<@Kyon> [Date: October 10, 2003] <@Kyon> [Time: 6:00 PM] <@Kyon> [The Kurobayashi Hotel's Japanese restaurant is said to be among the best traditional fare in the city, and it has the price tag and dress code to match. Getting a reservation can be hard without connections, but fortunately, Sorata Nozomu is a connected man, and so getting in is not a problem.] <@Kyon> [The parents aren't at the table yet, but the other couple of the day is, with menus and cups of green tea at hand. They have a nice view of the Imperial Gardens from their table!] <@Kyon> [Mini start!] (How long do you want us to give you before showing up?) 01 (Are we stuck kneeling here, or are there chairs? ^^) <@Kyon> (Maybe 5-10 minutes?) 01 (Yeah, just let us establish ourselves and then you can crash the party.) 01 (This is a mini about party crashers, after all.) (Hokay, I'm going to go make a hotdog so I don't get hungry watching the chars eat.) <@Kyon> (Let us say tables? It is a hotel; they have tatami space, but the connections didn't get him that far.) <@Kyon> (So chairs, then.) 01 (YES. I mean, too bad.) (it's a session that starts around food at a restaurant. This is how we know it's Arcana) 01 (Hey, the graduation thing did not start around food. Though it ended up being completely around food so uh.) <@Kyon> (That's life! Social-ness is about food times.) 06* @Kyon glances towards the door impatiently, and then at his menu. He's in a nice black pinstriped suit, with a light grey shirt and dark orange tie. Then he sips at his tea. 06* Katie is there, since this meeting is pretty much about her, and staring at the menu in her right hand while spinning her teacup with her left. She's dressed nicely, especially for her: a blue blouse, black skirt, and a lighter blue, slightly shimmery decorative scarf around her neck. Even nice shoes! 06* @Kyon glances over her way, and thus at the view. "Not like them to be late." 06* Katie keeps staring at the menu; it's not like her *not* to look out the window. "They're not that late." Her eyes flick to one side, to the watch on her wrist. "Give them another five." She speaks softly, and her voice has a slightly raspy quality to it. 06* @Kyon nods quickly, and sets the menu down on the table. "Right. Another five." He glances at her sidewise again. "You're going to be fine." 06* Katie turns her attention to her teacup, which she's spinning to no end. "I know, I know." 01 It's still a little completely scary. 06* @Kyon snorts, and rests a hand very lightly on her forearm. "" 06* Katie eyes Kyon for a moment, then switches to English as well. "" 06* @Kyon considers this for a beat. "" 06* Katie smiles a little. "" She glances at her watch. 6:05. 06* @Kyon smirks. "" He tries not to look at his watch, too. 01 (You guys want to come in about now? I'll have Katie give the warning. She can hear it.) (I'm going to let my husband take the initiative, as is proper ^_~) 01 (Apparently I psychiced the arrival.) (Hey, Moti's the one who said to give you five min) 06* Katie stops turning the teacup, gripping it a little harder than strictly necessary. "" she tells Kyon, forcing calm into her voice. 06* @Kyon glances towards the door, and slips back into Japanese. "Good. Just remember. You're going to be fine." He takes his hand off her arm, and rests it on his lap. 06* Nozomu is a middle aged Japanese buisness type, quite thin with greying hair and a pained look on his face. He's wearing an expensive tailored suit and is following a waitress to the table. 06* Katie watches Kyon remove his hand, then sips her tea as Mr. and Mrs. Sorata approach. 06* Tomoe follows. She wears a lavender-and-grey kimono and her dark hair is generously streaked with grey at the temples; her hair is swept up simply, and her make-up minimal but expertly applied. Her expression is stern and just a little sour. 06* @Kyon stands to bow to the pair of them briefly. "Was just starting to worry." 06* Nozomu bows in return. "I was simply being reminded that there is no such thing as a vacation." 06* @Kyon smirks. "Not for you." 06* Katie looks up, taking the pair in with a glance. She tries not to look surprised at the kimono... and then Kyon stands and bows, and she briefly panics. Is she supposed to stand and bow, too? 06* Tomoe certainly does bow, primly. 06* @Kyon turns a little to face Katie more, and gestures to her briefly. "This is Katie. Katie Andrews. My girlfriend." 06* Katie scoots her chair out and stands, bowing. "It's very nice to finally meet you." She straightens and smiles a little; strangely, she doesn't seem to be looking directly at either of the Soratas, though she is looking in their direction. 06* Nozomu smiles every so breifly as she gets the hint and bows back, shallower than he gave for his son. "The pleasure is all ours." 01 (How tall is Nozomu?) (Probably a bit shorter than Kyon.) 06* Tomoe gives Katie a short bow as well. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." <@Kyon> (I agree; not quite as tall as Kyon, but on the tall side.) (Was I wrong to think that Kyon would be introducing his parents to Katie?) 01 (I'm PRETTY SURE I know which one of you is which.) <@Kyon> (I can do it!) 01 (But yeah. XD) 06* @Kyon turns from Katie, and gestures to each of them. "Katie, these are my parents. Sorata Nozomu and Tomoe." As you'd guessed. 06* Katie nods, looking for a cue if she needs to bow again, but that really seems somewhat excessive. 06* @Kyon settles back into his seat, so that's a cue. 06* Katie sits as well, then, and immediately starts turning her teacup. 06* Nozomu takes his own seat. 06* Tomoe gives this cup-turning a brief glance. Hm. And sits as well. (JUDGING YOU Katie) 06* @Kyon takes up his menu again. "You eaten here before, Father?" 06* Katie catches the glance out of the corner of her eye and stops, bringing her cup up for a sip. 06* Nozomu nods. "Several times. It has well earned its reputation." He goes on to recomend a few dishes. (As his player totally blanks on things he was looking up fifteen minutes ago and then closed the tab.) 06* Katie sets her cup down and settles her hands into her lap, where she can play with the button on her sleeve mostly in peace. 06* Tomoe inspects the menu. She might sit a little extra-straight and extra- still, to give an example or proper decorum to fidgety Katie. *of 06* @Kyon nods quickly and looks over the menu at the dishes being recommended. <@Kyon> Do we share dishes here? (*scrolls up, looks at the description, ponders.) 06* Tomoe picks something, then places her menu down and smiles a little bit at Katie. Time to break the ice with this poor thing, she's scared as a mouse. "Do you like Japanese food?" Yes, although the portions might seem small. 06* Nozomu glances at Katie. 06* @Kyon nods quickly to his father's reply, and takes up his teacup. He doesn't look at Katie - no pressure! 06* Nozomu rubs the bridge of his nose and then focuses on Kyon. "Have you started your college classes yet?" 06* Katie looks up. "Generally, yes." Pause, then, "When Mom decides to cook, it's usually Japanese food. So I've been eating it since before I moved here." 06* Katie doesn't quite look at Tomoe, but it's clear she's addressing her. 06* @Kyon thins his lips, and nods quickly. "When I'm not with the team. Lectures get recorded for me, so I can listen on the road." 06* Tomoe nods! "From what area is your mother?" 06* Tomoe the implication that Katie's mother infrequently cooks for the family is not lost on Tomoe. (Durr... well assume there's no weird Tomoe redundancy there) 06* Katie plays with her button. "Not too far out of the city. One of the reasons we moved here was so she could be closer to her family." 01 (Consider it assumed.) <@Kyon> (Yep, it's fine.) 06* Nozomu nods and then looks distant. "Technology has come a long way since I took my own classes." 06* Tomoe "Do you have much family in the area?" <@Kyon> Which is good. Couldn't travel like this with the team otherwise. And the professors understand. 06* Katie shakes her head. "Not too much. My grandparents... I see them once in a while. I have an aunt on Mom's side who lives pretty far south." 01 Dad's side of the family is all in the States. Mostly in Texas. (confusion tiem, so the stuff in black is... OOC? Additional info? or what) So long as you keep your grades up that's all well and good. (The stuff in brackets is OOC) <@Kyon> (Stuff in black if it's not in parentheses is character speech without extra action.) <@Kyon> (If it's in parentheses, it's OOC.0 (oh! okay!) (thanks) (No worries) 06* Tomoe nods. "And what family is your mother from?" 06* @Kyon nods quickly. "I'll be careful. And the team's doing well." 06* Nozomu 's expression lightens. "It's good to hear of things going well." 01 Sasaki. 06* Katie moves one hand from her lap to pick up her cup and take a sip. (I am totally not ignoring Katie's existance. ... Well, okay maybe a little.) 01 (Yeah, well, same to you!) 06* Tomoe acknowledges this. "And your father, he took well to moving to Japan? What is his business?" 06* @Kyon takes a sip of his tea, as well. "Have you had a chance to watch us play?" 06* Katie shakes her head. "Not that well." She doesn't add that she didn't, either. "He barely knows any Japanese at all, really, but he gets by. Mom helps a lot. He works for Bicycle... you know, the playing cards?" 06* Tomoe nods! : ) "Ah, yes, I know the playing cards!" How unusual. 06* Nozomu shakes his head. "My work has a way of following me when I try to leave. Perhaps your matches will come to me and I'll have enough of a respite to watch uninterupted." (the parents got any tea yet?) 01 He has something to do with distribution. I don't know exactly how it works, but they needed someone at their branch in Tokyo, so we moved here. 01 (Dude, I'm sure a waiter came in and ninja'd tea about two seconds after they sat down.) (AWESOME.) <@Kyon> (Almost for sure.) 06* @Kyon nods, not looking surprised in the least. "I hope so." He glances back down at the menu. "Do you want to order?" (Indubitably) (That is the use of ninjas in modern Japan, after all) <@Kyon> (Yep. Service industry ninjas.) (Billie, is that you? :P) 01 (She was never here!) 06* Nozomu nods and signals for a waiter. (That proves nothing!) 06* Tomoe sips her tea daintily. "How convenient for your mother, then, to be back with her family. Had you visited Japan previously?" 06* Katie looks down at her tea and wraps her other hand around the cup. "No." 06* @Kyon looks over at Katie, discreetly checking if she's doing okay. "You know what you want?" (I'll let somebody else run the waiter(ess).) 06* Tomoe feels some sentiment of pity. Clearly, she was made to leave all her friends and everything she knew, brought here without any choice, forced into a whole new life... <@Kyon> (You or me, then, Arwen?) 06* Katie turns her attention to Kyon, and the look on her face says she definitely does not. "If we're ordering to share..." 01 (I can do it! You have a lot on your hands with the details you need to make up for two characters.) 06* Tomoe appreciates this, but it also makes her wary. Will she take the firt opportunity to leave Japan again? Break her son's heart? or worse, take Kyon away to America? (Hit on by depressed, confused lesbians, nearly killed, forced to watch somebody else save the world. It's a hard life.) (Tomoe doesn't know about that part :p) (True!) 01 (I'll have you know that I also briefly dated a crazy stalker boy. That part was awesome. By awesome, I mean terrifying.) (She got better though. And by that I mean not really.) 06* @Kyon nods quickly. "We are. Could just pick something that looks interesting." <@Kyon> (That guy made Kyon look stable!) 06* Katie smiles thankfully. "Go for it." (I don't think she's murdered anybody recently!) 01 (At leat it wasn't Remi, who said she was pregnant to get Kaede to stay with her! Ah, young love.) (That's it. Remi and Taro should hook up.) (That would end in a murder-suicide without any evidence of which was which) 01 [A waiter walks over and refills the green tea, then clears his throat and looks to Nozomu. "Are you ready to order, sir?"] (Said she was pregnant to a guy she hadn't even had sex with even.) (I fail to see the problem here. How about you, Ard?) 01 (I'd say Remi should hook up with Natsuko, but she's dead, so sure. Why not.) 06* Nozomu nods. "Yes." He orders fish and a pork based dish. 06* @Kyon nods to Katie quickly, and then looks to his father and the waiter, waiting for his cue. Okay, so he can order for himself and Katie, then. 01 [The waiter nods, mentally noting those, then turns his attention to Kyon, as he's looking to order something.] 06* @Kyon orders a sweet stewed carp dish, and a dish with simple flavored octopus. (would Tomoe be ordering something as well here?) 01 (These are sharing portions, apparently, so she could get away without ordering anything. That's Katie's plan!) (likes eel) 01 (But if her husband forgot something that she wanted...) (wants the eel) 06* Tomoe orders the eel. 01 [The waiter blinks at the sudden eel order, but he notes that, too. He repeats the order back to check, then heads off, teapot in tow.] 01 (Waiters at this place are truly like ninja. Faceless, they hardly talk.) 01 (Well, also, I'm being lazy.) 06* Nozomu blinks. "Ah, please forgive me Tomoe. My mind is still back in the plant." 06* Tomoe tucks her head to the side a little demurely ~ 06* Nozomu rubs the bridge of his nose and then takes a sip of tea. (but really is pleased to have put in a little jab to her husband.) 06* Katie hides her grin in her tea. Plant, so like booze on the brain? (it's *the plant*'s fault they're late to meet their potential daughter- in-law, after all.) 01 (Naturally!) (It's making me look bad!) 01 (Don't worry, sir. I am no one of consequence.) 06* Tomoe sips her tea. "Kyon, it's so pleasant to see you again. Congratulations on your team's recent wins," she says. "Do you think the team can make it all the way to the championships?" (You're a named character who has her own portrait art! You must be important!) (knows nothing about baseball so I apologize if that had errors. However, Tomoe would be following her son's sports career, at least enough if not avidly or anything.) (so assume any errors are mine, not hers) 06* Katie sets her cup down with a small almost-sigh and puts her hands back in her lap, turning her attention to the window now that parental focus is no longer on her. 06* @Kyon feels Katie loosen a little, and turns to face his mother more. "We got into the playoffs. But we're only the #3 team. So it's a hard path. And the Giants are tough." 06* Nozomu nods. "Congradulations on that, I'm sure you will persevere." 06* @Kyon nods to his father. "I'll do the best I can for my games." 06* Tomoe is sure of it! 06* Katie comments, still looking out the window, "He's already one of their two best pitchers, you know." Is that so! (... Stop answering questions while I'm typing them!) 01 (What? *looks innocent*) 06* Katie turns her attention more or less to Tomoe with a grin. "Yeah, and the other one's graduating at the end of the year." 06* @Kyon sips at his tea calmly. 06* Nozomu looks at his son and then rubs at his temples. "Number one pitcher..." 06* Katie nods. "You should come to one of their games sometime." 06* @Kyon nods curtly. "Can get them to put aside tickets for you." 06* Nozomu nods. "I should... Can you get me a schedual?" 06* Tomoe smiles neutrally, and lets her husband field this one. 06* @Kyon nods curtly. "Yeah. You think you can make the playoffs? Or you need to wait til next year?" 06* Katie looks at Nozomu directly for a brief moment before turning her attention to the window again. 06* Nozomu then sighs. "If only I could get Yusuda to schedual his bouts of foolishness. My life would be so much easier to plan. Let us act as if though there were hope for the playoffs." 06* Tomoe sips. Spirited one, this Katie. That could be good, or bad. Could it be Kyon's found a woman who can keep him in line? 06* Katie rolls her eyes a little, as at Nozomu's angle, he can't see it. 06* @Kyon nods quickly. "Then I'll be starting on the 18th. If you want to see me pitch." 01 (Cat on desk! Trying to get yogurt!) <@Kyon> (I'm so glad GD doesn't go that much for dairy. She's bigger on seaweed.) 01 (Okay, crisis averted. :D) 06* Nozomu pulls a PDA out of his pocket and pokes at it. "Hnn... when is the next game after that?" 06* @Kyon keeps his voice level. "If the series goes to six games, I'll pitch on the 23rd." 06* Nozomu glares at the plastic screen. "I'll call Fumiko in the morning and see if I can get those meetings moved." 06* Katie twists her button extra hard, then stops, because it's not like she wants to pull it off her shirt or something. She looks towards Nozomu. "Do you think you can't?" The question's just a little more pointed than she intends. (And it's time for whiny cat theater where 2/3 of the cats in here whine for food and the third one is amused by their getting squirted) <@Kyon> (Cats are unendingly amusing. ^_^) (do we all have feline roommates here? ^^) 01 (Everyone but Rowyn, I bet.) 06* Tomoe glances up, to see what's going to go down. 06* Nozomu snorts and transfers the glare to Katie. "If I were the only vice presedent of a company involved, there would be no doubt." 06* Katie meets Nozomu's gaze evenly for a few seconds before breaking it, looking down at her tea. "Right. You have a company to watch, and everything." She sips. Quite so. 06* Tomoe interrupts smoothly. "I'm sure we'll do all we can to be at your game, Kyon. And I'm sure you'll understand if circumstances oblige your father to business." 06* @Kyon nods quickly. "Of course, Mother. Business is business." 06* Katie sets her tea down and looks back towards Tomoe. "Do you think you can go?" This whole time, she's hardly raised her voice at all; it's still quiet, soft, and a little raspy. 06* Nozomu pushes several buttons on the PDA to remind himself and then slips it back into his pocket. Aah, I'll see what I can do, hm! 06* Tomoe smiles kindly. 06* Katie smiles back, clearly a little relieved. "Okay. You won't have to go by yourself. I mean, if business interferes with the, um, brewery. I'm going anyway." 06* @Kyon smirks. "Got really good seats for her already." 06* Nozomu nods. "It's good for both of you to support Kyon." 06* Katie doesn't look at Nozomu. She is so done with him for now; see how he likes it. (And now we know why Kyon lives alone!) 01 [The waiter arrives without warning and places food in the center of the table, saying the name of each dish as he does so. Everything looks and smells very delicious - and, as promised, very traditional. That done, he refills tea and asks if they need anything else.] (SUDDENLY NINJA HUNDREDS OFTHEM!) 01 (Is there anything else? NOZOMU YOU ARE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD) 06* @Kyon nods, and glances over at Katie. "Good to know someone's watching." He then looks up at the waiter, and shakes his head lightly, but defers to his father for a final answer. (I'm debating sake, but you're too young to drink!) 06* Nozomu waves him off. 01 (I am so not stealing your sake. Katie never drinks, anyway.) <@Kyon> (You own a brewery! What do you care if we're underage. =P) (I did not raise a drunken lout!) 01 [The waiter nods and is off! With a teapot!] 02* Rowyn (Rowyn@66.201.146.49) Quit (Ping timeout ) 01 (Look, you scared Rowyn away.) (Excellent) (Geh, serve self first or let Tomoe serve everybody? I forget ettiquet!) 06* Katie glances at Kyon with a grin when he makes that comment. (Dunno!) 01 (I vote self serve!) 01 (Just so Kyon doesn't end up with pork on his plate.) <@Kyon> (Self-serve will probably work best with this setup, I agree.) 01 (He'll cry.) <@Kyon> (He'd just shudder and give it to Katie. =P) 06* Nozomu serves himself first taking some of the pork dish and moving the eel closer to Tomoe. 01 (Yes, and later, she'd tell him she totally saw him tearing up.) 06* Tomoe tries not to smile too visibly. Her husband really is cute, sometimes. She serves herself a little of the eel, before passing it to Katie if she likes! 06* @Kyon takes a serving of the carp and some of the octopus. And doesn't even go anywhere near the pork. 03* Rowyn (Rowyn@66.201.146.49) has joined #arcana (AKF feeding cats) 06* Katie blinks in mild surprise at the eel offer, but she takes it. "Thank you," she says, before spooning a small piece onto her plate and putting it back on the table for others to take. That done, she nabs some carp, too, and a leetle bit of octopus. Its a seafood day. 01 (Put an apostrophe there!) <@Kyon> (Okay!) 06* @Kyon takes up his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu." And picks at the carp. He notices nobody takes the pork except his father. That's right. No one wants pork. 06* Nozomu happens to enjoy the pork and all this means is that there's more for him. 06* Katie likes pork just fine, thanks, but she still doesn't take any. 06* Tomoe takes some of the carp as well, and deliberates about the pork, but passes for now. "Itadakimasu." 01 [And so, they start eating the super delicious and very expensive food.] 01 [To be continued!]