obvious fact that Shou Matsuoka was not, and probably never will be, a morning person.

Shou couldn't particularly place his dark brown hair, or his azure eyes, or even his incredibly laid back manner, though he could swear he had seen this man before.
...a lot.
Were it not for the fact that he had forgotten his spectacles, Shou might have recognised him as the young man who worked at his favourite optician's, An Eye For Fashion. The old man there was a delight, and he often saw the boy helping him out, as well. Though, as far as he could recall, he had never personally spoken to him. Maybe it was just happenstance or bad timing, but it was most certainly happening now.

"It's very cold out. Almost couldn't get out of bed to make it here." Shou almost whined here, boy did he really hate the cold, but he could definitely agree with the man. "But it definitely warrants a lot of customers. I wonder if there'll be somewhere to sit at all? Usually, you can walk in and sit wherever you'd like. Today...just doesn't seem like it's going to be one of those days, heh."

Upon hearing the question, the professor's eyebrow quirked and he flashed the man, or rather boy, as Shou looked him over properly, a lazy sideways smirk. He was younger by quite a few years, but there was a comfortingly casual air about him. "I do. I presume you're a student there...?"
His sentence lingered as he tried to grasp for names, but unfortunately, to no avail. He really had never spoken to this man before face to face. In the midst of said grasping, an unexpected yawn made itself apparent. The silver haired man's hand moved to his mouth to gently cup it, as if capturing the yawn itself.
"Aah, excuse me. It...mornings are my bane, an-"
And here came another one. Goodness, was he awful today. "For...give me, hah. Haven't even introduced myself. My name is Shou, though since you asked whether I worked at the academy, next time you're by, ask for Professor Shou Matsuoka." he continued, still of the impression that the boy was a student, probably doing a completely different course. He looked like one of those students...those who did a subject like computers. Though, Shou could appreciate that. Statistics, technology and science worked hand in hand like charms.

As he busied himself with surveying the crowd at the Mochavine, casually leaning against the edge of what seemed to be a notice-board, a small figure and flashes of blonde hair seemed to dart through the crowd of the increasingly long line waiting to be seated.
Was the whole damn town here?!

And, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the figure emerge from the mass of people, a woman with brilliant amber eyes and carrying a stack of flyers, that she promptly began to put up without another word. He found himself fascinated by her, his eyebrow quirked, though it was still too early and coffee was calling. He let out another yawn. "Ah, pardon me, miss." he stepped aside to allow her more access to the board.
She was, after all, separating him and the darker haired boy, after all. Maybe once he'd gotten something to drink - and eat - he'd give her poster a glance on the way out. It looked quite homely compared to some others, he assumed off the bat that it was a pet-adoption flyer or lost-pet advertisement.

Just as he was contemplating finding someone who did not look too opposed to the idea of sharing their table with him, Rosanna's familiar voice called out from behind the counter, and his head turned to find its source. There she was, cheeks a little flushed still (she was sporty, as often she had her bag of a change of gym-clothes with her as she changed shifts) and simply glowing.
"Ah, Rosanna! You've talked me into it now." he offered her a casual wave and as enthused a grin as he could manage, but with his appearance, dark circles and all, it probably was not very convincing.

Worrying for her sake as she seemed to be the only person working there, he called out over the rather noisy crowd, "Are you the only one here today, Rosanna? If you want, I could help you out, after my coffee?"

"I..." he began, still a little hesitant and in contemplation still about what to do, and moreso where to sit. The bar looked full, so he was reduced to only the cafe area and the many (mostly occupied) chairs and sofas to choose from.
One section caught his eye, however. There seemed to be a young lady in a red scarf sitting by herself in what would have otherwise been a space for four. Of course, it was rude to intrude upon anyone's table, but Shou was getting antsy. Manoeuvring his way past the crowd, he made his way to the counter and his words came softly, breathlessly to Rosanna. "Coffee, black. And cheesecake, definitely. Thanks, Ro'." he shortened her name, giving her a grateful bow of his head before moving away and to the table he saw where the girl with the red scarf was.
He approached her with caution, realising just how odd the situation must have been, but on any other day, maybe even weirder than this.

"Pardon me, miss. I...would you mind if I were to share this table with you? If it bothers you, that's alright. I'd just like to sit for a coffee and a bite to eat." he spoke to Akane with his hands loosely half-held in his pockets. Hopefully his generally tired look would not frighten her too much.

(EDIT: BOSS DON'T KILL ME AOI IS ON HER WAY I SWEAR)

@Beastofdestiny
@Narcotic Dollie
@OppositionJ
@Dynamo Frokane

Ayane found herself staring at a discolored ceiling as sunlight tried to pierce through the closed blinds over the apartments only window, she lay there motionless snug in her blanket, those blissful few moments before her brain caught up and she remembered everything causing her to sigh dejectedly. She turned her head slightly to get a glimpse at the bedside alarm clock before she went back to looking at the ceiling "haven't been up this early since i moved here...". Ayane continued to just lay there deciding whether to get up or not for the better part of ten minuets, after acknowledging she wasn't just going to fall back asleep again Ayane reluctantly got out of her bed, she stood there wearing a baggy t-shirt & boxers her attention fixed on the small table next to her bed on which sat several books, a cheep basic lamp, and her alarm clock.

"Not again..." Ayane looked around the floor then knelt down to check under her bed, with no success she started lifting her blankets & pillows off her bed throwing it all onto the floor "oh man..." Ayane walked out of the small room into an equally small room which was the main part of the apartment and began searching around everywhere for what must have been 20 minuets before she eventually gave up. After unsuccessfully digging through her apartment Ayane walked over to her Hi-fi turning it on just so there was some noise in the deafeningly silent room before she headed into the practically empty bathroom grabbing her toothbrush then squeezing some off-brand toothpaste onto it before she proceeded to brush her teeth as she stared into the mirror stopping when she noticed, mumbling to her reflection "Idiot..." Ayane had finally found what she had been looking for, realizing she must have fallen asleep wearing them again, after removing her glasses that had been sitting on-top of her head and placing them on the small shelf under the mirror as she resumed brushing & rinsing really annoyed at herself.

When she was done Ayane stood staring at herself in the mirror before trying to motivate herself again "Right, new day, new start!", She left and went back into her bedroom to grab a pair of jeans & socks before returning to the main room and standing there just looking it over, the masses of piled books against one wall, the litter covered low-laying table that sat in the center of the room, the small stuffed book-shelf's with the Hi-fi on top sitting against the opposite wall, next to the small wooden television stand where a crappy old tv (which she's convinced was made when technicolor first came out) sat next to a Ps2 & scattered piles of games for it. The wall next to the bathroom door sat a worn out old couch (which despite its appearance is surprisingly comfortable) where her guitar sat leaning against the couch. Ayane then turned her attention to the adjoining & bare kitchen where an old empty fridge & a heavily worn cooker barely clung to life, and dreary looking empty cupboards hung above a horrifically scarred & stained tabletop.

The sight of the kitchen drove Ayane further into depression when it clicked, she needed to go shopping as there was nothing at all left in the kitchen aside from a near empty ketchup bottle next to salt & pepper shakers in the cupboards, and a decaying half-pepper next to an old takeout box (which she cant remember buying or how long it's been there) in the fridge. "Guess i have a little cash left that mom sent..." Ayane threw on her hoodie & sneakers as she headed out of the door, returning a minute later having remembered to lock the door.

A short while later...

After an uneventful walk to a near by atm (where she found she had less money than expected, thus barely taking anything from it) and then to the local supermarket, Ayane wandered around trying to find anything on deal or has had its price reduced with little success collecting a small pack of eggs, a reduced off-brand pack of bacon, a liter of milk that was on offer & several onions all of which were all relatively cheep. Ayane then wandered towards the isle with all the beer & spirits where she excitedly spotted the last pack of a popular beer brand on special offer, however just before she walked over to pick it up several younger teens? apparently from a local school raced from an adjoining isle and grabbed it "Who-ho! lucky find! i thought we'd end up buying that horrific cheep lager again!" his friend acknowledging it "Yea sweet find dude!" as they vanished deeper into the store.

Ayane Stood there a short distance from the now empty shelf, sighing & mumbling under her breath "of course... should of known better... I'm not that lucky..." Eventually she shuffled towards the cheep beer the teens had mentioned to grab a pack, as she started to head towards the checkout she noticed bottles of lemonade on sale, again talking to herself as she took a bottle "Sweet! i could make shandy's!". Her slightly energized mood was immediately drained however when she got near the checkout as a long Que had formed which she reluctantly joined her anxiety & discomfort skyrocketing as more people also lined up behind her, Ayane tried to remain calm and before she knew it due to her near panic she was in front of the cashier who started sorting & bagging all of Ayanes shopping, and then taking the cash Ayane handed over "Hey!, miss your a little short!" Ayane looked in surprise at the cashier sure she had added everything up in her head right "I, uh, i..." Ayane routed around frantically in her pockets trying to find any money but she got embarrassed and started panicking as the people behind her started moaning & complaining.

"I, I'm sorry! i don't.. i cant find.." Ayane could feel her eyes starting to water as the comments from the line behind her grew louder, when the cashier took the bottle of lemonade & the pack of bacon from the bag and scanned them again removing their prices from the total "there!, sorted ok miss?" the cashier was trying to be kind to Ayane but she was in to much of a state to notice having completely missed the comments he had made to the people moaning in the Que to shut-up & leave her alone. Ayane grabbed the shopping bag & bowed "I'm s-sorry!" and raced out of the store away from the small crowed behind her at the checkout this time failing to hear the cashier yell that she had change left over from the adjusted total.

At the speed Ayane was going on the verge of tears from the humiliation she felt, it wasn't long before she arrived back at her flat having almost smashed her own door down before remembering to unlock it again. Ayane kicked off her shoes on the way in, dropped her carrier bag near the table in the main room and practically dived back into her bed face down, a brief second later Ayane burst into tears because nothing was going her way today... as after driving into bed she remembered all her bedding & pillows where laying on the floor & not comforting her with their softness & warmth which she had wanted "New day my ass!, it's only morning & already its like every other crappy day I've had...". Ayane managed to stand back up out of bed rolled herself up in her blanket then ungraciously fell over like a log back onto her bed, amidst her quiet sobbing she could hear music from her Hi-fi playing in the background, Ayane had managed to stop crying and sighed to herself again "i left the radio on..." just fed-up with everything so far Ayane just lay there listening to the music trying not to think of anything...

As Yutaro expected, the cafe began to fill up quickly with what seemed like half the city. It was fortunate that he was an early riser, because the drowsy droves that were shambling in now would have a hard time finding anywhere to sit. Then again, a shortage of seats would give people an excuse to sit with one of the many cute singles that seemed to be taking up the majority of the place... but Yutaro wasn't so shy that he needed to resort to such tactics. If he wanted to talk to someone, he would just talk to them. What was the worst thing they could do? Make fun of him? Yutaro worked in customer service too long for insults to even register with him anymore. Now if cute girls were prone to whipping out machetes if guys upset them that would be a different story, but since this wasn't Hinamizawa, Yutaro figured he wouldn't have to worry about that.

Hi, I'm guessing you want a coffee right? I bet the job at the casino demands a lot of energy, so I'll get you something strong kay?

There it was, the perky voice he'd been waiting to hear. When their eyes met, he half-smiled, obscuring the fact that he found her absolutely gorgeous with the possibility that he may simply be in a good mood. "Hey, that's a pretty good guess," he said, letting his grin widen just a bit. He considered changing his order to a cup of tea, which still had plenty of caffeine in it, just to tease her, but the huge crowd she suddenly had to serve made him decide to be merciful and just let her be right. "Sure, strong is good, and leave it black. Just make sure you sweeten it up with that pretty smile of yours." He gave her a quick wink and let her serve the other customers. After all, it was foolish to think he could have an extended conversation with her while she had a job to do.

However, with a crowd like this there were plenty of other people to chat with, providing their moods were amicable. One such person was sitting at the bar just one seat away from him, ordering her coffee the same way he liked it (minus the pretty smile). She wore high-quality clothing and a vibrant scarf that screamed personality. Her demeanor seemed to be that of a woman who really wanted, no NEEDED, her coffee, but Yutaro caught a glimpse of the playful grin she gave the bartender and decided she might be worth talking to. "I see I've met a fellow coffee purist," he said, shifting in his seat and leaning a tad closer to Ryoki so they could talk. Even though the woman seemed to have a more or less pleasant air about her, it was impossible for any human to hide the fact that they were still waking up... especially when they sat down and promptly ordered a coffee. "So, is this damage control from last night, or do you wrestle with every morning?" It wasn't a particularly witty opening line, but at least it would help him get to know her a little better... and it would reveal whether or not she minded being teased a little.

@Dynamo Frokane @Delta44

(@OppositionJ No worries XD)

Zac watches as Akane walks off without giving him a chance to respond. However, instead of being sore about it, he chuckles and slips the number into his pocket. She seems like an interesting girl, he remarks, to himself as he rises to his feet. Before leaving the table, he gathers his cards and places another tip on the table, saying, "Didn't quite expect today to end this way. But I'm sure as hell not complaining."

Stepping back outside, Zac sighs as he looks up at the darkening sky. Standing there in the twilight with a smile on his face, Zac enjoys the crisp air...for all of three seconds. Shivering, he holds his arms and mutters, "Dammit. Should've brought a jacket...Though, I was expecting to still be jogging..." Giving his body a shake in an attempt to get blood flowing, he breaks out into a run, grinning all the while as he returns home.

---

Saturday, 10:30 AM

Once more, Zac was out on the sidewalk. However, instead of jogging, he had adopted a leisurely stroll. This was Zac at his most natural: in no hurry for anything, a calm smile on his face. Wonder if I should swing by Mochavine again? he thinks to himself, wondering if it were a popular place after meeting Akane the day before.

However, as he cuts through the park on his way to the cafe, he hears what appeared to be the sound of a small child crying. A quick look around and Zac sees the child, a boy that couldn't be no more than ten years old, standing by himself, crying into his sleeve. Having always had a soft spot for kids, the sight of the child's tears was more than enough for Zac to make a detour.

"Hey, there," he says gently, a warm smile on his face. "What's the matter?"

Through his tears, the kid tells Zac that he had seen a pretty bird and wanted to get a closer look while his mother talked to a friend of hers. By the time he had realized he had gone too far, he was lost. Hearing the kid, Zac can't help but chuckle quietly, remembering a time when he was in a very similar situation as a kid. Figuring he knew how to cheer the boy up, Zac reaches into his pocket and pulls out a white handkerchief, which he places on top of his head.

With the cloth covering the top of his head, Zac taps the child's shoulder to get his attention. Hearing the boy's sobs quiet down, Zac says, "There's something I want you to see under here. All you have to do is pull this off of my head, okay?"

Looking at the strange man with the handkerchief on his head, the boy takes a moment to sniffle before reaching up. He pulls the handkerchief off of his head and gasps. Sitting on top of Zac's head, quietly cooing, was a white dove. The bird warbles, tilting it's head as it looks at the child, before flying off of Zac's head, leaving the boy to stare after it in amazement before turning back to Zac, wide-eyed.

Seeing the kid's look of amazement, Zac's grin widens as he stands. "You ready to go find your mom?" Zac asks. "With the two of us looking, I'm sure we can find her in no time!" The boy wipes his eyes and smiles, as if he were trying to mimic Zac's grin. With the child holding onto the handkerchief, the two of them set off in search of his mother.

Kyle couldn't help but stifle his laughing as the man could hardly contain his yawning. Clearly he wasn't prepared for the morning, Kyle could usually relate, but he had actually gotten to sleep at a decent hour last night, who knows what this man was up to.

"No apologies friend, the name's Parker, Kyle Parker. To answer your question I WAS a student, me and university didn't agree and I'll leave it at that to spare you all the gory details of my failings. I wouldn't have had you for a teacher, but my roommate at the time seemed to-"

Kyle paused realizing that this man was suddenly distracted by something, turning to face whatever it was, Kyle could hardly blame him as the sight came into view. A beautiful young woman, long golden locks, a tattoo adorning her face and those eyes, damn those eyes. Though he didn't hear the words of his new acquaintance he stepped back in near synchronization all the same to allow the girl towards the bulletin board to put up...flyers or something, Kyle was dumbstruck, absolutely slack jawed. Realizing he was finally staring, Kyle quickly turned around and felt his face heating up, his hands shaking slightly, "What in the hell? he thought. Normally he was confident enough, but for whatever reason he felt like jelly in the presence of this girl...he had to talk to her, but that thought absolutely terrified him.

"What the hell am I doing, she is way out of my league, I don'- ...seriously what the hell am I doing? Doubting myself?" Maybe it was the weed making him extra anxious, but something was conflicting him from approaching her and just saying hello. Hell he wanted to do more than that, actually talk to her, have a conversation, how to convince her though...he knew the answer. Breathing in deeply he steeled himself, barely noticing Shou walking off in the other direction to do gods know what; Kyle was on a mission!

Kyle approached the girl as she was posting up her flyer, "Excuse me, miss, may I uh-... um... (oh crap...)," as she turned to face him her eyes suddenly pierced his vision again and his brain went to jelly, cursing under his breath in English he tried to regain his composure; he gulped down his words and tried again.

"Hi, I'm Kyle Parker, could I interest you in some breakfast?oh yea...this'll go over well."

@MyCatGinger @Narcotic Dollie

Saturday, 10:00 AM

After an exhausting night at work, Amaya crashed hard. There had been a few snags, but otherwise work went smoothly. However, now she was currently at her desk in her dorm room working on an essay due as part of her final in biology. A steaming mug of green tea was perched just to the top right of her sleek silver laptop. Amaya wasn't a big fan of breakfast, despite knowing how important it is, but she was planning on a trip to the gym later which required some energy derived from breakfast. Which is why a mostly eaten bagel sat on a plate to her left. Listening to some instrumental musical to help her focus, the blond tapped away silently in her quiet room. Unfortunately, nothing good ever lasts for long.

"AHHHHHH!" A screech filled the dorm room, managing to pierce through the headphones that Amaya had been wearing. She jumped, startled before whipping around to see her room mate, Rachel, leap out of the bed she had been sleeping on to grab her purse at the foot of the bed. "Is it still there, please tell me it's still there." The brunette whined, rummaging through her disorganized purse. "Thank the lord! It's still there?" She sighed.

"Mind sharing with the class what's going on?"The startled girl giggled.

"I had a dream where I spent all my money on a trip to the mall and it was horrible! I didn't even buy cute clothes!" Rachel complained, flopping back onto her bed. "What time is it?"

"10:05" Amaya replied, turning back to her laptop. She only had 150 more words to go to fulfil the requirement, but something told her that she might end up having more problems staying within the maximum rather than achieving the minimum. The only response her room mate gave was a dejected groan. "Listen, you can explain to the neighbours what that loud noise was, I'm going to the gym for a bit. Then I have to go shopping for holiday gifts. I'll see you tonight,"

The brown eyed girl gathered her gym clothes, wallet, purse, phone, and laptop just in case she decided to work on her essay in the park or somewhere on campus. After exiting the building she walked to the gym. It wasn't too far away, but then again there were many places Amaya wasn't willing to walk to. She preferred spending her money on other things other than transport. Besides if anything sketchy came up, she was confident she could take care of herself. Once arriving, she checked in through the front desk, flashing her membership ID to the person on duty. "Is Devin here?" She asked.

"If he's here, he's probably working out around the treadmills. Pretty sure he's getting ready for a marathon or something." The receptionist explained. With a word of gratitude and a wave, Amaya headed into the locker room to change into her clothes. When she came out, she went in search of Devin. She found the Egyptian male right where she'd been informed.

"Hey Devin! Do you mind spotting me?" The slightly shivering girl asked. The air inside the building was cold because of winter and the fact that no one seemed to be at the gym.

"Sure," He huffed, getting off the treadmill. "So how have you been? Found any potential guys since you broke up with that asshole?" Devin asked cheerfully. He was pretty blunt about things, but was so happy all the time that he made it seem like it wasn't all that bad. About four months ago, Amaya had broken up with her abusive boyfriend. It had been pretty bad, but she has pretty much recovered since then. Except for a few scars that are still on her body.

"It's been forever since that happened, I'm fine, and you know it!" Amaya grinned at her friend. They both stopped at a bench press as the petite girl slid under the bar. "Also, I haven't found anyone new,"

"Hmm, what a disappointment." The dark skinned male mused. "1, 2, 3." He counted off before lifting up the bar.

"What about you? I heard you're going to be in a marathon?" Amaya asked.

"Yea, there's going to be one in a city close by. You interested?" He asked, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"Naw, I have finals to worry about and after that, I'm crashing for awhile." The friendly banter went on for awhile, and they switched positions. After an adequate amount of time, they parted ways. Amaya did a bit more exercise before changing back into her normal clothes. She gathered her things and headed towards Shine Junction to do some gift shopping. On her way there, she noticed a packed Mochavine. Apparently everyone and their mothers wanted to get some coffee for the morning. The pale girl simply laughed to herself and continued on her way.

"Ah, pardon me, miss," Murmured a voice to Nori's right, causing her to pause and look up at the stranger. 'Geez, he's tall,' the blonde thought, the corners of her mouth twitching up into a smile. The gentleman was incredibly good-looking, with glossy silver hair and mischievous brown eyes. He actually reminded her a lot of a particularly stubborn white fox that had always tried to find a way into their family's chicken coop during her childhood. She instantly liked him.

"No worries, fox," Nori grinned before turning back to the notice board and sticking another piece of tape to her flyer.

"Excuse me," a different, noticeably more accented voice came from her left. "Miss, may I uh-... um... (oh crap...)," Nori turned to regard the man curiously just as he muttered something garbled sounding under his breath. This stranger towered over the florist as well, standing almost a foot taller than her. "Hi, I'm Kyle Parker, could I interest you in some breakfast?" the brunette asked in a soft American drawl, his hands twitching slightly as he looked down at her with kind blue eyes. His face was slightly flushed and he seemed nervous as hell, which Nori thought was just about the cutest thing she'd seen all week.

"I'm Nori," The golden eyed girl told him before admitting in a teasing voice, "and I already had breakfast. Plus, it's kind of packed in here, don't you think?" she asked conversationally, a slow grin spreading across her face as she finished adhering her poster to the board and stuffed the roll of tape into her purse.

"But I was hoping to put a few more of these up at the arcade," Nori paused here to wave the last couple of flyers, before resuming with, "...and I could go for some of their nachos right now, seeing as how it's almost lunch time. I wouldn't be opposed to some company," the blonde confessed, stepping a little closer to Kyle as someone made their way around them.

"So Kyle Parker, did you want to go get some nachos with me?"

@MyCatGinger @BeastofDestiny

"Let's just say a little bit of both." She sighs, rubbing her temple as she exchanges change for coffee. "Staying up late recording scripts plus not being a morning person is a recipe for disaster." The lady chuckles, putting on a bright smile as she took a sip from her coffee. Even with such a shallow sip, Yutaro could see the light returning to her deep sea-like sapphire eyes. It was like she'd been blessed by some kind of unseen clarity, like the world was opening up around her. Setting the small cup down for a moment, she calls to the bartender. "Oh, yes, and can I please have a bag of your best coffee beans?"

As she studies the man with apparently no sense of secrecy about her, she couldn't help but feel as though she may have seen him around before. He carried the demeanor of someone of upper class from what she could tell. A casino worker? Perhaps, but it wasn't definite. Even so, Ryoki smirks as she made mental note of the man's finer features. Perhaps she could use them for later...

'Well, might as well enjoy myself, even if it's temporary.'

Leaning over the bar slightly, moving closer to him, Ryoki grins as she closes the gap between the two. Her suggestive and somewhat questionable movements made her already prominent 'assets' even more-so. She was always considered to be 'top-heavy', and she often used it to her advantage in times like these; she used it well. "Soooooo, what about you? What brings you to this quaint little part of town, handsome?" She asks, cocking her head to the side in curiosity. "Feeling the downside of fatigue after a long night's shift, or is it something else?" Ryoki cocks an eyebrow, smirking as she speaks. She certainly was a straightforward one...

Hey you know Shizuka, it means a lot that you still listen to my radio, its what I want people to remember me by even if they cant keep in contact....but umm you still have the same number right? No reason we cant go for a drink sometime, I'd want to stay in contact with you. Also we could have a game of Wizadry! I'm not as good as I was in high school but I think ive got the skills to take on a metal deck...I'll call you this weekend?

"Umm, yes...I think that would be...good," Shizuka agreed, it felt less awkward knowing they shared a hobby. At school she was known to be studious and serious, and being in the medical field, people usually kept to themselves or were too focused on their classes. It felt good to have a friend she could relax with instead of just study with.

Shou's eyes widened in surprise at the manner in which Shizuka began to panic, and he held up his hands to reassure her that everything was fine, and he wouldn't have had her head if she hadn't marked the papers (he'd have done it himself anyway worst case scenario).

Shizuka breathed a sigh of relief, she should have known better; Dr. Matsuoka wasn't the kind of person who would judge someone for their hobbies. Then a bubbly girl dressed in pink princess-looking clothes drew Dr. Matsuoka's attention away, which was surprising for two reasons. The first being that Dr. Matsuoka was a biology teacher, and probably not the best suited for questions about essay-writing, and the second being that the girl's behavior seemed rather suspicious.

Nick decided it was time to head home, as he wasn't going to flirt with Shizuka in front of his ex teacher, he pulled out some lemon flavored bubblegum and began to to snap and pop away as he got up to leave.

Later guys, Shiz, I'll call you you soon okay?

"That would be wonderful, Nick," Shizuka said, giving him a soft smile.

"Shizuka, I-" he turned back to the girl and upon expecting to find Nick still there, found the seat beside her absolutely empty. Romeo had gone to inspect this new girl's hand, sitting at her feet and being quite large compared to her petite frame. His tail thumped quietly against the ground.

He gazed right at Shizuka, who still seemed stiff and nervous in her chair, and after a moment of hesitation he leaned in closer.
His voice in a soft, husky whisper now, he could have almost kissed her, but that did not seem to be his intention.
Incongruous with his voice, his facial features actually remained...worried?
"It's very late, Miss Otonashi. I would be gutted if I were to let anything happen to one of my students, this late. Would you allow me to walk you home, at the very least?"

"Y-yes, that would be greatly appreciated," Shizuka replied, while tidying her deck and placing it back in its holder. They walked back, Shizuka attempting to make small talk concerning the class she TA'd for, but as they arrived at her dorm building, she said, "I know this may not seem like a big deal, but th-thank you for not judging me."

---

(TIME SKIP)

Shizuka woke up early and prepared breakfast for herself and her roommate. She made something that could easily be reheated as her roommate was konked out in bed after having partied too hard the previous night; something that Shizuka had become used to after a semester of this behavior. In a way, Shizuka thought it was admirable; giving 150%, trying to succeed in one's classes while still enjoying life to the fullest off-campus. It was a speed that Shizuka knew she couldn't keep up with herself, preferring to focus on her long-term priorities, while deferring her passions. Well, she'd make a small exception for Wizardry.

Nick picked up his ePhone and texted Shizuka.

Hey Shiz, dont think I forgot about you, can we meetup later on today? Are you free?

Nick's left hand was fidgeting with his sleeve nervously.

Shizuka texted back, "I work at the Shining Kettle for the morning/lunch shift. Will be free after 2PM. Did you have a place in mind?" Shizuka finished her breakfast. of course, they could just sit down somewhere and play Wizardry together, but if Nick wanted to do something else, she wouldn't mind.

At the Shining Kettle, business was slow as usual, the Mochavine was a much more popular location and drew a lot more customers. It made sense, they had a very pretty waitress, while the Shining Kettle just had Shizuka. A middle-aged woman came running in, but before Shizuka could give the usual greeting, the woman asked frantically, "Please, has anyone seen a small boy?"

"What's the matter?" Shizuka asked, concerned.

"I was talking with my friend, but her son wandered off. We were in the park, but I was afraid he might have wandered over here to Shine Junction," The woman explained.

Shizuka looked back at her manager, who was also the barista. He simply gave her a nod and waved her on her way. Shizuka nodded back and said, "I'll help you look for him."

"It's most likely he's still in the park somewhere, I'll keep searching out here, you go into the park and look for him," the woman said, giving Shizuka a short description of what the child and the mother looked like. She also explained that the mom was still in the park looking for her child.

Shizuka ran towards the park, very quickly finding the worried mother, reassuring her and letting her know that she was here to help. They retraced the mother's steps back to where she and her friend were talking. At that spot, they saw the child walking towards them with a man, who was most likely helping the child find his mother and was probably led here after coaxing some clues out of the child.

@Daxam

*WHOOMPF*

"Whew!"

Sabine, although noon had not quite yet come, was already aching from the morning's labor. In front of her sat four columns of coffee bean bags, all lined up against the wall in stacks of seven. In total, it took her the better part of an hour to haul the ~2000 kilos' worth of beans. With the next season's worth of coffee handled, Sabine sighed and pinched the collar of her t-shirt before flapping against her collarbone, and then tilted her head out the doorway.

Oh my.

Sabine always knew the Shining City was relatively crowded, though by no extent the most crowded. Still, it seemed inexcusable that a coffee house designed for lounging was chock-full of people of all kinds. College students, bachelorettes, retirees (as if Japan couldn't run out of those), even mothers and children were all waiting in line.

Truth be told, Sabine hadn't even thought of trying anything out from here. Sure, she wasn't one not to go for a black roast on occasion, but this...this was just a tad bit ridiculous.

For now, though, Sabine had to make the next batch for the customers that came around night. So, she quietly went from behind the desk from the storage room to the kitchen, all the while panning her eyes of over the customers in the brief moment she was tying her apron. She had to admit - they all looked pretty nice. Unlike her glimpse in Tokyo, where weird was just about the norm, Shine City seemed quite...up-scaled, even if the businesses here couldn't make an expansion for the life of them.

For many in Mochavine, Sabine was just a brief distraction. Whether or not the males (or females) would bother to remember would be up to them.

Sabine wouldn't come out of the kitchen until 11:00 AM, at least. Hopefully, by then the place would be less crowded. A talk with one of the people would get her started with this city and all it has to offer.

---

*Pam, Pam, Pam, Pam...*

Using the heel of her palm, Sabine kneaded a smidge of dough that was divided from the rest of the massive block. People had a penchant for puffed pastry, so it stood to reason that the seemingly excessive amounts would go quick in a flash. Maybe a dozen croissants were loaded with sprinklings of coffee grind, and another batch a dash of mocha. Strawberries were sliced up evenly and routinely; the majority were garnished for the center of a tart before every, and literally just about everything would be blanketed (lightly) in confectioner's sugar.

Diabetes might as well be on its way for those who would buy more than a few of the pastries made that day.

Yutaro couldn't help but smirk as Ryoki provocatively leaned towards him to engage in conversation. It seemed as though he had been dealt a damn good hand with this one. She was friendly, had beautiful eyes (because Yutaro was definitely looking only at her eyes and not the voluptuous physique that her calculated movements accentuated), and she made no secret of the fact that she was checking him out. It was a formula that, despite his cool exterior, made his pulse race. Coming to Mochavine was definitely the right choice. It was amusing the way her eyes lit up the second the coffee hit her lips; funny the way the placebo effect worked. But, when she spoke, her voice was as alluring as her sexy bre...lue eyes.

With a light laugh, Yutaro replied, "No, I behaved myself last night and got to bed on time. I usually work the evening shift at the casino on weekends, so Mondays are when I get to crash and burn. I have some time to kill so I did just come for a cup of coffee, but you never know what you'll end up finding..." At this point his coffee came. He left a generous tip for the cute barista, but right now his attention was on the girl he could talk to in intervals longer than fifteen seconds. He took a sip, closing his eyes briefly to appreciate the hardy flavor, then he rested his cheek on his hand as he looked back at Ryoki, his face taking on a "dreamy" expression while his eyes retained all of their lucidity.

"My name is Yutaro Otamura," he said, extending his hand, "but you can feel free to keep on calling me handsome if you like. I've got no problem calling you Beautiful, but if there's something else you go by, then speak now or forever hold your peace." Ryoki's game was certainly a straight-forward one, and Yutaro knew that a girl like this would have little difficulty wrapping him around her thumb. However, it seemed like a rather enjoyable thumb to be wrapped around, so Yutaro would play along as long as she wanted. After all, what was romance but another game?

@Delta44

@Takashi

Now this one intrigued Ryoki greatly. A man with a smooth tongue capable of formulating much, much more than sweet talk, that was for sure. She leaned back as he spoke of the casino, internally celebrating how she guessed he worked there first try. Then again, she DID grow up in Shine City, so she was pretty well-informed about matters such as these. Not to mention she grew up in the richer side of town; she'd heard the distinct rich people speak more often than commoners growing up, and had even adopted the accent herself, to a small extent. After taking another sip from her coffee, she takes the man's hand and shakes with a gentle touch, looking him straight in the eye as she does.

"My name is Ryoki Mochizuki, but you can call me whatever you like," she replies with a wink, "within reason, of course." Resting her own cheek against her hand, she stares him down with a gaze that holds both interest and playfulness, probably in regards to the current conversation, though of course it could be something more. She was surprised her heart could still beat normally, though with all of her flirting experience it was hard to make her heart race with mere words alone. "I make my own music for a living, working as a voice actor here and there. Sometimes I come down here, to the Mochavine, to perform." She leans back in her chair, stretching her arms and letting out a not-so-gracious yawn. "But today's my day off. So, I'm hoping to make the most of it," she returns her gaze, staring into his eyes, "and so far, I'd say it's starting out rather well."

Feeling a little adventurous, Ryoki decides on playing with poor Yutaro's feelings a little more with one of her favourite pick-up lines. "So, did your license get suspended for driving girls crazy with words like those?" She always loved girls pick-up lines, and was surprised at how much of a shock these would deliver to guys and girls alike. Yet she felt as though Yutaro's reaction would be... interesting. Thus, she watches him carefully to see what his reaction would be.