<@Ciara> [Date: Saturday, March 20th, 2004. Time: Evening.] <@Ciara> [Most of the people have headed off post-Motor Club photo shoot. Ken has agreed to drive Haruko back in his car. However, there will be Talking and Discussions, apparently.] <@Ciara> [Haruko said she had a few things to take care of, so Ken is waiting for her at the car. Better not keep him waiting too long, though.] <@Ciara> [Session Start!] * @Haruko has consulted with Akemi and decides to take full advantage of the time available with one of the rental outfits. It's not like she's taking a joyride or anything, this is totally different. <@Ciara> [Totally!] * @Haruko is wearing a teal top with sleeves that extend just beyond her elbows. This particular outfit features a long vertical slit about half a centimeter wide down its center. She may have felt rather self-conscious about it in the dressing room, but she keeps her expression nonchalant. She's still more comfortable in this then in Akemi's first suggestion, although she wonders if that was intentional on the model's part. * @Haruko's pants are dark grey capris and she's wearing a matching grey scarf as a concession to the risk of late March chill. She walks over to Ken's car giving a quick goodbye wave to her fashion adviser as she goes. <@Ciara> [Ken has changed back into a heavy black jacket and dark blue jeans. He still looks pretty good, though. He looks at Haruko. "Don't you have to go change?"] * @Haruko grins a bit. "Akemi tells me rental isn't due back until tomorrow morning, technically." She does a quick spin, "Unless you don't like it?" <@Ciara> [Ken's car is a sporty red 2-door with a sun roof and annoyingly limited trunk space. It can also be quite loud... when he wants it to be.] <@Ciara> ["I didn't say I didn't like it." Ken grins and opens the passenger door for her.] * @Haruko makes a quick bow of acknowledgment and slips in. She had to crouch a little more than usual because she's wearing notable heels, but that won't be a problem now that she's in the car. "Good." * @Haruko stows her purse in the back seat. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't quite match the rented outfit. <@Ciara> [Ken carefully shuts the door when she's settled, then gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine.] * @Haruko perks her ears and listens to the engine run. She's content to be quiet for a while as they get started. She hasn't had the chance to ride much with him that often in the city, let alone the country. <@Ciara> [Ken shifts into reverse and gets out of the parking area, then shifts into drive and heads for the open road! He's quiet for a few minutes, then finally he says, "So, this what it takes for us to spend some time together?"] * @Haruko sighs. "I'll confess to having been stupid busy of late. And that month of exorcising gremlins from that helmet didn't help." <@Ciara> [Ken shifts gears again, though if Haruko looks over, she can see that he has a very confused look. "What?"] * @Haruko closes her eyes for a moment. "Oh, remember that cloud helmet project I was working on--" She shifts stream. "Took three times as long as it should have. I don't think there were actually confounding spirits or the like but that was why I was wandering around the club house or grumbling at the work bench in such a funk." <@Ciara> ["Oh, that, right." Ken pauses for a moment before looking over at Haruko briefly. "Andrews?"] * @Haruko looks back at him. "Yeah." She then looks out at the road. "She liked it. Not sure if you saw the cloud detailing but was proud of it." Haruko gets a slightly distant smile. "She wore it around the apartment." <@Ciara> [Ken just nods. "So was that where you were the other night when you weren't answering my calls?"] <@Haruko> No. Well... location wise, yes. Remember the uh... the fire thing I told you about? <@Ciara> ["Yeah. It freaks you out, huh?"] <@Haruko> Yeah. I was working on that. I'd really pumped myself up. <@Ciara> [Ken rolls the window down slightly to let in some cool air. "So, what, you weren't lighting things on fire, were you?"] * @Haruko laughs. "Oh, not nearly that advanced." She repeats lowers the window on her side, adjusting her bangs as they fly in her eyes. Her tone is level "Sorata was helping me. His element, so to speak." She watches Ken. <@Ciara> [Now Ken scowls. "*That* guy? Really?"] * @Haruko snorts. "Do we really want to get into evaluating each other's taste in friends?" <@Ciara> [Ken makes a 'hmf' sound. "Friends, huh? You and Sorata?"] <@Ciara> (actually, let me change that to "you and him") * @Haruko closes her eyes and grins. "Pretty much." <@Ciara> ["So you guys were doing fire stuff." Ken shifts gears again as he turns onto a different road.] * @Haruko notices the changed gears and observes the scenery. "Yeah. Though lately it's been my trying for the musical that's been making it hard to schedule. We're planning to keep trying the fire stuff but I can try to do a better job of reserving some us time first." She smiles wistfully. "I'd like more us time too." <@Ciara> ["So what makes him so good with fire that he can help you and I can't?" Ken asks. His voice is actually fairly calm.] * @Haruko looks over to Ken. "Short answer, substantial training and skill in managing it." She looks at him skeptically, "I'm happy to give the full answer too, but when I've started talking about some of the weirder high school stuff, you've prefered different topics." <@Ciara> [Ken makes a noncommital sound. "Okay, fine. It's one of those things." He shifts in his seat slightly.] * @Haruko looks out the passenger window for a bit. "Yeah." * @Haruko then grins slightly. "If you want to displace one of the old gang, I'd asked Takeuchi-san if he could help figure out why I never clicked with bikes. Never heard back." <@Ciara> [Ken snorts. "Like... bicycle bikes?"] <@Haruko> Well yeah. I am a mistress of motorcycles. <@Haruko> But they don't help with exercise. <@Ciara> ["Bikes aren't really my thing, but I can help, I guess." Ken flashes a quick grin over at her. He really does seem like he wants to help her with something.] * @Haruko looks back and echoes the grin. "Well, part of it might be that I never really did sports. I mean, I love dance, but while you practice that's all about art and how you present yourself. I even did some martial arts, but that was kind of about looking cool around the boys who visited the shrine." <@Ciara> ["So am I gonna have to schedule things with you? Make an appointment when I want to see you?"] * @Haruko glances at the road ahead and then in the rear view. "Honestly?" She leans forward, "Yeah, I'm going places Hibiki. There are not enough hours in the day and too much living I want to do." Did you notice earlier that she's in that blouse with that nice long vertical ornamented slit, if not it's rather on display now. "But I like to think I'm worth it. And since I think you're worth it too, I'll find the time." <@Ciara> [Ken blushes and quickly turns his attention back to the road. "Kinsha, uh, you might want to check your shirt."] * @Haruko blushes beet red and quickly leans back. * @Haruko glances down, assesses the state of her decolletage and lets out a quick breath. "Oh, I do declare Hibiki, you are a prude. It's just the two of us." She grins. "Although I definitely was right to reject Akemi's first suggestion." <@Ciara> [Ken shakes his head. "Kinsha, you're all over the place. First you ignore me, and now you're trying too hard."] * @Haruko sighs and flexes her feet forward, frustrated that her toes don't quite reach to the front of the car. "I helped put together this awesome photoshoot where we could be together and you went off pouting and now you castigate me for trying to have a fun ride with my boy?" <@Ciara> [Ken gives a slight shrug. "Except we weren't really together. You had a show to run and you could have done it without me just fine." His tone of voice is a bit quieter, though.] * @Haruko just looks quizical at that for a moment and tries to put together her thoughts. <@Ciara> ["Look, Kinsha, I don't want to be one of those assholes who thinks that because we're dating, all your time should belong to me now. That's just being a creep. But I'm not gonna be only at your beck and call, either." Ken shifts gears once more, as they're getting closer to the outer parts of the city.] * @Haruko smiles a little. "Deal. Look, I guess we've been doing a lot of events that were things I wanted to do." <@Haruko> And I am a pain to schedule, I admit that. But with one big exception this next month we can focus on stuff you want to do. We'll still need to compare calendars, but... <@Ciara> [Ken chances a quick glance in Haruko's direction. "Wait, what's this 'big exception?'"] * @Haruko sits up straight and adopts a serious expression. "The household Kinsha has delegated me to request the honor of your presence at dinner at the family abode." <@Ciara> ["Kinsha, speak plain Japanese." Ken rolls his eyes slightly.] <@Haruko> Mom wants you over for dinner. <@Ciara> [Ken's jaw twitches slightly. "This isn't a *the* meet the parents, is it?"] * @Haruko giggles. "You aren't expected to seek father's blessing, no." <@Ciara> ["Okay." Ken pauses. "Well, the other mechanic girl sings the praises of your mom's cooking, so... okay. We can do this."] * @Haruko nods and smiles. "Thank you. If you want to set any ground rules, Mom will comply. She's just gotten a bit persistent because she thinks I talk about you differently than, you know, other past gentlemen that shall remain unnamed." <@Ciara> [Ken coughs a tiny bit. "Oh, really?" he manages, trying to sound skeptical.] * @Haruko inspects her nails. "Hard to say. She might just be worried I'm trying too hard." <@Ciara> [Ken makes an amused sound. "You're not getting out of that one just yet, Kinsha."] * @Haruko harumphs. * @Haruko glances at the outskirts of the city. "Why the direct route? You have somewhere you need to be?" <@Ciara> [Ken appears unmoved by the harumphing! "Thought you were a busy lady and had places to go."] * @Haruko shakes her head. "I said I was yours for the evening." She grins slightly. "You seem to attribute levels of subtle manipulation and slights to my behavior that really aren't warranted. Just ask Andrews, she'll set you straight." <@Ciara> [Ken snerks. "Pass."] * @Haruko waves a hand acknowledging the dodge. "The point holds. If you need to go somewhere, that's fine. If you want time with me, here I am, and I chose to let you be in the driver's seat tonight." <@Ciara> ["You chose, huh?" Ken still seems amused, though. "Well, in that case... I *guess* we could take one of the scenic routes. Since you're here and all."] * @Haruko smiles. "Since I'm here and all. If you want later I can tell you why I was so hyper with my clipboard around Akemi-chan's manager. But I'm just as happy to save that for another time." <@Ciara> ["Yeah, let's not talk about that guy now." Ken doesn't seem to want to press.] * @Haruko grins. "Man after my own heart." <@Ciara> [And so, they drive onward! Possibly into the sunset, depending on what direction they end up going!] <@Ciara> [Session End!]