[IC] Shine City II: The Next Season

[Daxam]

Zac and the child had been walking for all of five minutes when the child suddenly ran forward. Up ahead were two women, one of whom Zac could easily tell was the boy's mother, thanks to the similarities they shared. The other looked closer to his age and had dark hair. This place is just full of cute girls, he can't help but think, feeling as though he made the right choice in coming to town.

Zac's attention is then pulled from the younger woman as the boy's mother thanks him, asking him if there was anything she could do to thank him. Zac smiles and shakes his head, saying, "You don't need to thank me. I'm just happy I could help out." Kneeling to be eye-level with the boy, Zac says, "Now, I hope you won't run off after anymore birds." The kid nods and Zac chuckles before adding, "This handkerchief is special. It's what let me show you that trick, but it takes a lot of practice to do something like that. And I want you to keep it." Grinning, Zac adds, "Maybe someday, you can do an even better magic trick than I ever could. Just make sure to take good care of it, okay?"

The boy looks at Zac for a few moments before grinning widely. He and his mother thank him once more, before turning to the younger woman. The woman thanks her for her help, as well, before she and her son walk away, the boy happily waving the handkerchief in the air. Zac straightens up, watching them walk off with a warm smile, before turning to the black-haired woman. "Good thing I have another dozen of those back at home," he says with a chuckle.

@Stern Algorithm

[SkeankySnack]

"I'm Nori," Nori...Kyle engraved that name to memory, "and I already had breakfast. Plus, it's kind of packed in here, don't you think?"

As she turned around to finish placing up her posting, Kyle couldn't help but feel his heart sink a little. That being said, judging by the tone of voice, or hell, call it a raw gut feeling, told him that she wasn't finished. Turning to look though, he knew that the place was full, but he didn't exactly realize how full until just that moment, slowly he felt his anxiety rise. "But I was hoping to put a few more of these up at the arcade," he turned his head back as she waved a couple of extra flyers in her hand, "...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."

While Kyle was feeling like having a scone from the shop, just the mere mention of Nachos got his munchie senses tingling. He'd have to get extra, with extra cheese sauce on it, it would be absolutely- "Focus Parker!"

His mind snapped to attention as he noticed Nori moving closer to him, his eyes wandered to hers and he stared transfixed as she was standing mere inches from him. He could practically see his own reflection in those eyes and she asked, "So Kyle Parker, did you want to go get some nachos with me?" His mind stuttered, unable to properly answer a question from such an oddly enticing voice, "I...I..."

The inevitable happened of course, Kyle was so distracted that he didn't even register the person that was forcefully moving their way past him. Startled by the sudden force, Kyle lost his balance, colliding into the poor girl before him. His brain suddenly kicked into gear and fearing for her safety he extended his left arm towards the wall to stop his forward momentum, while simultaneously wrapping his other arm around her to stop her backward momentum into the wall. As fast as all the events happened, it all felt even faster to him and now that the whole ordeal was over, he could feel his face flushing even more heavily with the sudden realization there was another person against him. He had to keep his cool though, he nearly just killed this person and he had to make sure she was alright.

"Hey, are you ok?" Looking down at her, she didn't seem physically harmed, probably shocked if anything. When he felt that she had her footing he let go of her and stepped back. His face had to be some shade of crimson right now, but he didn't want to let that ordeal damper a possible lunch with a cute girl.

"So yea, its a bit crowded today, uh... nachos then?" he smiled sheepishly at her, his thumb raised to the door.

@Narcotic Dollie

[Opposition]

Akane's eyes flicked upwards as she realized someone was trying to get her attention. She had drowned out most of the noise with her music, but she managed to notice the tall silver haired man standing before her table. It wasn't unusual that someone wish to share a table with her. She was being greedy with her choice of seating anyways, but what was unusual was the man that asked. General Biology? Akane's eyes widened a bit as she reached up to pull off her headphones. Professor Matsuoka? Akane quickly moved her bag from its position on the table to a spot next to her chair on the floor before speaking.

"Yes, please sit." Akane smiled up at Shou. She had always enjoyed the professor's class. He was an intellectual, much like her. Of course, Akane liked most of her teachers, but was usually the type of student to remain silent during class. Shou's class was different. She tended to be slightly more responsive in her attempts to stand out. Perhaps it was because she felt more comfortable in the class. "It's not a problem. I probably shouldn't keep taking the larger table."

Akane paused for a moment before speaking again as if contemplating what to say. It wasn't often she had to talk to a professor outside of school. "Good to see you, professor," she settled for. It was a good start to see if he even recognized her as one of his students. "It seems your night has been long, but despite that, how has your weekend been?" Akane noticed the dark circles under her professor's eyes. She gave him the best attempt at a warming smile she could manage. "Teaching must be rough for someone who can't stand mornings." Akane almost giggled at the irony, but she manages to stop herself.

"Anyways, it's a pleasure seeing you outside of General Biology. Your class is rather enjoyable for me." Akane considered rambling on, but she didn't want to kiss up to her professor too obviously. There was a bit of a pause after she spoke. Perhaps she was making Shou uncomfortable with her admiration. Akane, of course, either didn't realize that she was doing this or didn't care. She was always the 'teacher's pet' type of student. Considering she spent most of her time on schoolwork, she worried much more about school than her social life. Akane tried to steer the conversation once more, back to a more casual topic, despite how much she wanted to continue with her admiration. "So obviously you're here to wake yourself up. What sort of plans do you have for the rest of the day?"

@MyCatGinger

[LovelyAnastasia]

Kaori Tatsumia

@Oz

---

Kaori shared curious gazes with the tall and wild-looking male. It was interesting. She had more male friends than female friends, but she wasn’t very used to talking with them… romantically. Ah, just the thought of it made her face burn softly. Hopefully she could just blame it on the cold air and running. But then again, why was trying to turn this interaction into something from one of her novels? It wasn’t. He was just a kind concerned passer-byer who might or might not find on the ridiculous end of attractive. Like most of the men in this city, it seemed. Now that she thought about it all the women were ridiculously sexy, weren’t they? Great… Now she felt self-conscious. Grinning at her own silly thoughts, she gave a small laugh as he caught her getting all tangled up in her own head.

She smiled apologetically with a tilt of her red head, but pressed the back of her hand to her mouth for a moment when he complimented her name, looking to the side a bit shyly. Things like that might make her silly romantic head misunderstand. Ah, whatever girl got this kind of attention sure was lucky. She had to savor while she could! He said he’d hate to keep her and she almost let out a small disappointed sigh. She really was a silly girly girl, wasn’t she?

"But you seem pretty cold.”

Looking back at him in surprise, she rubbed her arms, a bit guiltily. Reckless? Well, yes, but she assumed she would just run all the way to the flower shop. His sigh made her wince a bit, but she managed to recover with a questioning gaze. He sighed again and she almost opened her mouth to ask him what he was thinking. Not being able see his eyes somehow left her at a disadvantage. She could almost always read people through their eyes.

"I suppose that there's nothing else I can really do."

“Nn? What do you-“ she stopped when he took off his jacket. Now a nice bright cherry red, she put her hands up in a flustered attempt to dissuade him from his offer. But clearly he had already made up his mind because he offered it so eagerly it was almost…well, cute. This wild boy could be cute in his actions and way of speaking. Ahn…she really could refuse him when he spoke like that.

“Oh, um,” she took the jacket and put it around her shoulders. It was large and fluffy so it looked loose on her. She tugged it around her, eyes averted, face red. “Thank you very much…” Kaori smiled softly then looked up at him, “Really. Thank you… Mister Upstanding Gentleman.” She couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the name. He hadn’t mentioned his, but it wasn’t that difficult to tease him when he seemed so animated and laid back.

"Tiny Snowflake?” she murmured curiously, “On the weekdays from three to six.” Glancing at her watch, she let out a squeak. With a quick bow, she turned to start briskly walking towards the flower shop. But before she was too far gone, she stopped and turned to wave.

“I’ll see you then, Mister Upstanding Gentleman!”

And she took off like a comet. With a wide blushing grin, she couldn’t help but laugh a bit, feeling giddier than when she had left the house.

[Stern Algorithm]

Shizuka smiled gently as the mother and child were reunited. Shizuka was still slightly out of breath from all the walking around and the anxious adrenaline of looking for a lost child; she wasn't a very athletic person. Turning to Zac and bowing, she said, "Th-thank you for finding the boy and leading him here. His mother and her friend were so worried." Shizuka recognized that she had done little to help; in such a situation, finding the parent was the easy part. The man in front of her looked like a dependable and reliable sort; the child must have felt safe with him.

"Is that what young people are into these days?" came the voice of an older gentleman who wasn't exactly keeping his thoughts to himself.

"It's a bit shameless, but what can you do?" replied the old man's companion, probably his wife.

Shizuka turned to look at the source of the talking, seeing an elderly couple a small ways away, looking at her and shaking their heads in dismay. It suddenly dawned on Shizuka that she had been running around the park in a maid outfit. While she didn't think it was a cause for shame, it was a little embarrassing to be out like this in such an open and public space, and the old couples voices only drew more attention from the park-goers to herself. Shizuka blushed and shrank in on herself; she wasn't usually this easily embarrassed, but then again, she had never ran out of the Shining Kettle in her work uniform.

"I-I...I need to get back to work..." Shizuka said, bowing one last time to Zac. Turning around, she started walking a bit fast back to the coffee shop, trying to ignore the multitude of eyes.

@Daxam

[Takashi]

A handshake was one of the most ancient human rituals that carved subliminal impressions of the participants into one another's minds. Too forceful and one might be perceived as hostile; too flimsy and one might be perceived as weak and pathetic. To Yutaro, it was all part of the game of human interaction, and he had refined his technique for both business, as well as for more casual encounters. His hand was firm and sturdy, but didn't push beyond the neutral halfway point. His fingers, rather than locking firmly into place, gently wrapped around Ryoki's hand, letting him savor the delightful texture of her skin against his. The shake itself was somewhat gentle, more like an easy coax up and down than a forceful shake, yet strong enough to show commitment to the motion. Ryoki's skin was predictably soft for the most part... but then he felt the tough scratch of a callous brush against his skin. Some would call it an imperfection; Yutaro called it interesting.

Upon listening further, he heard that she was a musician as well as a voice actor. Friendly, pretty, and talented, Yutaro thought, giving her the benefit of the doubt that she was actually good at it. In fact, bewitched as he was, the possibility never crossed his mind that she would be anything but stellar. It explained the callous anyway; it was not a sign of poor health, but a badge of expertise. Yutaro couldn't identify the moment he had been hooked, but he could feel himself being reeled in by her hypnotic gaze. It was almost terrifying how good she was at that! And breaking it with those charmless casual movements only to resume in full force was a display of command that somehow made her deep blue eyes shine even brighter the second time. He had pulled plenty of girls in with his charming gaze before, but even he was at a loss in how to outmaneuver this formidable opponent; clearly she had fought on many more battlefields than he.

His only salvation was the cup of coffee sitting before him. What was on the surface just a natural sip was actually a reprieve in which he could gather his thoughts and get himself back under control. The caffeine was now a trivial stimulant compared to the gorgeous Valykrie sitting next to him, but the warm liquid resting in his core slowed his pulse by a few beats. Then Ryoki dropped her pickup line. It was not unheard of, but was indeed unusual for women to use such tactics. Plus, Ryoki had so many other weapons it seemed almost unfair to use the one edge men had against them. But, even though this was the first girl who ever used a pickup line on him, Yutaro was not entirely unprepared. "No way," he said, letting a full smile curl across his face for the first time as he let out a small chuckle. "I'm a responsible driver. I have been charged with stealing a few hearts though." At least her charms had not completely occluded his wit.

He hid his wide grin behind another sip of coffee, then rested his arm on the table so he could lean forward a bit. "So, you're a musician and an actor? Well, with a voice as pretty as yours you must be a singer then. It's a shame I've missed you up until now. The next time you're playing you'll have to let me know so I can become your biggest fan. However, since we're on the topic of music, there's something important I've got to ask you." Here, his friendly smile contorted into a wry grin. "Ella Fitzgerald. Thumbs up or thumbs down?" Although he expressed the question as an ultimatum, it wasn't exactly a deal breaker. He knew that Fitzgerald was a polarizing artist, even among jazz enthusiasts, but he had to know just how much gold was in this mine.

@Delta44

[Delta44]

No matter how hard she tried, Ryoki couldn't hold back her chuckles at hearing his retort to her pickup line. It was actually refreshing to have someone pull off a line like that with a straight face, added the fact he wasn't particularly embarrassed by her approach made it all the more worthwhile. She knew it, she just knew it; she was right. This boy was more experienced than the rest in the art she had been perfecting for ten years. If she didn't watch her corners, she was bound to be spell-struck, and she couldn't have that just now. For the first time in quite awhile, a boy had made her heart skip a beat. 'Well played, Yutaro. Well played.' She thought, relaxing herself. What was the point in getting all worked up, anyway? She could enjoy this without trying to make it a competition.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she finds herself able to enjoy the steamy beverage much more now that it has cooled some, allowing the hot liquid to further fuel her mind and body without completely burning off her tongue. Yutaro could see clearly now that she wasn't making an attempt at being seductive for the time being, perhaps due to the coffee, though with a woman such as Ryoki, you never know when that could change. Listening to him with intrigue; watching him with interest; mind brimming with inquiry. Despite all the information she had to process, Ryoki was as calm as the air itself, and as carefree as a puppy. She clung to his every word, playing by his rules for the time being.

On the topic of her singing ability, she made sure to assure him that she was an excellent singer in a way the only she could. By addressing two birds with one stone, she decided to invite him to hear her sing live. But first, Ella. "Well I'll be honest, I haven't heard much of her, though from what I've heard, she's good. Very good. Though she doesn't quite suit my tastes as much as others - I'm more of an orchestral-slash-rock-slash-other myself. In all honesty, I'm not even sure what you could classify my main genre as, since I play a wide variety of instruments. Though I will admit I'm a big fan of Ludovico Einaudi. He was my inspiration to learn the violin, piano or keyboard, as well as making music in general. I owe a lot to that man." She seems satisfied with the answer she gave, though before she can give him time to speak, she follows up with that devilish smile of hers. "As for wanting to hear me sing, why not lend me your number and I can call you when I end up doing a show here? I was making plans for either next Tuesday or Saturday, but with your number it makes communication so much easier..."

@Takashi

[Daxam]

Zac smiles back at the young woman and opens his mouth to introduce himself, before turning to an old couple looking at them, muttering something about 'what young people are into these days.' He was about to ask what they were talking about, only to turn back to the young woman as she suddenly says she needed to get back to work. Sighing, he rubs his head, muttering, "Jeez, I must be worse with girls than I thought. That's the second time one ran off before I could say anything."

It was then, his stomach decided to make itself heard. "Oh, yeah!" he says, patting his left palm with his right fist. "I was gonna get something to eat from Mochavine!" With that, and another smile on his face, he turns around, heading in the direction (he believed) Mochavine was.

---

Unfortunately, Zac's lack of a sense of direction prevailed, causing him to go in the completely wrong direction. Just when all hope seemed lost, that Zac would have to go a few minutes longer without a bite to eat...salvation.

When he began to think all hope on breakfast was lost, and began doubting the likelihood of lunch, he comes across a rather quaint-looking cafe, where it seemed all of the employees were dressed in a maid's uniform. Something about the uniform seemed familiar to Zac, but when he couldn't quite place it, he shrugs and heads on in.

Finding a table was rather easy, as there weren't many customers. Everyone's probably at work or another restaurant, he thinks with a chuckle as he pulls out a notepad and pencil from his pocket. Flipping open the notepad to a page with complicated diagrams, a trick he was in the process of planning, Zac adds silently, Seems like everyone just does what they want in this town. I could see myself staying here awhile.

@Stern Algorithm

[MyCatGinger]

"Ah, thank you, miss." Shou purred, eyes twinkling in the morning light that poured in through the windows of the Mochavine and him throwing another lazy half-smirk in the girl's direction before easing himself into the chair facing her and leaving two spots still open. He ran a hand through his hair as he continued, smiling over at her with a sheepish grin and half-lidded eyes, "You sit where you sit, do you not? Had I gotten here earlier, I would not have given up my favourite seat-"
Here he paused to gesture to a table by one of the tall windows, the second one from the bar. The sunlight fell in a particular way that Shou adored and bathed the spot in light, and 6 o'clock on spring or summer evenings when the sun was in the midst of setting, when warm, orange light flooded the Mochavine, the light fell particularly on that side of the little cafe, and anyone sitting in that particular seat, on either of the soft, cushiony couches, would be able to bathe in the sunlight and watch it set to their heart's desire. Call him eccentric, but he most definitely preferred that spot over any other.
"-over there, for anything in the world."

At the mention of his title, his eyebrow quirked in that way it does and he glanced at the girl with puzzled eyes, before a tired mind began whirring quietly and putting pieces together slowly, but surely. Akane, her name was. Akane Takumi, a girl from Shou's General Biology course. He blinked twice, eyes widening for a split second, though not long before they fell back into their dreamy, half-lidded state and across his lips crawled another mischievous smile. "Miss Takumi. I'm such a mess; I had trouble recognising you. Though shame on me; that scarf of yours is as good a giveaway as I've ever seen." he paused here, adding as an afterthought, "It really brings out the colour of your eyes."

"Why, my weekend's been..." his voice trailed off, the last night a whirlwind of memories of gaudy golds and leather, and roulette tables and card tables and winning and losing hands alike. He'd spent the night indulging in his worst sin, yet again: gambling. It would really catch up with him someday. Some days, he won quite heartily. Others, and the majority comprised these days, he did not. "...ha, it's only just started though, wouldn't you agree, Miss Takumi?" he responded, deflecting the question with a serene smile and a mature grace that only he as one of few could probably pull off, looking the way he did.
"Oh, mornings really are the worst. I come to the academy hating everyone and everything for about the first three hours, and then the coffee kicks in slowly and I realise everyday that I actually very much enjoy teaching. It's quite the stress-relieving sort of career, and I didn't think I'd say that when I first got into it."Unlike Akane, Shou wasn't afraid to laugh here. It really was a truth he enjoyed making light of.

He leaned forward in his chair a little, placing both his elbows on the edge of the table and clasping his hands together, resting his chin on top of the clasp and giving Akane a grateful smile. At least somebody appreciated his morning efforts, among other things...
And this way, he got a good look at the girl. "I didn't expect to see my students out here this early, frankly." he chuckled as he went to check the time on the wristwatch wrapped snugly around his right wrist, but stopped midway and remained as he was. Who was he kidding, early? It was early for him...he didn't quite so much think the same for the rest of the world. A weekend day that did not begin at 11am was a day wasted, he always said. "Likewise, hah. I'm glad you enjoy it, Miss Takumi. You definitely are a pleasure to have around, and I have no doubt you did excellently on your finals."

And Shou was not wrong. He would have to ask Shizuka, but Akane was by no means a dumb girl. On the contrary, she was academically gifted, and had a pleasant demeanour to match. Not to mention, she was quite pretty, with the colours in her hair that, on closer inspection, reminded Shou of his own youth and a twinge of nostalgia gripped his stomach, twisting it into loosely tied knots. Or, the manner in which her brown eyes shone...they weren't exactly dark as night, or the coffee he so enjoyed itself, but reminded him of a lighter blend. Gentle, and innocent, and...sweet.
That was a flavour he had yet to enjoy.

...snap out of it.

Shou caught himself absently marvelling at her innocence, before the sound of her voice, quiet and light, brought him back to the situation at hand. "I...o-oh, yes. Saturdays are the wild card day in the deck of the weeks of my life, Miss Takumi." he smirked here again, his own half-lidded brown eyes curious behind the spectacles he wore. "You're quite right. I'm here to kickstart my morning. I..." he paused, his cheeks taking on the tiniest shade in his embarrassment as he averted his eyes from hers, focusing on something, anywhere else really. "...I cannot cook very well, and though I manage with mere sandwiches on every other day of the week, on some weekends, I do enjoy treating myself to something sugary in the morning to kickstart my system. Things don't quite work when you get to my age, hah."

Here, he peered into her eyes again, leaning back as he yawned softly, stretching out his arms as well, before replacing them as they were on the table. His own scanned the area for any sign of his cheesecake, or even his coffee, but with a crowd like this, that was as likely as a meteor. No, in fact, maybe even less likely than that. Gazing up at Akane with both the mischievousness of a fox and the innocence of a puppy in the same expression, he smiled politely the whole while, in a way that indicated the professional relationship between them still. After all, she was his student and he was her teacher. If he didn't so much as retain that...

"You kids are usually better at this than I am. I'm convinced, since finals are over and a new term begins soon after Christmas, that you have a lot of free time you'd like to spend. Do you have any plans, Miss Takumi?"

@OppositionJ

[Dolerman]

After getting everyone's orders to them she quickly changed the CD in the playlist for the Cafe's music, she was getting bored of the oopona track and needed a reason to break eye contact with the hot guys she was staring at. The very attractive Casino Dealer Yutaro was making light conversation about how busy the place was. Rosanna smiled while sending out the other staff to deliver the orders to him, Shou and everyone else who just ordered.

Now Playing:

Aha well we are thinking about hiring someone else to work behind the counter, we used to have an awesome girl called April who worked here, but I've been here on my own since she left. Do you get similar problems at the casino on a busy night? I...I'm Rosanna by the way....

Rosanna felt herself smiling too long at him and realized there were other orders to take as she ran back to the till. While scribbling down orders and punching them into the order machine she turned over toward Shou who kindly offered a hand.

Hahaha you think you could do this job professor? Maybe there's something you could teach me....like you do at the academy hahaha....

Rosanna winked but then cut her laugh short as she remembered she was in a public place and went quiet again. This was going to be a tough day at work.....but that didnt stop her putting her number on the napkins that went with both Yutaro's AND Shou's orders.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nick was strolling through Shiny Park just basically killing time before the arcade tournament started, he decided to check his phone and realized that the lovely Shizuka had just text him back! Nick felt himself grinning like an idiot and calmed himself down as he began to text back

Sounds awesome Shiz! Can I meet you at the Shine City Aquarium at 2:30? I'll try and wear something nice haha! see you there xx

Nick realised he didnt have time to change when he saw it was already 1:10pm! Time flew so fast, he was daydreaming about the upcoming tournament so much that he missed his radio show he was supposed to do. Hopefully he will be able to get in on the retro gaming tournament after seeing Shizuka today, Nick absolutely LOVED being this busy, it made him feel more important. He breathed in some fresh air and began to think about his dating life...

(hmmmm I dont know if Shizuka likes me in the same way that I like her, maybe she's just open to hanging out as anything and doesnt see it in a dating away at all....sadly there is only one way to find out......Maybe she likes someone else? Theres been a large influx of attractive guys into Shine City lately...maybe someone is with Shizuka now......maybe someone is with Nori now...)

Nick shook his head in frustration for even thinking about her, he had to keep his mind on task... busy day today, he popped out some lime flavored bubble gum and began to start up his radio broadcast app on his phone, but then decided against it. He could feel his mind getting bogged down with memories about her....and decided to check his BookFace page for any cute girl friend suggestions.

So who's online.....hmmm Ayane Lawson? wow nice picture, definately add! I wonder if she knows who I am?

Nick began grinning to himself again as he indulged in social media, starting to make his way towards the Aquarium early.

[Oz]

@LovelyAnastasia

Livius watched different expressions paint her face, and decided that he liked this person. What a cute girl. Hands shoved into the pockets of his baggy pants, he slouched in a relaxed manner as she put his large, fluffy coat around her shoulders. It seemed very much too large for her--but that meant it would only keep her warmer. Pleased by her reaction, and by how quickly he had thought of his plan, another crooked grin slid across his face. He had not made a mistake in approaching Kaori. She was friendly so far, and appeared to be very modest. Her face was incredibly red, and the way her eyes avoided his own told him that she was thoroughly embarrassed. It was fine--he had many jackets back at home that could easily substitute the one that he had been wearing. And he was wearing thicker clothing today. Livius wasn't someone who god cold easily. That only worked to his advantage in numerous situations.

"Ah? There's no problem. How could I simply walk away from such a radiant young woman, leaving her cold?" He teased right back, enjoying the slight banter. He crossed his arms. It had occurred to him that he hadn't of said his name. He had simply been too caught up with her. But he had a feeling that would be seeing her again. He raised his eyebrows as she checked her watch, and reasoned that she had to go to work somewhere. She repeated his work schedule, and he nodded at her. "See ya." He quipped as she began to quickly walk towards her destination. Although she did turn and wave back at him, causing him to grin wider. If that was even possible. He waved at her, and watched as she bolted off. She must really be late. He hoped that he hadn't of distracted her up for too long. Humming, he continued along his merry way. Now he had something extra to look forward to during work.

Eventually, he stumbled upon what appeared to be a smaller cafe, with peculiar uniforms. It seemed better than the crowded and more popular cafes, so he slid inside. A young, dark-haired man sat alone, causing Livius to be interested. He was greeted by staff, but made his way over to the odd booth where the young man was sitting. Elegantly, suavely, he slid across from the bulky male, chin leaning on his hands. Although his eyes were obscured by a curtain of thick, wild hair, he fixed the young man with an eager and fascinated gaze. He appeared to be looking at a book full of diagrams...

"Hello." Livius quipped. "I hope you don't mind if I sit here..." Even if he was told to go away, he might persist a little. There was no one else to really interact with right now. Maybe he could make a friend.

@Daxam

[Narcotic Dollie]

It happened like a scene out of a cheesy romance manga, the kind that Nori would never admit to liking (even if she had like a million volumes under her bed. Don't judge.). One second she was upright and sure footed, the next her new American friend was falling damn near on top of her. "Son of a b--!!!," the blonde exclaimed, her arms pinwheeling comically as she began her desecent towards the ground. Nori screwed her eyes shut and waited for the impact.

But she never hit the ground.

Tentatively she opened her eyes, blinking once or twice to try to get her bearings. The DJ was pressed flush against Kyle, one of his arms half caging her against the wall, the other wrapped around her to stop her fall. Even through the thick fabric of her sweater, she could feel the heat of his hand spanning almost the entirety of her lower back. Nori had been groped enough at Club LUSH that the suddenly intimate body contact didn't make her blush, but she did feel like her heart might hammer out of her chest. "Hey, are you ok?" He asked, meeting her gaze with a concerned expression written across his features.

"M'fine," Nori chuckled nervously, trying to regain her composure. Releasing the death grip she had on Kyle's bicep, the tattooed girl reached up and patted the man's noticeably flushed cheek twice, in what she hoped translated into a comforting gesture. "If you wanted a hug you could have just asked, cowboy," she joked as he disentangled them, his hands only lingering slightly to make sure she had her balance.

"So yea, its a bit crowded today, uh... nachos then?" Kyle said with a slightly anxious looking smile, jerking a thumb towards the door. Nori was so used to super confident, macho guys using pick up lines, giving her flirty side glances, and pawing at her that Kyle's sweet demeanor was surprisingly...hot? 'I'm gonna eat him alive,' was the first thought that popped into Nori's head, much to her horror.

'Jesus Christ, what is wrong with me? That's what turns me on? I need therapy.' the girl mused, her face heating up as she finally succumbed to embarrassment.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Nori agreed, hesitating only a moment before reaching for the other's hand and threading their fingers together. She was slightly worried about being too forward, but then again she had just had her boobs pressed against him just a couple of second ago, so this was pretty tame in comparison. Giving him a little tug, Nori led them through the crowd and out the front door to the much less crowded sidewalk.

"It's cool if we walk, right?" Nori asked, letting go of Kyle's hand now that they had safely navigated through the Mochavine. "It's just a little ways up the road," she told him, nodding in the direction of the arcade. As the started down the sidewalk and by the park, she asked him, "So, what brought you to our side of the pond, Cowboy--?"

Nori stopped abruptly when she saw Nick Weston meandering through the park.

"No!" Nori gasped, quickly grabbing Kyle by the arm and pulling him back, maneuvering him so he was mashed in between her and a tree, hopefully out of the radio host's line of site. She pressed her index finger to his lips in the universal sign for, 'Be quiet'. After a moment or two, the DJ cautiously poked her head around the tree, making sure the cost was clear. Nick was no longer anywhere in site and Nori visibly sagged in relief, pulling her hand away and stepping back from the blue eyed man.

"I, erm," Nori started, feeling like she owed Kyle an explanation. "I was supposed to go on a date with that guy a few months back, but I got so nervous I stood him up," she finally managed to spit out. "I didn't even call to cancel, I just never showed up. It was an awful thing to do and I've been avoiding him ever since," she told him, rubbing her arm self consciously. It wasn't a pretty thing to have to admit to someone she'd just met and she knew this might make Kyle think she was a bad person, but Nori prided herself on always being honest, so she owned up to her actions.

"Did you still want nachos? I totally get it if you've changed your mind," Nori said, averting her eyes and scratching at her arm nervously.

@BeastofDestiny @Dynamo Frokane

[SkeankySnack]

To Kyle's surprise and relief, she was still willing to take him for nachos, a slight flash of red crossed her cheeks before saying, "Yeah, let's get out of here." Even more surprising was when she took her hand into his, intertwining their fingers as she led him out of the coffee shop. Kyle had always been prone to anxiety in larger crowds and he took note of that as the shop filled, but when she took his hand, it just felt like them for a brief moment and his anxiety washed away. Her hand was much smaller than his by comparison, dainty and fine, soft too...as much as he was enjoying the moment, it quickly ended as soon as they stepped outside.

"It's cool if we walk, right? It's just a little ways up the road," she nodded in the direction of the arcade. Kyle nodded, "Yea, of course." The two of them started up the sidewalk, the quiet was brief, but it gave a moment for Kyle to reflect on their interaction. Despite having an...awkward introduction, well..only he seemed to feel awkward about it, her confidence was stunning and she seemed to take things pretty easily, life experiences maybe? Whatever the case, he admired her, he didn't want to go romancing anything too vigorously though, he'd only just met the girl. "So, what brought you to our side of the pond, Cowboy--?"

Kyle just kept walking forward slowly as Nori stopped, "Hah, well its a funny story actua-"
"No!"
"No, wha- HRrK!

Suddenly Kyle was jerked backwards and flung into a tree, the Nori pressing herself against him, making him a literal woman-tree sandwich. Before he could protest one of her fingers flung up to his lips and he found himself staring once again into her intense eyes, "ok, shutting up now." Kyle remained utterly silent and still and noted how odd it was that he was smashed into the same girl, on the same day, within a few minutes of each other, on both sides of the spectrum...frankly he couldn't complain, but he wasn't sure his heart could keep handling such intimate interactions... "she smells nice...probably not the best time to be thinking about this..." Thinking on it though...he did see someone, he wasn't able to really get a good look at them but... "oh god" A sudden realization dawned on him "...what if that's her boyfriend!? HolyShitHolyShitHolyShit, I don't want to get my ass kicked, no wait, that's ridiculous, calm down, there's probably something reasonable behind this." After a few brief moments Kyle finally felt Nori relax as she released him from her grip, blinking twice he really hoped there was an explanation.

"I, erm," she started, almost hesitating before continuing, "I was supposed to go on a date with that guy a few months back, but I got so nervous I stood him up. I didn't even call to cancel, I just never showed up. It was an awful thing to do and I've been avoiding him ever since," she told him, her hand moving up to her arm, rubbing it. "Did you still want nachos? I totally get it if you've changed your mind." Her eyes completely averted his gaze, did she...think Kyle was going to judge her?

Kyle couldn't help but smile, this girl was incredibly adorable, "Everyone has their baggage," he thought to himself, Kyle should know, he could relate...But now he wanted her to relax and not worry, she'd already conveyed a couple of comforting touches to him, between his cheek and hand...maybe he could convey the same to her? Lifting up his hand, he placed it atop her head, rubbing it gently in his palm so as not to mess up her hair too badly, and he'd meet her gaze with as warm a smile as he could muster.

"Hey, of course I still want to get nachos with you, it'd be rude of me otherwise to change plans at the last minute."

@Narcotic Dollie

[Takashi]

Perhaps Yutaro was getting carried away in expecting Ryoki to like Fitzgerald as much as he did, but at least she respected the artist. Perhaps the fact that she hadn't heard much of the scat queen could be remedied sometime in the future. To be fair, he hadn't heard much of Ludovico Einaudi either, but he had heard the name come up during some music awards. However, perhaps that was what made music so interesting; there was literally not enough time in one's life to hear it all. And, as Ryoki was now proving, new genres popped up all the time that defied classification. Perhaps what was more important than two people liking the same kind of music was that they had new songs that the others could enjoy. Then, just as Yutaro was about to say how much he was looking forward to hearing her perform, Ryoki asked for his number.

Here he was getting ready to move in and ask her, and she delivered a vicious cross-counter like that. It took all of his restraint not to immediately drop his number at her feet like a yapping puppy. No, now that she moved in, it was time to back off a bit. Still smiling, he took another casual sip of his coffee, grabbing the napkin as if to wipe of a stray drop, but in reality preparing a writing surface. However, within its folds he caught a glimpse of something already scribbled onto it. They were... numbers!? It didn't take him long to discern that they must belong to Rosanna, who was too busy to stay and chat but was evidently interested in making some new friends. It was by no means something to complain about, but he couldn't hand Ryoki a napkin with another girl's number on it. He lightly dabbed his lip, and then moved on to plan B.

He rubbed his chin for a few seconds, pretending to deliberate on whether or not to give her his number, but before the wait could warp from suspenseful to awkward he simply said, "Alright." With that, he took out his wallet and produced a business card from the Shine City Players Casino, and wrote his number on the back of it. I'll have to thank my boss for making me carry these around, he thought, also realizing that this was quite a bit more classy than a napkin. He went to hand her the card, but stopped before she could grab it. "Now I want you to use this responsibly," he said, giving her a playful grin. "If you want to share this with any of your friends, make sure they're at least as pretty as you." He then completed the motion, eagerly awaiting an opportunity for their hands to brush against each other one last time.

@Delta44

[Opposition]

Akane's eyes followed her professor's hand as he directed her to his favorite seat. She couldn't help but suppress a little laugh as Shou started to justify her taking of the four person table. Window seat, space for her books and laptop, and off in a corner... It was perfect for her. Disregarding the silly thoughts of her 'peaceful table', Akane brought a hand up to her the end of her scarf. She continued to fiddle with the end of it while she and her new company were conversing.

His tired eyes made it quite obvious that it took Shou a moment to recognize her. Shou then sent her a rather strange smile. Akane didn't understand at first, but she simply returned the smile as he spoke. He had recognized her by name, so her attempt at being outgoing in General Biology must have been working at least a little bit. Blush spread rather rapidly across her face as her professor complimented her scarf. It had definitely worked better than expected. She let out a suppressed giggle before speaking. "Why thank you. I am glad you noticed it." She flipped her scarf with her hand as if showing it off while speaking.

Akane couldn't help but show a small smirk as Shou avoided answering the question. She had no idea why, but she didn't seem to care. As Shou started to talk about his career as a teacher, Akane gave an affirming nod. "I understand how you feel! Despite the constant pressure to score high, I find my classes rather enjoyable."

Akane's enthused look didn't waver as Shou looked her over. "I suppose I am just used to rising early due to my morning classes, and I do enjoy spending my free mornings wasting time at the arcade and such." Akane's blush spread more and more rapidly as Shou had told her she was a pleasure to have in class. Akane knew she was a stellar student in terms of grading and test taking, but it felt good to have a teacher recognize her. Not to mention this was the third time he had called her 'Miss Takumi'. It was a small detail, but she liked it. It was different. After a moment of thought, Akane gave a simple shrug in response. "Studying pays off I guess."

After a moment, Akane noticed the professor had spaced out for a time being. She was a bit perplexed at his evasive gaze and response, but her ignorance got the best of her. "I can understand that. I too had to deal with the struggle for fulfilling meals when I came to the academy. I like to think I've managed well so far, despite my expensive sweet tooth." It seemed his nourishment still hadn't found its way out of the kitchen. There wasn't much the two of them could do about that, of course.

Akane's rather excited and happy expression met the smile of her professor. He was much better company than Akane thought a teacher could be. Well, it was pretty obvious that a star student would get along with a teacher just as well as other students. Her eyes widened for a slight moment as Shou asked her for her plans. She hadn't thought about that part of the conversation; she never did.

She gave a quick nod, remembering her plans. "Cats. . ." She replied with an absent look that accompanied her smirk. "I am going to get some cats." Like six- "Like seven cats." There was an obvious bit of humor in her voice, making it a bit difficult to tell if she was being serious, but as Akane went throughout her day, the more she thought about getting eight cats, the more it seemed like a good idea.

@MyCatGinger

[Stern Algorithm]

Shizuka made her way back to the Shining Kettle, out of breath from the anxiety and embarrassment of what had just happened.

"So, did you find the kid?" The barista asked.

"Y-yes..." Shizuka replied, "He's safe and reunited with his mother."

"That's good to hear, you did good, Otonashi," the barista concluded.

Shizuka nodded and made her way to the worker's area in the back to catch her breath, calm down and regain her composure. She heard the charming ring of the bell on the door, signifying that a customer had entered. Shizuka steeled herself, put on a smile and headed back to the storefront, hearing the bell a second time. Picking up a tray and a notepad, she headed to the one occupied table, which was rather curious, as the two didn't seem to have entered together. She didn't let it bother her as it could be they were friends planning to meet up here.

"Welco..." Shizuka stopped suddenly, recognizing the man from earlier in the park. She wondered why he was here and if he had followed her. She also wondered now who his friend was. She decided to remain professional and pretend nothing had happened. "W-welc-come to the Shining Kettle. Would you like menus or do you already know your orders?"

@Daxam @Oz

[Daxam]

Hmm...Maybe I could...no, that won't work... Zac thinks to himself as he makes little notes here and there in his book, trying to work out the plans for a trick of his. He was so busy trying to figure out his own trick, while chewing on the end of his pen, that he didn't notice the man coming up to him until he spoke up. Looking up from his notebook, Zac takes the pen out of his mouth, smiles, and says, "Oh, no, I don't mind, feel free."

Closing his notebook, knowing it'd be rude to keep it out, Zac slips it and the pen back into his pocket before looking at the young man sitting across from him. Just a glance and Zac could already tell he was an example of his earlier thought, how people seemed to do as they pleased in Shine City. It was a bad thing by any means, of course, especially since Zac liked to consider himself the same type of person.

He was about to make conversation when a waitress appeared next to their table. "I have an idea of what I want, but I don't suppose a menu could hurt," Zac says, smiling as he turns to look at the waitress. When he looks at the girl, his brow furrows before he realizes why she looked familiar. "Oh, hey!" he says with a grin. "I didn't know you worked here." Holding his hand up to the girl, he says, "I'm Zac. You ran off before I could introduce myself."

@Oz @Stern Algorithm

[Cirrus]

Thursday Night

--Insert pending interaction with Molly here.--

James returns to his empty dorm once more. He connects his laptop to his peripherals and lights a candle, as is his way, then focuses his mind on what to do about Matsuoka. I still don't know why he did what he did, but as it is I see two options. One, he was simply trying to play matchmaker and I've been avoiding an amiable fellow due to my own failure to properly gauge course load. Two, he was trying to use Molly to somehow get me to do that work. James ponders the situation for a while longer before feeling comfortable acting on his current assumptions, then for several minutes more on how to handle it before reaching a course of action that yields positive results for both scenarios. If he really is kind enough to send a pretty girl to a student who neglected his class then I should get myself on his good side, and I'll do that by completing every assignment I missed and giving them to him. That should at least provide him with a good laugh. If he was trying to use her to get me to do that work then he's clever enough to be a problem and I'll get him off my back by doing what he most likely wants: completing every assignment I missed and giving them to him. Either way my situation improves, but is it worth the time?

James opens his assignment tracking text from last semester in Notepad+1. It appears that I ignored about 20% of the out-of-class work for the course. By credit guidelines that should take the average student about 18 hours. 8 hours for sleep and 3 hours for my class tomorrow leaves 13 hours, minus an hour or two for sundries leaves 11-12 hours. I should be fine. James leans back in his chair and looks at the ceiling, thinking about how he had wished for more homework, probably for the first time in his life, just a few hours ago. Funny how these things work out.

---

Saturday - 10:00 AM

This is miserable, as always. James squints against the light from his bedroom window. He begrudgingly keeps it covered with only a thin curtain because sunlight is the only thing that can reliably wake him. Just another reason to hate it. Normally he sleeps in on weekends but he was only able to schedule the minimum number of credits this semester and has slowly begun to fall asleep earlier because he has nothing else to do. Guess there's no choice. I'm not getting back to sleep now. James eventually musters the courage to make the cold journey from his warm bed to a hot shower.

James finishes preparing himself for the world and looks through the contents of the black folder on his desk one last time. He had finished all of the work earlier than he expected last night, especially considering the class ended over six months ago. Those lectures stuck far better than I thought. Matsuoka really is a good teacher. I can't wait to see his reaction when I turn in homework from last semester. Every assignment is in his own format of lined paper on the top with an entry for each problem. That entry either contains an answer in the form of math, formulas, or otherwise difficult to type answers or it directs the reader to the printed sheet which contains the written answers. A marriage, so to speak, of the freedom of handwriting and the legibility and ease of editing inherent to computers. He developed the format for himself, but more than one of his instructors has mentioned that they like it despite sometimes needing to flip between pages -- something about using a consistent formatting and handwritten answers being difficult to read. The best part, though, is that every single assignment he missed is present and properly titled / headed, as if it were legitimate work being turned in normally. James takes a moment to appreciate how comically far in the past all of the due dates are and slides the folder into his bag to ensure he doesn't forget it on Monday. James lifts his bag, which is somewhat heavy even without his books and laptop, by its thick strap and slings it onto his back before he heads to Mochavine for a pick-me-up.

As the coffee shop comes into view James witnesses a young man give his jacket to a redhead before the latter sprints away and the former walks on leisurely. How cute. They must be a couple. The entire event is over long before James reaches the door, at which point he notices how incredibly packed it is. Did I miss some sort of announcement? Being in the dark about a social event is typical for James. I guess I can try somewhere else. James moves off to the side so he isn't standing in the middle of the view from the Mochavine windows and pulls out his phone to search for a coffee shop nearby. He quickly finds one that seems promising. The Shining Kettle, eh? I suppose I'll try it.

James turns to leave when he notices an unmistakable head of silver hair within the cafe. The same one that had hijacked his past two days. Looks like I won't have to wait until Monday after all. Plus maybe I can ask him what he was trying to do and not need to worry about two possible motivations at once. James begins to shift toward the door, but before he takes a step he notices that there is someone sharing a table with the professor. For most people James would have a difficult time identifying them through glass, but this one has a marker as unique as his hoodie and hair color. It's red scarf girl. She goes to the Academy. What's with Matsuoka and meeting pretty female students outside of classes? I wonder if he's trying play matchmaker for her, too? James thinks about his situation for a moment. Even assuming the worst of his motivation on Thursday there's no way he could have it out for me enough to do that twice in such rapid succession, so she should be safe even if he sees me. James looks back toward the professor and considers his move. The two seem like they're having a conversation and it would be rude to interrupt. I suppose I can wait for a few minutes to see how this plays out. If nothing happens there's always that other cafe. Curiosity getting the best of him James leans against the far end of the front wall of the cafe, as if waiting for someone or looking up directions. Thinking back to the five instances of the police asking him questions just because he looked suspicious he pulls down his hood. There's plenty of reds and oranges around that he might have a chance of blending in better like that, anyway. He inconspicuously faces his phone, but remains wary of movement from the pair through the window.

[LovelyAnastasia]

Kaori Tatsumia

---

Sprinting off towards the flower shop, Kaori checked her wrist watch once more. There seemed to be a rather wide and flushed grin plastered to her face, even though she was now running a few minutes behind again. But the shop wasn't too far away and she wasn't horribly late. Good thing she could just say she missed the bus or something, since it was her first day. Next time she'd just ride her bike instead of running anyway. The redheaded girl couldn't help but see things through sunbeams today.

Entering the store, she shouted her arrival to the empty store front, removing the large warm jacket. But not without one last secret flustered smile into its collar. Maybe she was being a silly romantic day dreamer, but it had been a very rare kind of interaction for her. He had been kind of wild looking, but it was a rather handsome kind of wild. And Mister Upstanding Gentleman had been very kind. And animated. And his jacket smelled really good. Like sandalwood and musky guy cologne or something. It was faint but it made her kind of warm and dizzy for some reason.

Well, whatever the reason, it sure had made her day. Hanging the jacket up in the employee locker with her name on it, she reached in and pulled out a sunny yellow apron. Enchanted Florist's logo was gracefully displayed and Kaori wore it in delight. Pushing her hair behind her ears the best she could (one side always slipped out when she pushed the other back), she followed her new boss through a whirlwind of explanations and welcomes.

Flowers were out of season, but people wanted them now more than ever. With the weather calling for future snow days ahead, the colorful blooms were just what some people needed to brighten up their overcast days ahead. That and there was winter weddings, holiday parties, birthdays, anniversaries, you name it! Winter time was just as big a time to sell flowers as any other, if not more so. So Kaori had plenty to do, even with the very few customers who actually walked into the shop. Arrange displays, rearrange bouquets, filter merchandise thorough the store's system, price things, place things, call people, on and on and on. It appeared that this part time job would be far more interesting than she had first expected to be.

[Verdaux]

10:50 AM

Coming out the kitchen door with two massive cookie sheets of pastries, Sabine was met with stares as she paced her way around Rosanna. With the footwork of a dancer, she gently tapped her butt against the barista's as she swirled around the darker girl; she didn't wait to stop for her superior, mainly because she still had to line up two more racks.

It seemed, though, that the Breakfast Club was gone. Baking could be taken on a backburner then, but as Rosanna took a few more orders, Sabine's head clicked.

Shift ends in...5 seconds?

Right then and there, a rather strong set of vibrations rumbled in Sabine's pants. With an annoyed spank, the phone was shut off, signaling the end of her shift.

"Alright Rosanna, I'll be seeing you! Thanks for keeping up with the customers today!"

With a soft chime, Sabine had stripped off her apron and was weaving her way through the crowd. Here, there was an instance where her rave-heavy past worked wonders for urban life. Just like that, she had gone from a sweaty weightlifter to a girl of diminutive stature. Small enough to be student, if she had a uniform and ID.

Only if. With another smooth twirl, she bypassed Yutaro @Takashi and Ryoki @Delta44 with a soft "excuse me" to the outdoors of the Shining City. She'd have to get used to the commute by foot, but since the job came with free food from Tiny snowflake...

...well, there's her reason. Free food and good pay. What more could she ask for?

What, the people in the streets?