Takashi

Shine City II: The Next Season

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

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

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

@Delta44

Shine City II: The Next Season

This has been quite an interesting round of posts... Let the love triangles commence!

Shine City II: The Next Season

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

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

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

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

@Delta44

Knight and Dragon: A Clash of Wills (EmptyArmor vs. Takashi)

Just letting you know, I plan on getting a post up tomorrow.

Shine City II: The Next Season

@Daxam Did youtube have anything to do with it?

Shine City II: The Next Season

@MyCatGinger *sighs* If only I was that smooth irl. But I suppose having several hours to think of a good response is an advantage only afforded in the realm of roleplaying.

Shine City II: The Next Season

@clocktowerechos Yutaro would probably fall for a trap hook line and sinker. Let the hilarity ensue...

Shine City II: The Next Season

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

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

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

@Delta44

Shine City II: The Next Season

@Oz Have you tried the Riccola honey herb drops? Those usually help me stop coughing for as long as I'm sucking on them. Good for a moment of temporary relief.

Shine City II: The Next Season

@LovelyAnastasia It's funny. When everybody was posting that, I was like "wait, didn't she say she was a florist." lol.