Infinite Cosmos

Rosefell High.

>>Lets do this party right, goddammit!<<

The rest of his days at school for the week was rather uneventful. Teachers passed out syllabuses, talked about expectations, rules, and goals or whatever. Typical first week shit. Classes were just as boring. Sure, he has friends in his classes, but Rich, despite his shortcomings if you can call them that, actually pays attention in class. At least for the most part. Blame it on the Asian parents.

All the while all he was thinking of was JK Moore's candy shop. No not like that you sick bastard. Her business. Oh god, no, wait. Her...goods? Fuck, there is no rescuing this. Anyways. All Rich was thinking about during class was getting in touch... with JK, the party that weekend, and what other shenanigans him and his friends will inevitably get into for the rest of the year. He had received a message from Aria about using the sound system in his car to supply the music to their little lakeside shindig, and of course he agreed. After all, what is a party if there isn't good music? Aria mentioned having a playlist ready, but Rich still made a list in case Aria's music choice wasn't fitting for whatever reason. And also for when the night inevitably gets late and people starts to get more and more sufficiently 'lubricated' and have thoughts of more...explicit activities.

His outfit of the evening was...eccentric, to say the least. All white everything, shades at night, gold plated chain. A typical Rich look. On his drive over towards the lake, he had a bottle of mysterious liquid sitting in one of the cup holder in the front seat. The contents of which one has to taste to find out.

Arriving by the lakeside, Rich did not immediately spot anyone he readily recognized or wants to immediately strike up a conversation with. He parked his car somewhere around the main gathering area so that the music can be heard throughout the party. He turned his lights off to not take away from the burning wood aesthetic. He noted the presence of one Jordan Ross. "Awww shit, here we go again" was the first thought that slipped in and out of his mind. Wherever there is a large gathering of people, one can always count on the presence of Jordan. The gossip queen of Rosefell.

Taking out his phone, he clicked open the Knight's group message. -I'm the first one here, again. Where are the rest of ya'sssss? and yo, is Missy coming? I just think it would be a good place to start something you know?- Sending the message, Rich tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and took a sip from the bottle. Following a small cringe caused by the contents of the bottle, Rich idly scrolled social media and reddit to pass the time while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

>>'What have I done....' No direct interactions, however thoughts of Vika still obviously lingering.

---

Ryan walked. Slowly. Deliberately. Down the street towards his parked Vespa. What was a short walk not an hour prior seemed like a marathon to him currently. Breathing steadily, the effects of whatever ungodly concoctions he took down was starting to wear off, if not lingering slightly still. Ryan would occasionally look up into the starry skies and let out a sigh.

Why? Why did he do what he did? What came over him? She is taken, for all intents and purposes, to him. What was that kiss? Was it a spur-of-the-moment, drunken, mistake? Or did he mean more to it than he would let others believe? Looking at his watch, it was late, but not so late that he needs to get home. He glanced at the date. His 'sabbatical' was fast coming to an end. Restaurant needs to be started back up. After all, it is what he did best anyways. It always seemed like his life's calling, for him to own his own establishment.

As he walked down the street, he dug out his pair of AirPods and pushed them into his ears. A random list of songs appeared on YouTube for him. Sure his Mandarin isn't the greatest nowadays, but he still understood enough of the lyrics to get pulled into their feelings. Upon reaching his Vespa, he took out his helmet but did not start the vehicle. Instead, he hung the helmet on the rear view mirror, and simply sat on the moped. The songs played one after another, dragging him deeper and deeper into a mix of sadness, despair, anger, and confusion.

Next, Ryan did something even more unthinkable. He got up from his seat and opened it again, rummaging through the contents held below it. Digging out a dusty lighter and a pack of half-crushed clove cigarettes, he took one out, stuck it between his lips and lit it. Taking a deep drag and letting the smoke and scents fill his lungs, he exhaled. Taking a shallow breath, he pinched the cigarette between his index and middle finger before letting out another long breath. He brushed his hair back with his left hand and looked up in the sky again.

Pondering, wondering, disappearing.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

>>Sobering.@PrinceAlexus@Otterpop

---

Well, that woke him up a bit from his drunken haze. Sure, Ryan has had more than his fair share of drinks tonight. But, to be called a jerk shook him a bit. As he finished his words with Vika, he leaned back to look at Manami, noticing her physical appearance more this time around. He has definitely seen her somewhere. In his current state, he was not able to pinpoint where.

"Ah. Miss Manami, I did not mean to assume. I apologize for my assumptions." He was trying a lot harder, perhaps even a little too hard, to speak properly now. "If you would give me the chance, I would like to apologize in the best way I know how. I'm a cook, by trade, so if you would give me the honor I can have something simple prepared for you at my humble restaurant..."
Now he is just babbling on too much.

Taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts a bit. He turned back to Vika. "What you want. You say that a lot but never really let your true intentions or desires show. Whether that is because of your family heritage and its implications or just for your own vanity I cannot tell you. But, one of these days you've got to let loose. Pregnant or not."

With a soft shrug and a gently roll of his neck, Ryan softly addressed both woman. "I can see that I've interrupted a rather nice evening for you two, for that I again apologize. Hopefully I get the chance to make things right by the both of you. With that. I bid you two farewell. Ms. Manami, if you wish to grace my restaurant with your presence, Vika--Uh-- Ms. Victoria can point you in the right direction." With that, Ryan stood and lingered for a moment.

Then he leaned in and gave Vika a soft kiss on the lips before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

How is that for timid.

Rosefell High.

>>Bored out of his mind<<

His phone pinged several times. Probably from the Knights in their group chat. Making his way down from the top of the bleachers after his rather...unsavory...conversation with Sage, Rich idly glanced at his phone. The twins are running late, Sam is around the assembly somewhere, and Artie called himself Red Leader. That last comment elicited a audible chortle from Rich. Replying quickly before finding a row of seats that would have accommodated the rest of the Knights, Rich sent a message back into the group

- Red Leader? Fuck off Artie lol. But yeah, I got us all seats. Come and join us in this boring ass assembly. Henderson is going on about some class stuff. Football team has try outs next week. Should I finally try? -

Scanning around the mostly faceless crowd, Rich started noticing some familiar faces. The Thorns are coming in, the Knights are filtering in, Lana, Elijah, Minty, Aria from before. Looks like the Avengers were truly assembling the way people popped out of the woodwork. Daydreaming has taken over his attention span and his bored expression was one of epic proportions. Principle Henderson mentioned some budget cuts for different programs. Luckily, Rich isn't into any of those things. He just wants to make an grand exit to his last year of high school After all, everyone always says that high school was the best years of their lives. His previous three years were good, in an unspectacular way anyways. Rumors about all of his mates swirled and spun in and out of control. Nothing really involved him. Matter of fact, if he wasn't a Knight, one can say he would have led a pretty normal, if not boring, high school career.

Scooting closer to Daze and Sam, Rich replied, "I know, for real. Why do we need Home Ec. this early in our lives anyways? Its not like I have a baby on the way or anything like that. But yeah, the football team bit. I'm thinking about maybe trying out. I wonder how I would do. Nah, I wonder what my schedule is too. If I'm not in class with at least one of you all day, I'm gonna be big sad."
Blatantly taking out his phone, he flipped through the strings of messages he has. There was one person he wanted to contact through a quick message. JK Moore. Swiping up slightly, he opened up their message thread and sent her a quick text,

- J, is your shop open? I'm in need lol -

Plopping his phone back on his lap, he spoke in a more indoor-appropriate voice to Sam, Daze and whichever Knight was nearby "So, that party this weekend, who is bring the party favors? and who is all going? We need to kick the year off with bang bro" Turning to Min Jun, Rich said "And hyung, what was your count this summer? I think I might have you beat, or at least I'll catch up after the party..." Rich chuckled. Of course, he is exaggerating. He literally did fuck all this summer. His parents were harping on him to get his college applications in line. Going to THE Ohio State University was always a stretch, but Rich applied anyways. Maybe they need to fill their minority quota or something. He also applied to Ohio University, Loyola Chicago, and a couple of schools in Minnesota. He isn't going any further North than the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Its far too cold up there already.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

>>Prince Fumbling, rather than charming- Vika@PrinceAlexus. Hey gurrrrrrlllll- @Otterpop -Ryan is acting like Sakata Gintoki, if you're familiar.-

---

Hicc

"Hey, Mannnahh-mi. Konbannn~wa. Watashi wa Kobayashi Satoshi. Genki desuuuu kahhh?"

Ryan did his best there, ok? He was properly drunk by now. He wracked his brain for the remnants of Japanese, fro what seemed to be like a past life at this point. Whether or not Manami reciprocates is of minor importance to Ryan currently.

Hicc

"Nah. I'll handle your mans drunk or not. I just want my questions answered..."

Ryan pulled back slightly at the peck on the cheek. Was it just friendly? Was it a typical European thing? Or was it more? The alcohol coursing through Ryan's brain is leaning towards the last option. But, his inhuman self control and inhibition is holding him back. Offering the bartender his best 'I'm sober, get me a beer' look, he reached out and grabbed the malted beverage and taking a sip. As the drink settled, he continued

"Yeah, you're a grown woman alright." Hicc "Sorry Maaaanami-chuan, I need to steal your friend for a second."

Ryan leaned in, and did something unthinkable.

He spoke softly to Vika and said "I'm not as drunk as I seem. And your man isn't as present as you're making it sound...That peck on the cheek, friendly and European as it might seem, please refrain from that. I don't need to have my feelings messed with anymore than it already has..."

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

>>Prince Fumbling, rather than charming- Vika@PrinceAlexus. Being a general buffoon- @KatKook Being friendly- @Allycat

---

Being dragged along was not something Ryan had planned for his evening. In any case, he was moving towards a spot that served good drinks, cheaply. Not that money was an issue, but Ryan can be frugal if the occasion is right.

Says the guy that drives a McLaren P1 from time to time.

Entering the stall, Ryan took a seat and ordered to the bartender, who just so happened to be free "Yeah, I'll take two shots of Don Julio, reposado preferably, otherwise whatever you have. Also, the first round for these two are on my tab. Thanks" Ryan said, gesturing to Tao and Elise. The bartender brought up Ryan's two shots and waited for the other two to order their drinks. Ryan needed the two shots. Fuck, for what he just did? He was nervous, annoyed, disturbed, and filled with gusto, all at the same time.

After slamming down the two shots of tequila, Ryan again called out to the bartender "Oh yeah, I'll take a Long Island Iced Tea, after these two gives you their orders." Ryan drew in a deep breath through his nostrils, the familiar, yet soothing burn of the tequila warming his chest.

"So, if Elise here is a stranger to you, why was she on kneeling on the ground, wiping your face? And what brings you two out here, especially this evening? Elise, its not possible you're single, right?" Ryan said, feeling some sort of courage well up from inside his belly.

Damn, was it really that quick? The two shots of tequila already at work, distorting his sense of what is appropriate and what isn't. This isn't how Ryan usually is. He is much more reserved and considerate, under normal circumstances. But, tonight, he was drinking as if he wanted to be drunk, and not behave responsibly as an adult. The business was on its usual hiatus, and Ryan did not have a care in the world.

Well, that isn't entirely true...

His phone buzzed, while he was waiting for Elise and Tao to order or respond to him, or both. He picked up his phone to see what happened. It was, of course, a reply from Vika. Ryan read it, drawing in yet another deep breath through his nostrils, and started formulating a response.

-That. Is about as official an response I could have gotten. You were hacked, through multiple layers of cyber security. My question is, for a woman of your stature and intelligence, why was your intimate moment being recorded and made available for broadcast anyways? Fucking hell. Well, how do I know? A body guard never seems to be far from you anyways. Yeah. I want to talk. I'll be over presently.-

Ryan sent this message without hesitation. Digging in his wallet, he fished out two business cards for his restaurant and scribbled his cell phone number on the back of them and handed one to Elise and one to Tao. "Hey, I'm sorry. I have a...pressing matter to attend to. My number is on the back of the card, come by the restaurant, I'll make it up to you two. Maybe next time it could be an official date..." Ryan said, chuckling and giving a wink to Tao. "It was nice meeting you two, and again I'm sorry for runnin' into ya" He said to Elise. Reaching back in his wallet, he took out a neatly folded $100 note and left it for the bartender. "Their first drinks are on me, the rest is tip after you close out my tab, thanks man." He gave the bartender a small nod before exiting the back and making his way towards Vika.

What was he going to say when he sees her? How would he act? Shit, matter of fact, he should have a few glasses of sake before he approaches her. Making that a priority, he stops by another bar, takes down two Long Island Iced Teas, pays for them and exits. All in all, it took Ryan a good 20 minutes to get to Vika.

Damn. Two Long Island Iced Teas in 20 minutes is...not ideal. Ryan would come to realize the next morning. For now, he presses on, entering the ramen shop.

Scanning the crowd, he spots Vika, sitting with some other woman already. He blinks and slightly stumbles before he approaches.

"Vika, why? Why are you here alone? Where is your mans?" His speech is obviously impaired, compared to how he normally talks. Sitting down, Ryan smell of hints of alcohol, mixed with the cologne he dabbed on earlier that day. "He should be here. Taking care of you.." Ryan mumbled on.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

>>Stirring the pot- Vika@PrinceAlexus. Being a general buffoon @KatKook More surpirses, just for you @Pilatus

---

After regaining his footing, Ryan quickly got up and straightened himself out. "I apologize for being so absentminded. Are you two alright?" He asked, seeing as the other...boy?... helped the girl up. "I'm fine. Again, sorry for bumping into the two of you. Hopefully I didn't disturb a moment. It is in the air after all..." Ryan chuckled, trying to defuse the tension.

"Uh. My name is Ryan. Ryan woods. and you two are...?" He said, waiting for their names. He can't go on calling him guy one and her girl one for the rest of the night, could he? It would keep things simple, but it would just be rude to do so. Ryan shuffled over, gesturing to the bench the other male was already sitting one, offering the girl to sit. "No, I wouldn't say that it is my first time out. I usually am working this time of day, though. So, I don't get out much." He said, trying to keep his profession out of his mouth as per usual. "What about you? You get out much?"

Here he goes. Starting to stumble over his words. There definitely are better opener than 'You get out much?'. Just what in the hell was he doing, he thought to himself. Then the second thought crept in. Why did he care so much? He had only met these two. Sure, he bumped into her, and nearly knocked her over. But, she is good, he is good, no harm, no foul. Typically, people would have just dusted themselves off and went on with their days. What was he doing still just awkwardly hanging around?... Could it be the atmosphere? Could it be the meaning to the event? Was love really in the air tonight, or something? Or perhaps he had set himself up when he decided to not be a hermit on his rare days off and venture out of his house. Fate has a funny way to toying with you, he always believed. Ryan was a believer in cosmic karma, what goes around comes back around and all that.

Now he is sweating, slightly. The weather was still cool, but he was nervous. Shit, he was more at ease cooking for the Führer de Gourmet just last weekend. A small interaction with two strangers was freaking him out. Or maybe its because he sent a rather...risky...text to Vika just moments ago. To which he knew she had replied. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He hadn't checked the contents of that message yet. He doesn't know if he wants to either. In any case, back to the situation at hand. For some reason, Ryan had thoughts of 'either this guy leaves this girl or I'll have to'. He tried his best to read the body language between the two in front of him to gauge their involvement with each other. Judging by the fact that they didn't just shuffle off right away, Ryan made the bold guess that they're not here on a date.

'So you're saying there is a chance...?' Ryan thought. Wait. Why? Why did he think that? If he wasn't in public, he would have shook his head to try to get rid of the thought. What is happening. Why was he behaving like this? Where is the calm and collected Kobayashi Satoshi, sushi chef? Where is this little teenaged Ryan woods coming from...

As there was a brief moment between the two of them, Ryan did his best to speed read Vika's message.

Ahhh shit. Well... She responded alright.

Formulating a response, Ryan tried to dissect the message. He wants to probe further. He is going to probe further. Fuck it. He was already in deep anyways. Whats another message to possible ruin whatever there could have been with Vika?

Speaking to the two in front of him, Ryan said "Please excuse me for just a moment. For my rudeness, first round of drinks are on me, just pick the spot and we'll go." As he finished his sentence, he looked back down on his phone to start his reply to Vika

-Well. Never mind about the body guards. I don't care about that. Unsecured line. I don't think anyone is tapping my phone. And thats not a thought a nor...-

Ryan paused. Thinking about his next words, he deletes some letters.

-Thats not something that just comes into mind unless you're in that field. Nevermind all that. A story for the media. Is that all you take me for? Some rank media sleuth, out here to get the latest scoop on Victoria Romus? What a ridiculous notion. I asked because I cared. Someone with your pedigree and background, the father to your children should be around constantly, making sure you want for nothing. I mean, for fuck sakes, given your reluctance to talk about it, I would even go as far as to call it something along the lines of him hitting it and quitting it. Feel free to correct me. Matter of fact, feel free to send Charles or whoever to collect me. Seeing as we're both in Light Lane. If you want to continue in person that is-

Ryan looked back as his message. Why was he being so harsh? His word choice was much more direct than how he usually speaks. Where is the courage or boldness coming from? He hasn't been drinking, and not that he was a brave drunk anyways. His thumb hovered over the send button once again. This time, with less hesitation, he tapped on the button and sent the message on it way. There was no turning back now.

Fuck, now he really wants that drink. Who the hell was he to suggest that Vika was the subject of some guy railin' and bailin'? God dammit.

Looking back at the two in front of him, he cleared his throat. "So uh, yeah, that round of drinks?" He said, feigning a smile.

What was he truly after. The twenty-three year old, potentially single mother? Or just the company of some strangers...?

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

>>Stirring the pot- Vika@PrinceAlexus. Distracting- Elise@KatKook I have a surprise in the post, just for you @Pilatus

---

Ryan checked his phone. No replies from Joel Nicolosi. It is to be expected. The man is probably busy. Besides, whatever car troubles he was having could wait. He simply would take a different vehicle as his mode of transportation. Sitting in his living room, with his restaurant still on a 'hiatus' or sabbatical, however one would call it, Ryan flipped through the newspaper, idly catching up on the news du jour.

"Ah. So there is some sort of city-sponsored dating event..." he thought to himself before looking up at his surroundings. Modern, simplistic decor adorned his apartment. Grey and neutral tones with minimal decorations, some succulents, a few accent pieces with looks that betrayed their retail price. Overall, a very 'city-living'-esque way one would appoint their living space. "I suppose I should try my hands at this whole dating thing... Mom and dad... I mean...hopefully if something pans out they can relax for a bit with the whole grandkids thing..." Ryan thought to himself again, sighing softly.

Through the Sonos speakers he has littered around his living space, a song came up. Ryan chuckled. He liked the song. It put him in a mood. Looking out at the afternoon sun and his slightly warm chai. He started to form ideas for the night.

First, a stroll through Light Lane to see if he bumps into any familiar faces and possible make some new friends. Then, if things decides to carry on, transition himself over to The Pit to dance and drink the night away. Sounds like a good plan, at least in his mind. The actual execution thought, that remains to be seen. In any case, Ryan decidedly needs to change out of his loungewear of Nike joggers, plain grey t-shirt and house slippers. His apartment is tidy enough should people get invited back so he isn't too worried about that. Sliding open his walk-in closet, he looked at the rows of neatly hung shirts and pressed slacks. Shrugging slightly, he chose a pair dark stonewashed denim that fit more on the skinny side, a simple grey t-shirt layered with a similarly grey Irish fisherman's sweater. As for the only accessory he wears, he chose a simple Tissot with blue dials and matching blue straps. Shoes. Now how does he finish up his ensemble? He glanced at his shoe rack, noticing various sneakers and other comfortable shoes. Hmm. Perhaps a pair of grey derby dress shoes for that smart casual look. Fair enough. Given the seasonality of things, he thinks his current outfit should be fine. Dabbing on some light cologne, he checked himself out in front of his floor-length mirror, tugging at his top to straighten it out, he grabbed his riding helmet and made his way downstairs.

Hopping on his Vespa, he made his way down towards Light Lane. Before he starting going, he shook his head slightly. His vespa had the bad fortune of receiving its plate numbered 'PFP-069'. Ryan sighed. Not only is a vespa already the butt of many jokes, but now his plate as well? One of these these days he'll get it changed. Regardless, he made his way down to Light Lane.

Along the way, he spots a purple Bentley. "Ah, interesting. Vika is here somewhere...though...given her current state..." Several questions popped into his mind. He parked his ride near the 'start' of the street and reached for his phone, sending a message to Vika

-Hey, its Ryan. I noticed your car. Its kind of hard not to notice anyways. So, I've had some questions for you for a little bit now. Feel free to answer, but don't feel pressured to. I've seen you at several different places now, always accompanied by your sister or a bodyguard. But never the father to your child... Why is that...?-

Ryan hesitated. His thumb hovered over the backspace tile. Drawing in a quick breath, his thumb moved up slightly and hit the send button instead. Whats the worst that can happen? She tells him she doesn't want to talk about it? Psh.

In any case, he took off his helmet, locked it in the under-seat compartment and walked away.

Walking around, he took in the lights, sights, and sounds of the city. It sure was lively. There were people walking about, mostly couples. Food was being sold and enjoyed. Drinks were being had responsibly. And. There was a girl dabbing what looked like an alcohol wipe on a man's face. Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. "I wonder what happened there..." He was still a good distance away from that odd interaction but he could feel the crowd packing into the tight street. Ryan did his best to follow in the same direction of the crowd but people would stop and start erratically. Ryan of course did his best to follow along with the flow but the occasional bumping into and stepping on of others were bound to happen. Before he knew it, he was dangerously close to the woman dabbing the wipes from earlier. Being unable to stop, he bumps into her rather hard and nearly stumbles over, almost taking her with him. At the last moment, he regained his balance and reached out an arm in case the woman was to fall...

Name Change Request!

Can I go from Killbox to Infinite Cosmos

Thank you!

Rosefell High.

>>Texting the Knights, getting the school year started. @HaleyTheRandom@Hey Im Jordan@Pyxis@ayzrules@KZOMBI3@spooner@Bee

The alarm goes off. Rich rolls over and checks the time. "Eh. Its 8 am already...? Shit, I guess I gotta go get ready for school..." With an audible 'Hng', Rich got out of bed and dragged himself into the bathroom to get ready. There wasn't anyone else at home at this point in the day to take up the precious real estate so Rich had the whole room to himself. Of course, Rich was just being dramatic, calling it 8 am. In reality it is closer to 7:30 than 8. He had plenty of time to get himself ready, but it never seems to be enough anyways.

Walking out of the bathroom, hair as unkempt as ever, Rich half stumbles back into his room to pick out his outfit. "What is the OOTD then? Its the first day after all." He did a quick scan of his closet and dresser drawer. The outfit he chose consisted of skinny, dark denim, a colorful t-shirt with geometric block patterns, and of course some sunglasses with red lenses. Rich then glanced over to a corner of his room. His old, black, Jansport was just sitting there, zipper undone. "Backpack, nah. Fanny pack, yes." He whispered to himself. Clipping on his fanny pack, containing pens, his cell phone, and other teen necessities, Rich slipped on his white Chuck Taylors and hopping in his car, at exactly 8 am...

Pulling into the parking lot, Rich chuckled to himself, watching the 'rat race' of students filtering into the school. They may be freshman, or seniors. It didn't matter. In Rich's eyes, him and his friends ran the school, and being a senior he is definitely going to walk the halls as if that was a fact. Grabbing the red bull he had taking previously from his family restaurant, he turned his car off and stepped out. "Ah. The nerdy one is already here. Damn." Rich said, a wispy chuckle followed as he made his approach towards the school.

Just as he approached Aria, the school PA system come on with a screech. The principle announced that everyone had to pack themselves into the auditorium like sardines for the welcome back assembly. Great. Sighing, Rich said "Well. Good morning Aria, I guess we'll have to chat more after this stupid ass assembly. I'll see you around." Rich turned and waved slightly as he walked away.

"Well, lets get this year on the road then..." He reached for his phone and sent the Knights a message in their group chat

-Yo, you guys in school yet? Apparently we have this assembly or whatever...-