<@Ciara> [Date: Monday, January 12, 2004] <@Ciara> [Time: Late Afternoon] <@Ciara> [It is the day of this year's Coming of Age Ceremonies. And that's "ceremonies," plural, as this year, it's being held at a very popular temple, thus necessitating both a morning and an afternoon ceremony.] <@Ciara> [While the morning ceremony *might* have been preferable, by the time Wataru and Izumi got around to registering, it was full up, so they had to attend the afternoon one instead. Which meant skipping classes for that day. Oh well!] <@Ciara> [But they made it, and there were speeches and small gifts distributed, and now the ceremony has just ended. All the newly-minted adults are getting ready to go party, or spend time with family and friends, or spend time with family and friends and then go party.] <@Ciara> [So what are Wataru and Izumi up to? And, more importantly, what did they end up wearing?] <@Ciara> [Session Start!] * Wataru woke up feeling like shit - last night's ... ritual... whatever that was.... really took it out of him. And then he spills soup on his tie, almost misses his hair appointment, has to hit three different ATMs before finding one that won't spit out his card.... And then he met Izumi, and on time, but frazzled and slightly headachy and already sick of being an adult. His hair looks great, though. In a somewhat shorter and more tamed, yet still fluffy way. * Wataru is in a nice grey suit with a light pink shirt and a darker pink striped tie, and he did manage to snap a pretty great selfie of himself and Izumi on his phone, before they went to the ceremony! Which he immediately sent to Satoshi with the message, 'I'm an adult now or something! Doesn't Izumi look great?' <@Ciara> [Satoshi is asleep now, but he'll probably get back to you in the morning! His morning, that is.] [Satoshi knows to expect a bunch of messages and pictures. He was forewarned.] * Izumi looks great! And energetic! And full of exclamation points! She's completely done up, in a kimono that's about the same shade of pink as Wataru's tie, even though he *did* spill some soup on it, with a lighter pink, yellow, and white flower pattern on it. Her hair, while short, has pink and yellow flowers, and she's wearing a fluffy stole... thing... that isn't real fur but that's what people wear during Coming of Age ceremonies, right?! [And Wataru knows not to expect responses. So it's all cool.] * Izumi made a V for victory in the selfie. You gotta represent victory. <@Ciara> [Victory! So, what are you two doing now?] * Wataru grins a bit. "So - what do we do! It's just you and me, now. Grownup us!" * Wataru can't stop feeling a little empty, preoccupied. Tired. But he's determined to have a FUN TIME with IZUMI. He's trying really hard! * Izumi hmmms. "We already spent time with the more grown up people, so I think that our *first* act as grown ups should be to go party! Somewhere. With snacks!" "I bet we can find an izakaya that will let you drink. If. You know. You want to drink." Done! * Izumi goes! She is on the hunt for such a mystical place, and Wataru had better keep up! * Wataru certainly does keep up! He even catches a reflection of himself in a window, and doesn't recognize himself for a moment! But then he does, and it makes him stand a little straighter, because damned if doesn't actually look half decent in a suit. <@Ciara> [Izumi finds a place! It is conveniently located nearby! And fairly crowded, but they manage to get the last table! Squished back in a corner. But it's a table!] * Izumi squishes in, pulling her purse after her and squeezing it between herself and Wataru. The safest of purse places. <@Ciara> [There's a menu-type thing sitting on the table, as well as a drink list.] * Wataru looks at all the people in the fancy clothes! There's a large group of already-drunk young men, several with bleached, spiked hair... And piles of tittering girls in fluffy expensive things. And him, and Izumi, on what looks for all the world like a date. "Well. Let's get some food and drinks! What do you want?" Wataru eyes the menu. * Izumi grabs a menu and starts looking through it. "I don't know yet!" It's kind of loud. * Wataru looks. "Kara-age? You like kara-age. And some beer?" Oh, *yeah*! Let's do that. Do you- I never drank much before. I mean, once. And just a little. * Izumi blushes slightly, then says, "So it'll be an adventure!" "Beer's probably a good place to start, then. Don't get hammered! I don't want to have to carry you home!" He laughs. <@Ciara> [A waitress comes to the table.] * Izumi pshes. "No *way*. You stop me if it looks like that's going to happen." And then she smiles brightly at the waitress. "Hi!" <@Ciara> ["Hello! What may I get you?"] "Kara-age, edamame, and the agedashi-tofu to start, please," Wataru smiles. "And two draft beers." <@Ciara> [The waitress nods. "Our draft today is Arisugawa," she informs them, before heading off to place orders with the kitchen!] Ooh, fancy. * Wataru does not know that name, but beer is beer! "Yeah, what is that even. Well, we'll find out!" He smiles. * Izumi smiles back, then says, delighted, "We're *adults*." This isn't getting old any time soon. * Wataru laughs, charmed by her enthusiasm. "We are. How does it feel to you?" Pretty good! The kimono's a little confining, but I look amazing. And so do you! * Wataru gives her an honest grin at this, even! "I am tempted to agree. I, uh, I may have sent that picture of us to... to Satoshi." Blush! * Izumi squeals. "You did not!" "Hey, we look good," Wataru grins. "And... I may have promised him updates and pictures. From my big day. Today. When. Um. We talked yesterday for *hours and hours*." Oh, is that why? I got your text! <@Ciara> [The waitress returns with two mugs of beer! "Your food will be ready shortly," she promises.] * Izumi chirps "Thanks!" at the waitress, then slides her mug closer to herself. She looks back at Wataru. "BE MORE EXCITED," Wataru says, then thanks the waitress! He takes his beer and looks at Izumi, expectantly! "I've been sitting on this big reveal for like, days!" Oh! Right. * Wataru looks at her funny. * Izumi composes herself, then launches herself half over the table, neatly avoiding beer as she does so. "Are you *serious*?! How many hours? What did you talk about?" * Wataru laughs, very suddenly and very hard! "Oh god - ack!" He grins and laughs more! <@Ciara> [Given the crowdedness and general drunkenness in the place, Izumi's launch goes fairly unnoticed.] HOW COULD YOU HIDE THIS FROM ME FOR A WHOLE DAY "Like, at least three hours. And we talked about EVERYTHING. Oh god. It was ... Really intense, and so great. We really *connected*, Izumi. Even more than before. We did a video chat - him in Maine, me in, well, me here, obviously -- and I'm sorry! IT WAS HARD, Izumi. I wanted to tell you about it right away!" * Izumi huffs, sitting back down. "Yeah, I know." She smiles. "So you connected...?" "I wish I could say *romantically*, but..." His grin goes sheepish. "This is still pretty freaking awesome. We talked about school, and about living far from home and being outside your comfort zone, you know...? And we gossiped about those other Sakuragaoka Assholes - Satoshi is *so not an asshole*. I don't know how he ended up at that school." * Izumi nodnods and picks up the beer. "He should've gone to Shunyo. I bet we would have won all of the games if he was there." She drinks some, getting foam on her face, and look at it. "Definitely. I think there was some reason though. Anyway, I declare him Honorary Shunyo at heart." He raises his glass. "Kanpai! You gotta kanpai, Izumi," he nudges her, amused. * Izumi pffts. "Sorry! I was curious." She raises the glass. "Kanpai!" And Shunyo it is! * Wataru drinks deeply! "Mmh.. Yeah, pretty good!" He smiles. "I don't usually drink either, but, yeah. Exceptions!" He sips again! It's really different. "The beer?" Sip. * Izumi sips, then grabs a napkin and wipes her face, trying not to get too much make up in the process. "Yup!" She sips again. "I... I don't know, I think I kinda like it, but not like an every day thing." * Wataru nods. "That's cool." He sighs, and looks across the crowd again, before returning his attention to Izumi. * Izumi tilts her head, catching the sigh. "What's wrong?" "...Nothing. I'm just..." He looks down. Smiling. "I really really don't want to have a crush on this guy, Izumi." It's so loud in this place, who's going to hear him gay? "I really don't. I want to be friends, and I don't want to think about him any other way." * Izumi blinks. "But..." She reaches over, her hand on the table but not quite touching her friend. "You *really* like him." She has the sense not to yell that, so there's pretty much no way anyone else heard her. "I really like him," Wataru half-whispers, hands around his beer. * Izumi reaches over the rest of the way, putting her hand on his wrist. "Wataru..." "I know," he pulls his hand back. He looks up at her. "I'm working on it. I'm trying. I know I'm digging a hole for myself here." * Wataru sighs, and reaches out for her hand, feeling bad for jerking away. * Izumi lifted her hand at that, apologetic, but then Wataru does that and she sets her hand in his. "But he *is* your friend. Right?" <@Ciara> [The waitress chooses that moment to return and place their food dishes down on the table. She smiles warmly at them. "Just let me know if you need anything else!"] * Izumi smiles at the lady. "Thanks, we will!" Attention back to Wataru. And yeah, sure, they're holding hands. * Wataru blushes. Well. There's worse ways to be in the closet. "Yeah," he says, and looks at the food. "I think we are. Real friends. You can't say all that and not be friends, you know?" * Izumi nods. "Yeah." So you've got to find someone else to like romantically, then! * Wataru rolls his eyes. "I won't, Izumi. It's not..." He looks around the room. "It's not that easy, you know?" He sighs. "Let's eat." * Izumi actually looks a little hurt, and she pulls her hand away. "I *know* it's not easy. Okay?" She picks up her chopsticks. * Wataru sighs. He thinks for a moment, chopsticks in hand, then looks at her. "Sorry. I... This whole thing has got me preoccupied. Let's just have fun - and - and I'm okay with talking about it. Annnd if you want to help me find someone else, I might not struggle *too* much," he adds, with an encouraging little half-smile....! * Izumi brightens a bit, and she picks up a piece of kara-age. "Well, you *did* want to check out the sports teams..." * Wataru blinks. "I... You're right! Oh man," he chuckles, a smile spreading across his face. He looks aside, hiding his grin with a hand. "God, I have a type, huh?" * Izumi nudges Wataru playfully. "Doesn't everybody?!" * Wataru grins at her. "Are you less likely to find guys who are into guys in sports, or *more*?" * Wataru drinks some beer, and is feeling very adult right now. I don't know, but we *do* know that whoever invented baseball uniforms is probably gay. * Izumi eats more delicious fried food, and drinks some beer herself! "Oh GOD you're telling me." Wataru noms! * Izumi laughs. "We could both go out with baseball players!" She tucks her hands behind her head and looks up at the ceiling. "But Sorata's dating that scary girl now, right, so I'd have to find a different one." "Uuuuugghhhhh not Sorata! No way. I declare him off-limits for both of us, scary girl notwithstanding." What! Why? He remembered me! "He's a turd. He treats people like things. And he has douchey hair, Izumi, you can do better." Wataru drowns his ire in sweet sweet Arisugawa beer. <@Ciara> [Oh, the irony.] * Izumi frowns a little. "I don't remember him being that bad..." "Because he saw you as a *fan*, I bet. Probably was putting on an act. Or," he glances up, realizing he might be making her sad, "Maybe he just thought you were cute." He has a crooked smile. * Izumi blushes. "He did *not*." Beer! Save her, beer! * Wataru chuckles evilly, and drinks too! * Izumi sets her mug down heavily after a long swig. "You've got some really developed opinions on Sorata. Did you see him outside of the Sakuragaoka Asshole Reunion thing or something? "You know we had a couple classes together," Wataru says. "We did that big dumb project on the contested islands together. Which, got an A, SURE, but that doesn't mean it was fun." He sighs. "But no, I don't *know* know him. Ugh, I wonder if we'll have a class together again this semester." "Also, I love that we're still calling it Sakuragaoka Asshole Reunion," he points out. Because that's what it obviously was! You don't get rid of a perfect label for something like that. * Izumi sips her beer. "Okay, so he was kind of a jerk to you during the class project whatever thing." "And he has a scary girlfriend." That doesn't mean he treats people like things! It just means his girlfriend is scary. So maybe he's into scary foreign girls. Or... something. * Wataru grins. "Either way. Off-limits. We agree?" * Izumi siiiighs. "*Yes*." She drinks her beer. "He's awfully cute, though." "God.... tell anyone this ever and I will... *tickle* you to death, but yes. Yes he freaking is." * Izumi laughs, and then she looks at Wataru, way too serious. "I will never tell a soul." "All right," Wataru grins, and raises his beer to it! "Anyway, yeah. Keep away from that guy. No matter how cute. There's lots of cute guys. And most of them are probably straight!" I'll send any who aren't your way. "I've got the perfect guy for you! He's super smart, really sweet, and also sexy in a suit!" * Wataru cocks some major brow. <@Ciara> [Just then, Wataru's phone buzzes. It's a text from Aunt Midori. "Wataru, please call me tonight."] * Wataru pulls out his phone. "Fucking hell. What is this." * Izumi blinks. "What?" * Wataru texts back to her. 'Sure. Everything OK?' "My aunt just sent me a weird text." Do you need to call her or something? <@Ciara> [Her response is simply: "Just please call me tonight."] "She..." He looks down at his phone as it buzzes again. "She wants me to call tonight, won't say why, and doesn't sound like her usual self." Some dark possibilities flash through his head - construction sites, blood and fire, Katie scared and angry at Masaru, *undeleted browser histories*. So many ways this could go. So many worst-case scenarios. * Izumi watches Wataru's expression. "Just go call her, okay? I'll keep our table." * Wataru nods. As he pushes his chair back, he texts Midori - 'I can call right now? It's no problem' <@Ciara> ["All right."] * Wataru gives Izumi a look. "I'm gonna go now. Hold the table, yeah." Shit... * Izumi nods, not hiding her own concerned look. <@Ciara> [The bathroom is tiny and near a very noisy table.] <@Ciara> [That may not be the best place to go.] * Wataru looks there, decides against it, and heads outside, instead. Where he dials her number. Ring ring.... <@Ciara> [In his haste, Wataru doesn't pay all that much attention to where he's going, and as he dials Midori's number, he bumps into someone...] <@Ciara> [...oh, what the hell. It's Sorata Kyon. And there's Katie, right next to him.] * Wataru half-mutters a clumsy apology, then staggers as he sees who's there. Well. The day just went from bad to worse. <@Ciara> [Session Pause!]