[IC] Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting)

[freedomliveson]

@rocklee@Jay Kalton

Akihiro was about to agree with Aya's sentiment when her eyes widened, the woman distancing herself a couple of feet from the duo before she let out a stream of curses that would have made even his older brother blush profusely in embarrassment. The graduate assistant was no stranger to profanity, but to hear it uttered so angrily from such a dignified looking woman was a bit startling. Sonny voiced his concern, which was mirrored by Akihiro's arched brow. Judging by Aya's reaction to getting to the apartment complex and her reaching for something, Akihiro could only assume that something was amiss with her living arrangement. He was a bit torn as to where to go from here. On one hand, he and Aya had helped Sonny get to his apartment complex, which meant his job as concerned citizen was officially over. His stomach was beginning to make gurgling noises, indicating that he was due for a late night snack and then play for a few hours on his laptop, leveling up his Star Wars MMO character to max level. Yet, he had a feeling that the night wouldn't end the way he had planned.
"Aya, if there's anything we can help you with..." He looked up at the apartment complex once more and then a possibility dawned on him.
"Did you...did you forget your keys? Because if you're locked out, we have Sonny here to get you inside the building. Neighbors are good for occasions like this." A soft chuckle escaped his lips just as his stomach gurgled loudly, Akihiro offering an apologetic smile.
"Didn't mean for you all to hear that. Once we get this all sorted out, then I'm going to head towards the nearest place that serves cheeseburgers and devour one." But back to the problem at hand...
"Sonny, you have your keys I assume?"

[rocklee]

(To make interaction more smooth, I decided to go ahead with this one to make sure that I dont have to add any additional information in like last time. I promise I wont do this whole reply marathon again its just for the situation. My apologies and besides busy life is busy and posting is getting harder and harder. Bite me Bambi)@freedomliveson@Jay Kalton

Sonny Lee

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Aya, if there's anything we can help you with..." Then his looked like a brilliant idea dawned apon him. "Did you...did you forget your keys? Because if you're locked out, we have Sonny here to get you inside the building. Neighbors are good for occasions like this.". Sonny nodded but then shook his head "wait you dont live in this area right? so...Unless you want me to sneak into your apartment complex's gate and break into your home i'm at loss to what I- OH MY GOD i sounded like a dick just now....wow I need to be stopped. I will help you Miss Aya and to thank you too Mr. Ta-" Then Mr.Takashi's stomach growled. Sonny laughed softly giving a sigh "Didn't mean for you all to hear that. Once we get this all sorted out, then I'm going to head towards the nearest place that serves cheeseburgers and devour one."."Sonny, you have your keys I assume?" Sonny nodded vigorously as he pulled them out his backpack with a "shaw" as he struck a dramatic pose and hummed the little tune in zelda when link found a treasure chest. "To repay both of you I will help You Miss Aya to get home and I will feed you mr. Takashi" He said giving a solute "Its the least I can do for you!" He opened the gate and tapped in the code and rushed them inside to Payton's apartment. He opened the door and turned on the lights. The walls were ivory and were filled with posters and pictures. Few of a blond woman and Sonny and most of just the blonde woman. The floors were carpet and pretty soft. Then the fat bulldog waddled in with a permanent frown and rolled up in front of them saying "lol walk around me peasants.". He rushed in and scooted the tub of lard for a dog aside. "Payton!? are you home I need your help Miss Aya needs to Get replacement keys or Could I barrow your lock break in kit?" There was a load groan from the room down the hall "Who the hell are you talking about! You know im leaving tomorrow and that Im very very busy yet you still bug me with your bullshi-oh you have guest" She said as she stormed out with a grim face. Her thin lips perched in a frown "Fine but I want them out by tomorrow and you as well" she said as she headed off. Sonny gave a sigh "I love you~" he called playfully and earned another groan. "Alright I'll go get the kit you stay here and make yourfelf comfortable..Oh and dont if your going to talk to daisy (dog) dont mention her weight; she's insecure." Then he rushed off to his room.

[Tokara]

@sakurasan

Copen could only be bemused as a strange girl helped him up. "Thanks," he muttered, a hand coming up to feel the painful lump forming at his forehead. Well, that was just great. But it could be worse, he reminded himself, as his dark blue eyes darted to the helpful woman - she seemed to have a twin, as his vision blurred in and out. He squinted a bit, following her gentle guidance as he got into the cab. First, he'd assumed she was a nice, kind stranger sending him home - but then, she got in with him. "Am I getting lucky tonight~~?" he slurred, side collapsing and his head coming to rest on her shoulder. Hm. She smelled sort of nice.

In fact, it was disappointing when she exited the cab. He frowned, drunkenly leaning out of the car with a puppydog expression on his face. Oh, in this emotionally amplified state, it hurt that she would leave him. He didn't even know her name! But... "You're asking me to come inside?" he asked, a slightly naughty expression curling his lips. "If you insist..."

The tall blond lurched out, stumbling as he regained his balance on the pavement. Clearing his throat, he blinked down at the girl in a drunken stupor. "What's your name?"

[Sarcelle Renard]

Whitey was completely incoherent. Between his spluttered attempts at speech and glassed over eyes, it was clear to Reiji that he wasn’t going to be getting up through his own volition any time soon. He let out a small “Tch” of annoyance at the realization, as he didn’t have the time to babysit the guy all night and he certainly wasn’t all that excited at the prospect of going on a grand quest to get him home. Thankfully, Four-eyes interrupted his thoughts before he came to the natural conclusion of just chucking the drunk outside and letting the wolves decide his fate. His attention returned to the odd guy once more, taking a moment to consider his question.

”Please, it’s more like any day that ends in ‘Y’ for me,” the redhead replied with a small chuckle. ”So believe me, unless he starts seizing in the next ten seconds to spite me, this guy is going to be fine.” With the help from Four-eyes, they managed to get Whitey to sit up, his back unfortunately sporting a new layer of peanut shells and bar juice. The sight was enough to make Reiji grimace a small bit, but a quick check showed that Whitey at least didn’t crack his skull open from his little tumble. The punk was about to give Four-eyes his name when another character in the farce playing out before him showed up.

Seeing this Jack guy looking out for the near catatonic Whitey, whose name was apparently Theodore, brought Reiji way back. As in, all the way back to the days when it had been Yuusuke dragging his limp form across town because he had drank way too much, giving him all kinds of hell for it the next day with that shit-eating grin of his. Back then, things had been incredibly simple, with few responsibilities to worry about and even fewer morals to follow. ’But those days are gone,’ he reminded himself bitterly. The punk band Spitfires collapsed upon itself the day they lost their front man, an event that had made it difficult for Reiji to make sense of the world around him for quite some time. His face soured for a brief few moments as he stupidly got caught up in the past. Resisting the urge to shake his head to dismiss his thoughts, he regarded Whitey’s friend with his usual laidback expression.

”Well if you’re his friend, then I trust you can get this drunken ball of fun home then, yeah?” Even though it was phrased as a question, Reiji had a way of making it feel more like a statement. After all, he had noticed that he had been chatting up Blondie’s friend earlier and he knew how tempting it could be to weasel out of taking care of your friends whenever members of the opposite gender got involved in the equation. So while he had a small smile on, his eyes told a wonderful tale about how he was certainly not going to be the one to clean up this mess.

@BeastofDestiny @Evil Snowman

[Evil Snowman]

Jack

Hearing both people ask if he could take Theo home, Jack gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head. Looking down at his friend who now was now soundly in a drunken sleep snoring softly and every once and a while muttering something under his breath.
"Well ... you see I'm not really sure I can. It's a long story but regardless Theodore's land lady and I have a history and if she sees me in building she'll most likely do something to me that would probably kill me. Not mention Theodore here wouldn't be happy if I took him home, again due to another long story he'd most likely be very unhappy if he knew brought him home and Theo's wrath is something I'd rather not face." Jack stated feeling kinda bad having just bad mouthed his own friend while he lay passed out in front of him, but it was true. Theo when he did get pissed off wasn't exactly pleasant.

Giving a a sigh Jack thought for a moment then looked at the two people with his friend, aware surly right now he must look like the worst friend in the world. "So... with that I'm wondering if I could get one of you to take my dear friend here home. He's it highly unlikely he'd lose it at a stranger, although by look of him he's not in much of a state to do much. Regardless, of that his land lady will be keeping an out since one of her tenants are out and I afraid of the psycho Russian. Look I know it sound really sad, it the truth, but look I'm also willing to compensate you for your time." Jack stated sounding a touch embarrassed, wishing Theo had shown a level of self control and not put himself out for the count. Leaving his friend in quite a predicament, brave a scary land lady or trust a stranger to get his friend home. The second option was preferable, although he had a feeling he might just have to be brave and going with option one.

The mere idea of having to go near Theo apartment building sent a shiver up Jacks spine. as once he got Theo into his apartment he had to brave the pair of devils Theo kept, devils that set of a sensitive allergy he had. This allergy being one Jack would rather not talk about. As if reading his mind Theo muttered quite clearly about how Jacks allergy to cats. Making Jack frown, he was going to make pay for putting himself out.
"So can either of you help me out here?" Jack asked trying to move passed what his friend had just muttered about.

[SkeankySnack]

Kyle stared almost unbelieving the words that were coming out of this Jack guy's mouth. He wanted them to take Theo home, two complete strangers, just because he didn't want to deal with Theo or his land lady? Maybe it was just the tiredness taking over, maybe it was the implications that this wasn't the first time Theo had gotten so hammered, but right now Kyle really wanted to deck this Jack guy in the face. He really didn't want to start a bar room brawl though, so he spoke instead, and he didn't mince his words.

"So let me understand this clearly," Kyle's voice took on a much harsher tone, "You came here tonight, knew full well that Theo here would probably end up like this, and didn't prevent him from getting this drunk?" He could feel his teeth gritting, "Worse yet, now that he is drunk, rather than man up and deal with whatever fucking problem you have with him or his land lady, you ask two complete strangers to do it for you." Regardless of whether or not he received an answer, Kyle was far too pissed to deal with this asshat any longer, "Keep your goddamn compensation, I don't want it, just stand aside and I'll take him home" Turning to the bartender Kyle asked, "Hey, bar man, I know you're working right now, so I'm not gonna ask you to come with me, but could you at least call a cab and get the address from him," Kyle shot a pointed glare at Jack before turning back, "I'd appreciate that."

Putting on a small smile, he nodded to affirm he had this and motioned to take the full weight of Theodore himself. His eyes tunneled forward he made his way to the front door of the bar, and stepped outside. The night was still just as cool as when he first entered, looking around he found a bench set up near one a bus stop and made his way over towards that. He eased Theodore down onto the bench and tried to keep him upright to no avail as he slouched down and plopped on his side. Kyle sighed and took a seat next to the young drunken sleeper and looked over to him before keeping his eyes towards the street.

"Sorry Theo...but your friend is an asshole..."

[Knight of Doom]

Amaya read Ashton's response to her own question. A mixer, huh? She had never encountered a mixer in real life. It's a popular event on TV shows, but the blonde did not know that these kinds of things actually happened in real life. “A mixer, huh? That’s kind of cool. I've never been to one.” She looked over at where the majority of the mixer group was. Amaya wouldn't probably ever go to one. An event designed to hook people up seemed a bit awkward. Not only that, but she highly doubted any genuine relationship would come out of it. It'd be a pretty okay event in order to meet new people and make friends.

There was quite a commotion when someone seemed to have a particularly brutal drink. Amaya looked over and thought about getting up to help the passed out male, but someone beat her to it. So, she decided to stay away and not crowd the area. The tipsy girl definitely did not want whatever he had. She still had to get back to her dorm room. Speaking of which, she had almost forgotten about her search for a summer living space. She sighed in annoyance. The issue just kept coming up and ruining her mood. Then an idea came up. Ashton was nice enough, maybe…? “Hey, I know this is kinda a weird question since we just met and whatnot, but I'm a college student and I live in the dorms. But, they're kicking us out for the summer and I need a place to stay. Would you happen to know of anyone that could help me out?” Amaya asked a bit awkwardly. She hated the fact that she had to do this. It was weird and awkward and overall just not fun. She quietly waited for the tall blonde's response, avoiding eye contact.

@Silver Fox

[Silver Fox]

Ashton Griffone

The Cornerstone

@Knight of Doom

Ashton gave a soft shy smile, rubbing the back of her head as her amethyst gaze flicked to the mixer group who were happily conversing or flirting. The tall figure gave a slight uncomfortable shrug as she looked to them, showing that it wasn't really her thing. She wasn't all that interested in a 'hook up' as in trying to find someone to get romantically invested or as Marine would put it.. Get to 'bang' someone as a one night stand. Whatever that means. Still, it was fun to go around and meet new people and make new friends. But that's something anyone can do anywhere. Just gotta put effort into it.

Jumping a little as the albino man seemed to have a bit too much alcohol, she was about to help but some others already assisted. Seeming able to handle it. The tall blonde sighed in relief and gave a soft amused smile towards the smaller blonde. Blinking a little as her new aquiantance of the night seemed a bit nervous before starting to explain herself. Slowly tilting her head to the side in a questioning thoughtful manner, Ashton listened to the explanation and the request. It was a little odd to ask someone you literally just met at the bar for assistance in finding a place, but perhaps Amaya didn't have much of a choice. She must be pretty desperate to ask a total stranger, having no one else to turn to. It was pretty dangerous too right? After all that stranger could want to take advantage of such a pretty girl like Amaya. Mhmm maybe Amaya already thought Ashton was a girl? Then again, she just asked if Ashton knew anyone.

Thinking for a moment, the tall blonde thought it over. Her house was decent sized, plenty of room for another person, maybe even three, so it probably would be alright. She wouldn't be bothered for two days, as Ashton worked two twenty four hour shifts, and for the third day she was passed out so that would work. Maybe other days they could talk and hangout and be best buddies!

Ashton smiled brightly and nodded and pointed at herself to show that, she could help Amaya out. Course not thinking of the reversal that it's probably not the best idea to take in a total stranger into her house but still. She wanted to help out and she never had a roommate before. Well, besides when she was in the army but she didn't count that.

[Delta44]

And the Night Went On...

... Passing Sunday...

... And Suddenly, Monday!

---

Click!

Morning Tunes

Ryoki was already awake. The sun was shining through her curtains in a pristine golden orange colour; birds were singing and chirping, and she was in high spirits, doing a little dance having shut off her alarm before it even went off! This hadn't happened since... well, since Ryoki got the damn thing! The Mochizukki girl had stayed up all night in preparation, and today was the big day.

Today, she was going to make her comeback.

Already Ryoki had sent a message to everyone on her contacts list, asking them to come down to Mochavine if they could spare the time, or tune in on her YouTube channel at around 8:00 with a link provided. Additionally she'd posted a message on BookFace and Chirper, requesting those whom still followed her pages to do the same and spread the word. She didn't expect much in the way of an audience, considering it was early Monday morning and people were obviously busy, however she had to get the message across. After all, she spent all of yesterday and last night working on how she'd do this.

Her apology.

That's essentially what this was, really. It couldn't be called anything else, that was for sure. She wanted to apologise for a lot of things, however the main thing was disappearing for so long without so much as a word to anyone. If she'd sought help from friends and family, this likely would've been resolved a lot sooner, Ryoki knew, yet because she locked herself away she was dragged on a downward spiral that would've only gotten worse. She had to thank her new friend Mimiko and long lost Kyle for getting over herself, though. If even one little thing had happened differently that Saturday morning, she didn't dare want to think just what she'd be doing now...

Buttons pop and zippers zip as Ryoki finishes the final touches on her attire - her favourite white shirt, black skirt, black-yellow scarf combo, with an additional ribbon which she has since learned to tie her hair back with. Although, there's always that stray lock that falls down her face, much to Ryoki's annoyance. Even so, she was getting used to it, as with a lot of things. Giving herself a quick spin, the Raven nods at the mirror approvingly, striking a rather cute pose.

"Alright! Let's do this!"

---

Mochavine was quiet this kind of morning. Arriving as early as 7:04, Ryoki found herself in a practically empty little coffee shop whose opening hour had only just commenced. As per usual on a day where she'd perform, she took a seat at the bar and ordered a simple black coffee, taking care to sip down its contents quickly yet carefully. Sharing a conversation with the barista, she goes over her performance and how she's going to be setting up the same way, as per usual. The barista, however, seems somewhat surprised to hear that Ryoki would only be performing one song, unless she received encore. "I just... well, I feel like it'd be wrong to play any more than I have to, ya know? I need to earn the privilege of playing again from the people; if I chose to do any more than one song, it'd feel wrong. Besides, I'm recording this one and streaming it on the web, so it's not like it's too special, hehe! Plus, there are things I need to get done today - things that I think are needed right about now. Well, maybe not needed, but they're cool!"

The poor barista almost cries at hearing Ryoki's newfound maturity, and the Raven simply smiles and comforts the woman across the bar, earning herself another free drink of hot chocolate, for good luck. Thanking the barista, Ryoki begins setting up the stage for her upcoming act. Thankfully this isn't too hard, considering she only needs to set up a couple speakers, a mic and a camera. Speaking of which, a certain blonde-haired pretty boy carrying a black bag just entered the bar...

"I did as you asked and set their alarm." Kimasu states as he enters the coffee shop, still looking as pristine as ever. "Mother and Father should be waking up in about thirty minutes. I suppose you haven't slept at all, right?" He chuckles as he approaches, taking a seat at the foot of the stage. Ryoki was messing about with one of the speakers, hooking the thing up to her soundboard.

"Hah! Sleep is for the weak!" Exclaims the dark-haired woman, though one could clearly make out the tiredness in her voice alone. "Thanks for everything, Kimasu, really. It means a lot, everything you've done. You bring your camera?"

Kimasu grins and unzips the black bag, producing a high quality camera and camera stand, as well as a laptop and some cords. "You better not break my stuff, Ryoki. This is expensive, you know!"

Ryoki herself giggles as she finally connects the male into his female counterpart, brimming with success. "Yeah yeah, I know, you love your camera. I'll take good care of it. Well, you will, since you're my camera guy."

"Wait, what?"

"Hmm?" Ryoki looks over at her little brother and smiles knowingly, cheekily. "Don't tell me you've forgot? You're my cameraman!"

"Wha- I wasn't informed of this!" Kimasu appears surprised, however Ryoki simply smiles.

"I told you this! Don't you remember~?" She then begins to sulk in her signature fake, cutesy way to get him on side. "Aww... D-did my brother forget about me...~?"

'Curse this stupid sister of mine...' Kimasu thought to himself before returning his attention to her with a smile. "O-of course I remember! I record and stream it through my laptop so people can watch it on the net, right?" His quick deductive skills are rewarded by a very cheerful Ryoki, though Kimasu himself didn't consider it much of a reward. Though he had to admit, seeing her happy like this was much better than seeing her struggle.

"Yay! You remembered! It won't be long, since I'm only performing one song today. You might as well get a drink while you're here, you may need it!" The Mochizukki girl smirks as she makes the final preparations for the stage, that being a stool, her guitar, and the stand which she would be reading the notes and lyrics from. Everything was finally coming together; everything was finally ready. The speakers were set up, the camera was ready to roll, Kimasu was readying his laptop for streaming, and the day was finally getting started...

'I just hope he comes, at least...

[freedomliveson]

"No, it's just that I don't think it would be a wise use of your time to go off and pursue such a strange endeavor."
"It's not STRANGE, Akihiro, it's my PASSION. Isn't that why Dad sent you off to Shine City? To follow your passion? And now look at you, Mister I'mprobablygoingtobeafulltimeprofessorandwillforgethislittlesisterinthedust." Akihiro's ash brown hair bobbed slightly as he chuckled, holding the phone a bit closer to his ear as he made his way past the scant early risers of the city that so desperately wanted to go back to bed. At least, he could only make the assumption, seeing as their slow gait and steaming cups of coffee indicated that the only thing that could shake them from the thoughts of falling asleep would be a rush of caffeine. Thankfully, they were so tired that there were no dirty glares cast his way due to his being on the phone. Not that most cared, but Akihiro didn't want to be one of THOSE guys that was on their phone in public and yammering loudly about their personal business. This was, however, a special call: Azumi, his little sister and consequently the baby of the family, was approaching graduation from high school and was attempting to convince her brother to allow her to stay with him and pursue a dancing career, one which held little to no money and empty promises...or that was how he saw it.
"Zumi, you know that I want you to go after what you're passionate about, but come now, dancing? That's not a guaranteed profession."
"According to a bunch of websites I went to, yes it is! I could be a professional ballet dancer and make oodles of money and make you realize that yes, I can make it in the big time...but I need your help to rub it in your face." Another chuckle came from the graduate assistant, his green eyes looking up to find the sign for the Mochavine coffee shop, his destination.
"Just come visit me, I'll take you around and then we can talk here, ok?"
"Ok, ok...I love you, you big goober."
"I love you too, Zumi. Be good."
"No promises!" He shook his head, entering the cafe and spotting one of the local singers on stage. What was her name again? Was it Raven? He shrugged internally. Maybe after hearing her voice, he could identify her. Until then, he ordered his normal green tea with lemon and made himself comfortable in a small booth near the rear of the shop, yet still allowing him full view of the stage. He sipped his tea, nodding in approval before planting the book he had carried with him on the table. His class wouldn't start for another few hours, so he had some time to prep for the lecture on Assyrian mythology and Mochavine provided a wonderful place for him to focus. As he opened the book, he couldn't help but wonder about the duo he had met a couple of nights ago. Their evening had ended rather abruptly, Sonny and Aya seeming to disappear instantly, so he hoped that they had both found whatever they were looking for. A part of him hoped that Aya would come in, seeing as her striking appearance and mystique was a code he wanted an attempt at cracking. Alas, he doubted that would be the case.

Instead of dwelling on the immediate past, he delved into ancient history, opening his book as he leaned back into the booth.

[SkeankySnack]

A loud yawn escaped his lips, "I try to actually get myself on a decent schedule and look at where it gets me..." Another yawn, 'Fuck me is this gonna be a long day...'. After Saturday night's shenanigans with the drunk white haired man, the bartender and that ass of a friend Jack, Kyle was unfortunately still reeling from a lack of sleep. He tried all day Sunday to work on it, not even having had a drink Saturday to help him sleep through said day with little to no luck. "Instead I helped drag a drunk guy home...guess I can't really complain, though I don't see what issue that Jack guy had with the landlady, I though she was kind of a sweetheart..." Kyle did end up getting quite a scare when the landlady jumped him, probably thinking he was Jack dragging Theo home, but after realizing he was a new face, and fortunately for Kyle's decent manners, she wasn't all too bad.

Now Monday morning, Kyle had gotten himself ready for work much earlier than usual, having been woken up by a text message from Ryoki to watch her perform that morning at the Mochavine. His work didn't start until 9:00 anyway, and he still felt bad about Saturday making her upset, he felt he wanted to make it up to her by at least being there for her comeback performance. So here he was, walking down the street at...well it was getting to 8:00, but he didn't really want to check his phone, he just wanted to live in blissful ignorance, at least for a little longer. That being said, he was smart enough to at least put on some work clothes, just a pair of black slacks with a light grey, pinstriped collared shirt, and of course his glasses, it was practically rule of thumb that all Opticians needed them; even if that wasn't exactly true.

As he neared the cafe, to his great surprise a voice bellowed from behind him and as he turned, he saw his boss walking towards him. "Oh, Mr. Hiroshi, what are you doing here so early this morning?"

The rather large, bespectacled man approached his young apprentice, his burly form and toothy or rather toothless grin shining forth from his face, "Kyle m'boy, I'm always here to get a drink before I open the store on Mondays."

"Sir...don't you think its a little early to be drinking?"

The Japanese Dwarf laughed at Kyle's comeback, clapping him hard on the back as he came closer, "Nah, I save that kind o' drinkin for after work, I just like a good cup of tea from the baristas here, gits the blood flowin." His eyes opened and stared down at Kyle, "But I hafta ask laddie, what brings you here early this mornin'?

Reeling a bit from the clap, Kyle composed himself before answering, "I uh, actually got invited to see my friend perform this morning, its her first time back since..." Kyle stopped himself, unsure of how much his boss actually knew of the events that transpired in January, he certainly wasn't aware of them until the weekend, "I'm actually not sure when since, I just know she was on a long hiatus."

The man's face lit up, "Ya mean the Mochizuki girl? She's performin' taday? I diin't know you were friends with her laddie."

"I wasn't aware you knew of her Mr. Hiroshi."

"Aye," The old man gestured Kyle to go through the door, "I've seen her perform on occasion, but yer right, she certainly did take a long hiatus, its bin' several months since I last saw her," He looked to Kyle questioningly, "Yer friends with her Parker?"

"Well...yea, we hadn't spoken in a long time," He started to enter the cafe, "I actually ran into her this weekend and we were able to catch up a bit." Though he hadn't said it, Kyle wondered if maybe his interaction with her was maybe why she was performing today...well him and that prissy... 'breathe, she's not here' As he stepped inside, he scanned around and saw her, Ryoki, setting up some equipment onstage with another male nearby, he looked rather....something...

Noticing his gaze had shifted, Hiroshi nudged his elbow into Kyle, "Oy, your drink is on me today, what'll ya have?"

"R-really? Well...I guess I'll have an iced coffee, extra cream?"

"Ya got it laddie, go catch up with your friend, I'll meet ya when I got yer drink." With a wink, the dwarf wandered over to the bar to place his order, leaving Kyle to walk over to the stage.

Approaching the stage, one hand in his pocket, he raised his other to get her attention, when he did finally have it he called out to her, "Yo, Ryoki! Thanks for the invite." His smile was bright and beaming, and just judging from both her appearance and from how lively she seemed, it was like whatever veil had covered her that Saturday morning had been lifted. In a way, she looked like that cute, nervous girl from the panel at Shine Con, like she was back to her old self.

@Delta44

[Haeo]

<Snipped quote by Haeo>

Now she headed into the kitchen and looked around, impressed by the care Vern seemed to take in it. First she found a bag of rice, pouring some out into a pot she found, filling the pot with water and began boiling it to make porridge. She took out some salt, pepper, and vinegar, and looked for some light foods like pickled vegetables to go with it. She also took out an egg that she would poach in the porridge right before the porridge was ready.

Shizuak wandered between the kitchen and Vern, alternating between checking up on him and the meal she was preparing.

@Stern Algorithm

A warm touch. A soft sound. Vaguely familiar footfalls coming closer, then drifting away again. His dream was full of these things. They were everywhere. The great stage where he stood, waiting for the spotlight, waiting for the show to begin, was surrounded by a crowd of waiting people. Faceless and silent in the dark, they stood waiting for the show along with him. It seemed like they would wait together forever.

Drip.

Drip drop.

The first few drops of rain soon became a low hiss like steam from a kettle. The stage was covered in water. The crowd dissolved and was replaced by fog that rose and thickened.

It smelled like tea and porridge. A thought in words skated across the mind that couldn't remember their meaning. "I have strange dreams."

Vern's eyes opened. He looked at the ceiling, his ceiling. This was the ceiling that belonged to his bedroom. He didn't remember coming here. His arm felt weird. Oh, it was up. But he couldn't feel his forehead with his hand. Odd. There was something in the way, something warm. A hand that wasn't his?

Memories trickled back into his consciousness. He had been getting tea. He wasn't alone.

"Shizuka?" He whispered, surprised at the weariness in his voice. It almost sounded like it belonged to someone else. He turned his head to make sure. Yep, it looked like he had been put to bed by his pretty employee, probably after dropping on the kitchen floor like a sack of flour. And, he was holding her hand. He must have grabbed it while she was checking his temperature. If he wasn't so numb with fatigue, he would have been horrified. As it was, he just let go and put his arm back down at his side. "Sorry." He whispered. "I was going to make you tea. Some host I've been."

[Stern Algorithm]

Shizuka was surprised when Vern unconsciously put his hand on hers. She watched as he blinked slowly awake. Thinking it would be rude, Shizuka decided not to pull her hand away, though she did start blushing suddenly. When he apologized, Shizuka said, "Don't worry about it, just get some rest." Shizuka got up and headed to the kitchen, coming back soon after with a piping hot bowl of rice porridge. "I hope it's to your liking. Be careful, it's very hot." Shizuka took a scoop and started blowing on it to cool it down, just as her mother had done for her when she had been sick.

Vern sat up suddenly and reached for the bowl. Though there was a slight look of protest in her eyes, Shizuka obliged and handed him the bowl and let him feed himself. Vern felt that he was being a bit more defensive than he should be, he felt vulnerable, more vulnerable than he thought he had a right to be. Though he wouldn't judge anyone else in this way, he chided himself for showing weakness, but mostly for letting himself get to this point. After his scoop of porridge was cool enough, he put it in his mouth. It was a perfectly good and normal porridge. Good and normal in the way that it was so easy to take for granted, to forget that it was good: plain, but good and consistent. Vern had the discernment to appreciate the subtlety and felt its warmth permeate his body when he swallowed. "Thanks. It's good," he said.

Shizuka watched him take a few more bites in silence. She wondered what he had been doing that would push him to such exhaustion; wondered why he was wearing workman's clothes. But she felt that she had overstayed her welcome, and maybe these questions could be better left for another time. Besides, a man's got his pride and his secrets. He was conscious, so the risk of him not waking up no longer existed. He seemed to be recovering quickly too. "There's more in the pot if you're still hungry afterwards," Shizuka said. "I think the rain has stopped, so I should take my leave. Please, get some good rest, and call me if you need anything."

Vern didn't know whether to ask her to stay or let her go. He just remained silent and pondered his current state, though he did squeeze out another, "...thanks..."

As Shizuka stood in his doorway, she looked back, and gave him a gentle smile, "You're welcome," and left.

---

Monday

Shizuka hung up her lab coat. Every morning, she came to check on the status of the animals she was keeping as part of her research assignment. She would have an elective course later in the day, followed by lunch, and another class. She headed towards her classroom. She hadn't made lunch today as she felt like trying what the university had to offer, planning to go to the dining hall nearest the biology building.

[Evil Snowman]

Theodore Maxwell

---

In the darkened apartment a lone figure slept still dressed in the clothes he wore on Saturday night feeling to unwell to be bothered changing, his shoes discarded and stat by the elevator door that had the bars across that stopped welcomed guests entering locked. Theo was sound asleep and had spent most of yesterday sleeping or simply lying in bed, nursing what he called a monster of a hangover. Something Theo wasn't too familiar with given he rarely got them and even when he did they minor at best. This one however put the young man out of commission all of yesterday, the only productive thing Theo doing yesterday was feeding his cats. Now he slept hoping when he awoke he'd be over this hangover and ready and able to go to work, snoring loudly as the alarm clock on his bedside table ticked away waiting for it time to shine.

That time came a 6:37am the alarm clock blaring its horrid noise the filled the apartment within seconds. At first it had no effect but slowly Theo began to stir slowly sitting up. With a groan Theo turned off the alarm, feeling the gaze of two pairs of eyes at the end of his bed.
"Morning my lovely’s. Sorry for waking you, go back to sleep." Theo said to his cats as he climbed out of his bed.
" Agh ... I still feel like crap, I wonder what I drank on Saturday, feels like my stomach has had a hole burned into it." he muttered as he moved into his tiny bathroom. Stripping down Theo placed his clothes in an already full laundry basket, that cried out for someone to empty it. Looking at himself in the mirror, Theo sighed as he still looked crap although the headache had all but gone.
"Oh well, I must of had fun that night. Anyway better start getting for work, gotta up open today." he thought as he made a few funny faces to himself.

Bathing himself Theo got dressed into his work uniform, which was a simple green polo top and pair of black pants, there was an apron included but they were left at work. Dressed Theo set about feeding himself, going for jam on toast with strong cup of coffee. Once his breakfast was ready Theo sat on the couch in front of the TV. Setting his coffee down along with his plate. Theo turned the TV on, the device showing some rerun of some crappy sitcom the station airs. Not feeling bothered enough to look for anything decent to watch, Theo started to consume his breakfast. As he ate he blankly stared at the TV.
"How do people find this crap amusing?" he asked himself in his mind, his mouth to full of toast to speak his thoughts. Quickly eating his breakfast Theo turned off the TV unable to take any more of the crappy sitcom. With his breakfast eaten Theo got up and put his dishes in the sink, the young man starting to hum a random nonsensical tune as he did so.

Given Theo knew he had a little time before he had to go to work Theo thought he’d get a little studying done, feeling motivated enough to get a little done. Sitting down at his small dining table. Theo opened a battered looking messenger bag. Pulling out couple of book Theo bag his task, all the while still humming away to himself. Theo studied until he had just over and an hour and a half before work, packing up his text book with a sigh. With everything packed up, Theo slung the messenger bag over his shoulder. With the bag in tow the young man quickly fed his cats and refilled their water bowl. Knowing his overlords had food and water Theo left his apartment, running into his land lady in the buildings “lobby”.

Theo’s landlady being a fairly tall well-endowed woman, who looked like she was in her early twenty’s. When in matter of fact Theo knew the woman which he knew as Natasha was nearly forty.
“Good morning little Theo. I hope my drunken angel is feeling better. I would have come in and checked on you but you barred the elevator. It almost like you didn’t want me to come and check on you.” Natasha stated to her young tenant, earning and shutter out of Theo.
“What, no I was just worried someone might steal my cats. Morning by the way.” Theo quickly replied sound a little panicked, as the last time he was checked on by Natasha Theo was sure he ended up feeling worse.
“Anyway, I got the number of the young man that brought you home. You know he’s luckily for a moment I thought it was the shit head Jack. He would be dumb enough to come back here, just remind him I’ve got a rusty hatchet with his name on it.” Natasha stated pulling out said hatchet out of nowhere, showing it to Theo with a very sinister look on her face. Theo looking a little worried for a moment as he wondered what Jack had done to her to get her so angry.
“I’ll remind him I promise. Anyway I have to get to work if I’m late my boss with have my head. I’ll see you later.” Theo stated checking the time on his phone.
“Bye bye Theo, here the number for the young man. Make. Sure. You. Call. Him. Or I’ll have to throw you out for the rent you owe me … okay. Now go play or make money or whatever it is you do on a Monday.”

Without saying a word Theo took a scrap of paper his landlady offered him and quickly left, feeling a pair of eyes bore into him as he left the buildings “lobby”. Ducking around the side of the building Theo came to buildings carpark. Walking up to a somewhat old looking small hatchback, Theo sighed another week of work and school had begun. Still it wasn’t all bad at least he was doing something he enjoyed his work. It beat working in a kitchen in some little dingy restaurant, where he was stuck washing dishes most of the time or if he was lucky water in a sickly pot plant. Getting into his car Theo got himself comfortable. Starting it he pulled out of the car park and began his trip to work.

Arrive at work with forty-five minutes to spare, Theo parked behind The Enchanted Florist in what was considered to be the employee parking area. Grabbing his messenger while climbing out of his car. Theo locked his car, by sticking the in it hole and turning it the car making a slightly loud clunk as the cars two doors locked. With that sorted Theo went about unlocking and entering The Enchanted Florist. Once inside Theo check the time and seeing he still had some time before work, began to sweep the floor. Once that was done he checked in on his school project making the daily log of it noting down any changes, no matter how minor they might seem. Once that was done Theo sat set his bag down on a small table in the back room, hoping it would be a quiet morning and he could sneak a little study in. He always tried to do this at work as he found being in a building surround by different plants and flowers made it easier for him to focus. At home there was a lot of temptation to procrastinate and sometimes he wasn’t strong enough to say no to that temptation.

Theo waited until the store opening time of 9am before unlocking the door. Flicking on a small radio that sat under near the cash register, this radio considered to be the shift entrainment. Although Theo thought the customers liked the radio on in the store more than his co-workers. Taking a position behind the register Theo began to dull task waiting. Knowing the owner liked to keep someone front of house at all times to attend to the customers. Meaning was stuck out the front until whoever was rostered to come in an hour or two came in.

[sakurasan]

_{Users: @sakurasan and @Chaotic Chao}

---

---

Late Night at the arcade

"help with that?" she hadn't looked up and her hair was covering most of her face. She glanced at the man and back to the game when he started playing. Mirei followed his hands as well as the screen. Up. Down. Grab the yellow things. Larger orbs make it so that you can eat the... things. Ok. The game was logical enough. She turned to her screen and put in another quarter. Gently taking the joystick in her hand and began moving it around. Up. Up. Down. Down. Down. Right. Left. She grabbed nearly all of the little orbs and finally grabbed one of the larger ones. Then, jerked it back and went after the annoying buggers that were set on killing the... pacman! Ohhh... She finally understood that it was the yellow things name. With that, Mirei ate most of them before retreating back once they started blinking. She quickly went over to the other larger orb in the left corner and went after them again while grabbing the remaining small orbs. Once that was done, it went dark for a moment and she turned to him. "I did it! Right? Ehmm..." Mirei looked down, realizing that she had over exaggerated. "Sorry... First time in an arcade. Thank you!" she said, looking back up and smiling at him.

Jason smiled, "No problem, I'm Jason. But my friends call me Max." When he saw her face, he almost stumbled onto the ground. She was really pretty, why would someone like her be at an arcade? Jason walked to an arcade cabinet that had seats inside of it, with two machine guns attached to it, pointing at the screen. The game was called Mass Destruction apparently, the arcade cabinet art showed pictures of a futuristic city with soldiers shooting at creatures. It seemed pretty new, so he decided to give it to try. Stepping into the arcade cabinet's seat, the start buttons looked like nuclear signs with in futuristic themed text, it said START. He slipped two tokens into the machine. The game started with a loud gunshot,indicating that Jason was now playing the game. He skipped the cut scene and instantly got to blasting mutants. The machine gun pumped back every time he fired, he found that cool and it had a rocket system. But there was limited rockets so he barely used them. This Mass Destruction game was pretty gruesome as well, green blood flying everywhere. Jason held a straight face, trying not to freak out from the gore. Hey, at least it isn't an eyeball and a heart flying everywhere He thought, while unloading at everything on the screen that looked non-human.

"Nice to meet you Jason. My name's Mirei." She watches as he puts the tokens into the other game called "Mass Destruction" it looked pretty simple. Mirei sighed, staring at the gun. Staring at guns made her really want to hold it in her hand. They always had this sort of... relief it would give her. Except when her dad was holding a gun. That wasn't good. But when she held it, something would spark. She would feel as if she was floating on air. A machine gun. A Breda m38. An Italian tank- pattern machine gun. A beaut, that was for sure. It was gas-operated, air-cooled, and magazine fed. But that wasn't what it was. It was just a fake gun. You couldn't hurt anyone with it except the aliens or whatever they were in the game. Not that she wanted to hurt anyone. Looking at the screen, Mirei's expression barely changed as she looked at the green blood that was flying everywhere. That doesn't look clean at all. "You play these often?" she asked, curious how he was so good. Probably took a lot of practice. She wished that she was given the time to learn about these things.

Jason turned his head to face her, with an eyebrow raised, "It's the main reason I come to the arcade." He said, while pumping lead into a mutant boss. Well, virtual lead. The monster had a hard weak spot to shoot, so soon Jason had to use another token. The city in the game was destroyed, and the guns could shoot through buildings and break pillars it was pretty cool. He earned the Flamethrower power up and roasted the monster, it running around in flames screeching. It soon collapsed, then the MISSION COMPLETED screen showed after a cutscene of Player 1 (Jason) driving off on a hover bike. Jason's accuracy was 98% so he had earned a bonus level. It was in Manhattan, on a helicopter with an assault rifle. There was flying ghoul-looking mutants on the screen, they looked actually terrifying even for a 22 year old like Jason, one of them even jump scared Jason on purpose. He kept firing the gun at everything on the screen, then the helicopter crashed, going back to the main missions but sadly without the hover bike sequence. Jason panted, his hands sweaty. Jason then earned the Cryoblast gun, freezing mutated soldiers with guns, and watching them crack into red bloody ice. Jason covered his mouth in shock at the amount of gore when they shattered. Jason's face was now sweated. "Jesus Christ!" He said, his hand still over his mouth.

Mirei's expression turned to curious to worried in a matter of seconds. It was visibly obvious that he was... scared? Maybe that was the right word. Horrified might of fit the bill even better. Mirei watched as he panted and sweated at a rapid rate. "A..." She was about to speak but nothing came out as she waited for him to finish or maybe get better? "Jesus Christ!" Mirei now looked even more worried as she placed a hand on his back and looked at him. "A.. are you alright? You don't look well at all." she said, a sad expression on her face. He was still playing the game but he looked like he was about to be sick. This was scary. She didn't like it when people looked this sick. An image popped into her mind but she quickly shook it off, not allowing it to pass through.

Jason practically dolphin dived out of the arcade machine when he died in the game, panting. He held his stomach, then quickly got up and breathed in and out. "Uuhh...sorry, I don't do well with ...gore." He said standing as far away from that machine as possible.

It wasn't every day that someone was so afraid or simply creeped out with the gore. Especially with a bunch of violence for the sake of violence that apparently entertains people. Mirei was one of the people that didn't like or dislike gore. It all depended on what type of situation. Certain things tend to set her off but... that's on extremely rare occasions.

"Oh... you made me nervous. I thought you were about to faint." she said, a slight relieved sigh escaping her lips. "Well, gore isn't for everyone... it's not too... easy on the eyes." she says, glancing over at the game and back to him.

A time skip to the next morning~

They meet again

Jason walked out of the Tony Snowflake to his car. It was a nice night at work, but he was very tired. He got in his car and brushed his red hair out of his face. If this wasn't a time for a beer, he didn't know what was. Jonas sighed, and brushed his red hair out of his face. He drove off to the nearest bar around town.

Mornings were always dreadful on the night after a late night at work. She pulled herself out of her bed and reached for her phone. 2 calls from Nai and 10 messages. Just texts that informed her about her romantic night. She smiled and puts her phone back down as she gets out an outfit. Work... She wouldn't have to work until about 5 PM today so that was good.

Mirei pulls out a light blue dress that was loose and off the shoulders. She had a light amount of makeup on along with light pink lipgloss which she kept biting off. She then grabbed her bag and was about to leave her apartment when she realized that she had no idea where she wanted to go and that she had no shoes on. Well, she hadn't gone to the bar all that much last night so she might as well get a drink. "At 8am..." She sighed and thought about her choice but in the end decided that she really wanted a cocktail. "Oh well." she muttered, grabbing her keys and heading out. Mirei said her good mornings to the people around her, left the building, and got in her car. She quickly began heading over to the bar.

Jason drove home and got out of his waiter uniform, it was very relaxing to be naked. Wait, the hell, Jay? He asked himself. He's never this loose by himself, and usually felt rather...uncomfortable naked even by himself. He pulled on a grey sweater with a Pac-Man shirt over it. He pulled on his jeans, and pulled his belt on. "What shoes to wear..." He stumbled across his pair of Retro Jordans and pulled 'em on. High tops were always REALLY hard to put on, at least for Jason. But hey, got pay to look good. He ran back to his car and drove to the bar.

After he got out of the car, he sniffed and already smelled the beer, booze, and other types of alcohol. "Hell yeah.." He said smirking, he walked inside. "Hey, can I get some beer. Not too strong, please." The bartender nodded, then poured him a light beer drink. Jason took it and sat down at the table, he didn't like sitting at the bar. Weirdos always sit over there, at least that's what he thinks. He sipped his drink then sat it on the counter,. He really, really needed this.

Finally reaching Mochavine, Mirei stepped out of her ferrari and went into the cafe. She sighed and took a seat on the counter. "Ummm, i'll have a black Russian please." She sets down her bag and puts her elbows on the counter, resting her head on her hands. She smiled when she recieved her drink, whispering a slight thank you and taking a sip. She winced, the strong drink giving her a kick for the morning. Mirei hadn't noticed anyone around her and took another sip out of her drink before letting out a relieved sigh. This was her type of morning.

Jason cleared his throat, this beer was a little tough for him. What a lightweight you are. He told himself he walked back to the bartender. "Another beer, please?" The bartender nodded and handed it to him. Jason sipped it, and letted out a relieved sigh. This was his type of morning.

Mirei closed her eyes and drank some more before tilting her head to the side. She then realized that there was someone that she could recall meeting. Just the night before. "Ah, ummm... Jason, was it?" She asks quietly, pretty sure she was correct.

"..Huh...? Mirei?" He turned his head to the familiar white haired woman he had met at the arcade that other night. He smiled, "Hey. Have you gotten better at games, yet?"
He joked. He then took another sip from his beer, and gulped. Then wiped his itchy nose. He looked at his watch, then looked back at her. "You've been doing well?"

"I...have...Sort of. Not really. A little bit." mumbling as she speaks, not sure of whether she had improved or not. "I've been doing fine." she says, her words a bit slurred. Uh oh. Am I drinking too much?...Nah. She looks down and back at him. "And you?"

"I'm doing great." He sounded a little weird. He couldn't possibly be drunk, so he shrugged it off. He slurped his beer again. "Hey, wanna get out of here?" He asked her, while going back to slurping his beer. He hoped she wasn't thinking that he meant go to his house. He's not looking forward for that, just seeing if she's interest in playing some more arcade games. Now listening to himself, he sounds somewhat like a total douche. He cleared his throat again, his vision was a little weird...Odd.

She hiccuped and smiled. "That's good." she says sweetly, taking another sip out of her drink. "Get out of here?" Mirei thought about it for a while before nodding. "Sure, why not?" with that, Mirei gets up out of her seat. Where are we going? Arcade?? She hiccuped once more and looked at him. "Ah, um. I have a car. Where do you-hic- want to go?" This then processed through her mind and she shook her head. "No good. I drank. We can't drive. Cab?"

"Y-Yeah..Cab.." Jason was trying his best not to hiccup like her. He got up and called a Taxi, and walked outside. "You...coming o-utside or what?" He said, smirking. Don't show that you're lightweight, Jay. You can do it. Soon enough, the Taxi came outside the bar.

"Mmhmm." She wasn't too drunk. Just a few little hiccups and that was about it. Her words weren't as slurred as before so she felt like she had grasped control of herself. Mirei set down some money and walked outside, following behind him. She stepped into the Taxi and allowed him to decide the destination. She wasn't sure if he was headed to the arcade but where else?

"Lancom Arcade, please.." Jonas staggered. And it felt like a minute and they were already there. Jason got out of the Taxi, Jason hiccuped. Damn it, Jay! He told himself. He walked into the Lancom Arcade. He had like 50 bucks on him so they were going to get at least enough credits for the night. This was going to be fun, he wondered what this would lead to.

She followed behind him and got out of the car. Mirei realized that he hadn't payed the taxi driver and gave the guy $60 due to the fact that she didn't realize how much she was giving.
She then quickly went up to him, grabbing his sleeve so that she could keep up. Mirei quickly let go. "My bad.." she said before walking ahead of him. She didn't know how much to give the worker at the arcade and she wasn't sure if the $50 included her so she gave the guy $40, not knowing how much credits that got her.

"Uh..the 50 bucks were for both of us, but okay." Jason grabbed the credits and instantly ran to a game. It was called Invasion, seemed like a 3D version of Space Invaders but cooler. He wondered if Mirei liked this place as much as he liked it. Now he felt bad, dragging to her a place that she possibly may not like. He hoped Mirei was having fun.

"O-oh really? My -hic- bad..." She looked at the game and her eyes widened. It looked different. These games had really good graphics. Not that she could say much with her little knowledge of games. "I'll just watch you play and...maybe try afterwards." she says, smiling sweetly up at him and looking back towards the game.

Jason turned his head and looked back at her, smiling back. He then swerved the space ship and blasted the alien's ship. Soon at one point, he stopped playing was now just walking around looking for something. Time was passing by for him, "Ugh...my head hurts." Yeah, he may be drunk.

She watched as he finished up playing and her eyes followed as he started wandering around. "Hm?" Mirei tilted her head and walked over to him. "A-hic- you alright?" she asks, walking over to him. The drinks were probably kicking in for him now. "Need anything? Maybe -hic- you should rest?" looking up at him with a nervous look even though she was rather drunk as well.

"Y-Yeah..I think we both need to..I'll walk you home..?" Jason noticed that he didn't have any money to pay the Taxi driver for another ride. He wondered if she did.

"Mmhmm, alright." she says, waving goodbye to the worker and exiting the arcade. Taxi taxi taxi... She waited for a taxi before one finally came. "Ah, ummm..." Mirei had forgotten the name for a moment. "Oh! Tower of Takaita!"

Jason laughed like the drunk guy at the moment he was. "N-Nah...that's...that's Taxitata...right?" He said chuckling. He burped, luckily covered his mouth and was not too drunk to not be rude. "E-Excuse me.." Jason cleared his throat.

"R-really?..." Mirei thought about it for a while before shaking her head. "I... don't think -hic- so... i'm not sure. Mr. Taxi, am I correct??" she asks, looking over at the man. He reassures her that it is an actual place and Mirei goes ahead and gets in the cab. "You do-hic- have to come if you don't want to y'know." she says, her words somewhat slurring now. "You can but..." Mirei doesn't finish her sentence and just rests her head on the side of the car.

A Tease

Jason got in the car with her, and burped again. "Excuse me...Gruuh, my breath tastes like alcohol." He leaned on the seat, and hiccuped. "I...I'll come." He said, and nearly damn passed out.

Mirei has her eyes closed as she leans on the window of the car. She sits up all of a sudden and looks out the window. When was she getting there? She looks over towards Jason and wonders what he's thinking about. What was she thinking about? Mirei really didn't know what was going through her mind at the time. All of a sudden, she pulled the collar of his shirt and kissed him. A long one. Drunk Mirei seemed to know what she was doing and went ahead for a french kiss. She then pulled away and smirked. "Beer? Beer's good." she says, licking her lips.

With that, she looks out the window and smiled. "Oh, we're here!" she says, stepping out of the car after handing the man a wad of money.

Jason was surprised. He never expected her to kiss him, especially like that! She even french kissed him. Jason got out of the car too, and was more aware of the situation than he was a few minutes ago. "..Mirei..why did you just kiss me?" He asked her, still shocked. He walked over to her, while walking to her house. "Actually...that as nice." He said.

Could he possibly be in love with a woman he just met yesterday? Eh, not bad for him actually.

"Hm?" she walked towards the building and stopped. "Y'know... I really like beer." she says, smiling as sweetly as ever. "Besides, I guess I just... felt like it?" With that, Mirei continues walking towards her apartment. "Bye Jason." she says, waving at him with a sly smile on her face.

Jason smiled, waving back. He just got kissed, by a hot woman, not to mention she french kissed him. As soon as she couldn't see him when she walked in her apartment, Jason started crypt walking. "Go Jason! Go J. Go Jason!" He then fist pumped the air and walked home.

Man this was going to feel horrible in the morning, but you know what? He may have not gotten laid, but it was still worth it.

[Sarcelle Renard]

At some point it had become Monday. What exactly happened to Sunday, Reiji wasn’t entirely sure as it felt like it had simply flew by in a blur when he got back from The Cornerstone gig. With the exception of Humpty Drunky falling off his seat, the rest of the night had been relatively quiet. Well, maybe it was only quiet relative to his standards, as the redhead wasn’t used to higher end bars like The Cornerstone which frowned upon bar fights and rowdy patrons. But despite its mellow atmosphere, something Reiji generally found stifling, he had found himself enjoying his time there. Enough so that he had told Scott at the end of the night to call him should he ever need a hand again. Either way, he wasn’t too concerned about it, so he picked up his guitar case with one hand and got the door to his apartment with the other.

The sunlight hit his eyes with enough force to make him use his free hand to cover his eyes, although even that didn’t keep him from squinting at the annoyingly bright spectacle. As a full time night owl, it wasn’t like him to greet the morning like this, but today he was leaving his apartment with a purpose. The battered guitar case, which had a faded black color to it and a Spitfires band sticker slapped on, felt much heavier in his hand than he remembered. It had been some time since he had played seriously, and yet still he didn’t feel all that nervous about the audition he had in a few hours. Exhaustion, however, was something that he was feeling quite prominently, so feeding his caffeine addiction was quickly climbing to the top of his to do list. Thankfully he knew a place not too far from his apartment complex that would be all too happy to do just that in exchange for a pretty penny.

On the way down the stairs, he caught a glimpse of one of the most venomous stares he had seen in quite some time waiting for him. The redhead knew that he had an unfortunate tendency to illicit such reactions out of people, but at the moment he didn’t have the foggiest idea what he had done to make the brunette glare at him so. That is until she all but growled a “Watch it,” at him, jumpstarting his memory of the other day that he had almost ran her over all too literally. Naturally, being the mature adult he was, he waited until she was about to pass him on the stairs to purse his lips together and make an exaggerated kissing sound at her, grinning like a jack ass the entire time. The various noises of disgust that came out of her were music to his ears.

-------------------------

The streets of Shine City definitely didn’t have the same charm to them in the morning. ’It’s just so… dead,’ he noted as he compared the hum drum bustle of the morning commuters to the vibrant strides of the night lifers. It was a sad part of the city that he hoped he wouldn’t be getting too familiar with anytime soon, but his thoughts were interrupted by the smell of fluffy goodness and freshly roasted coffee. His nose led him to the shop more so than any other sense of direction he possessed, as it had become keenly attuned to finding things that will either keep him awake or keep him sober. Naturally since Mochavine provided both of these, it was all too easy for him to hone in on the doors that guarded the objects of his present desires.

The doors opened easily and Reiji quickly made his way to the bar that was quickly becoming a familiar sight to him, paying almost no mind to the performance that was being set up around him. Caffeine was on the mind, so until the craving was satisfied little else stood much of a chance at getting his attention. He all but bounced in his seat as the barista brought him a fresh cup of fine roasted black coffee. ”You’re a goddess, thank you,” he told her with a tired smile and a little waggle of his eyebrows. The first taste of the bitter brew caused a small sigh of relief to escape him. And now that all was well in the world again, his surroundings finally had a chance to register in his sleep deprived noodle.

It looked like a small show was being put together, with a black haired woman standing in the center of it all. He wasn’t sure what to make of her just yet, but between the speakers and the blonde hair guy setting up a camera, it seemed like he was in for a treat. After a moment, he recognized Four-eyes from Saturday, but between him going up to get the artist’s attention and his cup demanding to be emptied, Reiji didn’t feel all that inclined to introduce himself properly just yet. With his eyes briefly glancing at his own guitar next to him, the redhead couldn’t help but wonder if he was finally going to get the chance to play in front of a crowd himself. The thought got shrugged off as he took another sip of his addictive beverage, as he busied himself with becoming more interested in what kind of music he was about to be audience to.