[Oh, maybe she shouldn't have come so early. She could have shown up fashionably late, lingered and then surprised him by appearing suddenly. She'll do that another time, then.
For now, he looks... nice. She's not used to all this modern fashion, but she can appreciate the sleekness of his look. And then he hands over -- flowers and a bakery box. She blinks, almost taken aback. Flowers are... well, this is...
But he says it's a Japanese holiday, and maybe it's just a different cultural context. Maybe things are different, in her world. After all, she wouldn't expect him to know the implication of red and white flowers if he'd given those to her.
So she takes the things with a soft smile, blushing a little bit when he calls her his favorite person. On impulse, she moves, and hugs him easily with one arm as a thank you.]
[ Oh! The hug. It's his turn to be on the receiving end of a spontaneous hug. Junpei recovers quickly enough, a touch of pink on his cheeks as he returns her embrace. Again he's struck by how...nice it feels to have her in his arms. He's pretty sure he could hold her for hours and never grow tired of how she feels against him -- the softness of her silver hair against his cheek. But...that would probably be weird, right?
So, with mild reluctance, he lets her go and gestures toward the house. ]
This isn't exactly Japanese architecture, but I thought it could be neat to check it out? I think it's a place to learn martial arts from what I was looking up about it? But I'm more interested in taking you to the koi pond and feeding them.
[ Junpei rummages around in his blazer pocket to pull out a small bag of fish food. It's a silly activity, but one he thinks Alicia might enjoy -- seeing the colors of the fish and enjoying the sound of the water. ]
I don't think a lot of people come out this way, so we should have the place to ourselves?
[ And with that, Junpei slips into the estate to lead the way to the aforementioned koi pond. The fish might be a little more sluggish because of the colder weather, but they should perk up at the prospect of food! Or who knows. Maybe the pond is heated? Only one way to find out! ]
[Martial arts? She vaguely remembers one of the Expeditoons liked to focus on that. Which one was it again? It was a while ago, and...
Oh, it was the naked one. Alicia flushes slightly, does not explain why, and then tries to focus on the building.
Feeding koi! She's not sure what a koi is, but it sounds like some kind of animal. So by the way she perks up, it's clear she likes that idea. And the idea of being alone with Junpei, well...
Ah, maybe she's teasing him too much. But she still loops her arm around his and leans in, nodding for him to lead the way.]
[ His eyes drift to her arm around his and he smiles -- more than happy to lead the way. Hell, you could even say he's elated. It's a silly thing that started from when they first met, them going arm in arm...but Junpei relishes it. It's all going good so far! All on track to be his best White Day celebration on record (nevermind that it's his only.)
As they enter the courtyard, it's hard to be self-conscious about anything when exposed to the grandiosity of this place. Junpei takes it in -- impressed and awed. ]
Whoa. I wonder if anyone'd mind if I just moved into this place.
[ He stops near a fountain and points out the colorful array of fish as they swim throughout the elaborate pond. ]
Have you ever imagined seeing a place like this in person? The closest thing we got back home is Naganaki Shrine. But that definitely doesn't match up to whole cool this is!
[She really ought to bring him by the manor this time. Yes, this makes it look quaint in comparison, but still. Maybe she can talk Renoir into inviting some of his friends over too, so it's less of a thing.
Oh. Those must be koi. She pulls away from Junpei to crouch down and watch them, absolutely entranced. He's talking about some kind of Shrine, with does sound interesting, but wow. These fish! Huh.]
[ He notices her interest in the fish and then extends a hand to hold her flowers and box of pastries in order to exchange the bag of fish food he had tucked in his pocket. This way she could get the joy of feeding them and seeing them surface. ]
I always imagined being so rich someday I could have my own backyard koi pond. All that big pro-baseball player money. Maybe I could even be good enough to get recruited to the American teams. And then off-season, I'd have this nice koi pond where I could sit and relax. Kinda silly, huh?
[ He laughs at himself and his stupid little fantasies. ]
I guess it's a good thing I get to live my other fantasy. Being a big hero and saving the multiverse! Unfortunately, all I got to show for that is an apartment. But I guess on the bright side, at least I got a place to call my own? And a roomie who cooks for me! It could be a lot worse.
[Oh, yes. She happily trades him the box and flowers (and pleased as she still is with them) to take the fish food. He's saying stuff she doesn't quite get, which he does a lot, but she kind of likes that he'll just talk to her.
Hmm. She wonders if the manor's gardens have enough room for a koi pond. That'd be much less work than the horse she almost brought home, or at least thought about. Speaking of, she drops some food in the pond. It's only a moment or two until the fish are wound up, and start splashing and fighting for the food. It's enough to startle her a bit and make her stand up and take a step back.
She drifts over to his side again, just as he's talking about being a hero. It's that kind of Expeditioner hope, without the looming deadline, that always somehow manages to cheer her up. She wraps herself around his arm again, just because she can.]
[ He laughs as the fish go a bit crazy over the food and that brings Alicia back close to him. Touching him. Her arm through his. Junpei looks down at it and then over toward her, smiling. Gosh, it's hard to stop smiling whenever he's around Alicia. ]
They're nicer than any place I've ever lived. And I guess compared to this, they're a little cramped.
[ He nods his head toward the massive estate. ]
But as cool as big spaces are. As cool as it would be to live here, I dunno. It'd also feel kinda empty, right? So much space and you can't fill it all the time. I got a two bedroom place just in case anyone from home showed up and wanted to stay with me -- but even that felt pretty lonely until Tristan took up the other room.
[ Of course, Junpei realizes his opinion might differ from Alicia's. Alicia seems content in the quiet solitude. Maybe she likes having a large amount of space to fill with her own thoughts whereas Junpei likes socializing and would prefer to live with a ton of people. If he moved in here, it would only be a matter of time before he started inviting other people to occupy the unused areas so it no longer felt so empty. ]
Home's kinda...a place that should feel cozy. I think? Your own little safe corner in the largeness of the city.
[...Empty. He's right, but it makes her think. Would he find the Manor empty, as well? Even after all the years of it being just her and Renoir, it still feels like it's lacking something. Verso's music doesn't drift through the halls, nor does Clea's sharp tones. And Maman...
Maybe there's something to the apartments. She can see why he likes them.]
I'll have to visit yours sometime. [She doesn't really think of the implications. They're friends, of course she could call on him at his home sometime for a casual meeting. Right?]
[ Junpei lets out a soft sound of surprise at her remark about visiting. Is....is that a hint of some kind? Does she want him to take things to the next step? He looks down at her arm wrapped around his and his mind is off to the races, simultaneously wondering at the meaning and talking himself out of it because surely not. They haven't even held hands beyond that first time at the gardens -- after Junpei had come out of his emotions regarding Mesa. And once he got home and reflected on that entire outing, he freaked out at how bold he'd been and hoped she didn't think ill of him!
But Alicia still came -- still met him at every outing after that. So she clearly wasn't bothered. Filled with a mix of uncertainty but also a boldness to act, Junpei's hand moves up to meet the one wrapped around his arm and he takes it within his own -- threading fingers with hers if she'll allow it. ]
If you wanna come over sometime, you can.
[ M-maybe for the games Tristan originally suggested. Tristan would likely be confused by the situation when Junpei claimed he couldn't invite Alicia over because of the implications, but hey! He technically didn't invite her. She invited herself and he happily accepted the invite.
.......of course, if she meant anything else by it, he would be down for that part too!
B-but Junpei's just operating under the belief that she would want to see his place as a friend. God, he's gonna have to make sure he cleans it up just in case she ever does drop by. ]
[Oh. His hand slips into hers and for a second she thinks it's an accident, but then it's clearly not. Something in her chest flutters and, without thinking, she pulls away.
It takes a second for her brain to catch up. He wanted to hold her hand? Is that -- she's not sure what that means. She knows what it makes her feel, what it might've meant in old Lumiére (not that she ever got the chance to, with anyone), but she doesn't know if that's what it means here. It makes her head spin.
But. It's her instincts driving her away, the old scars. She keeps reminding herself that this place doesn't have to be like that. Shouldn't she go after what she wants? And this doesn't have to mean anything. She doesn't have to give that much. So she reaches out, hesitantly, to try and take his hand again. She's nervous and flightly, but seems to want to make up for her reaction a second ago.
Right. What were they talking about?]
I've seen a couple movies. They're neat.
[...Of course, the kind of movies around in her day are wildly, wildly different than the stuff he's used to.]
[ Junpei panics a little inside when she pulls back -- when she doesn't take his hand in return. He misread the situation, didn't he? God. How stupid could he be?? He should apologize, but it takes him a bit to even work up the courage to look at her after the rejection. And so he misses it when she draws near again. It's not until he feels the ghost of her touch that he realizes she's returning -- that she's taking his hand. And there they stand, shyly holding hands.
He doesn't know how to interpret it. Maybe Alicia's skittish -- like a bird. The slightest noise or uncertainty could drive her into flight and she realized after the initial flight, it wasn't something dangerous. Maybe she's simply taking pity on him, but that doesn't seem right. Alicia doesn't seem the sort to do anything she didn't want to do. So then...she came back because she wanted to. She's holding his hand because she wants to. And Junpei doesn't have to make a big deal of it because Alicia's not making a big deal of it. She's talking about movies. Junpei could talk about movies, too.
And things could be completely normal. While they hold hands and the fish swim about the pond. ]
Riiight? I like movies with lots of action and heroes! But I could probably get into a good drama if that's your type of thing. The library has some DVDs, so I can check out their collection and see if there's anything we might wanna see? Really, the action movies are better on the big screen anyway!
[ He smiles. ]
Which I think there's a movie theater here somewhere, too. Maybe we oughta go check that out sometime, too? But only if they're playing something good!
[ Then again, Junpei would be more than happy to see a bad movie with Alicia, too. It would be funny to see her reaction and as long as they were doing it together -- it would still be super fun. ]
[It's nice. Even through the fabric of her glove, she can feel the warmth of his hand. She kin of just wants to lean against him. Actually, speaking of, she tugs his hand a bit and tries to encourage him to sit down. Wouldn't it be nice to just sit and watch the fish for a little bit?
The way he talks, she begins to think that her idea of movies is very different from what he's talking about. They were short and rare in Lumiére, a new technology forgotten when the Fracture hit.]
I will trust your judgement. But nothing too sad or cruel, maybe.
[ Junpei's attuned to her and so when she wants to sit, she doesn't have to do more than that tug in order to get him to obediently settle on the flat stone. Letting out a soft laugh, he looks toward her. ]
Good vibes only! I wouldn't think of making you sit through a tearjerker. My favorite movies always have happy endings anyway. Usually they're about big heroes who face giant swarms of bad guys or monsters. And just when you think they're gonna be overwhelmed? Boom! They come through and save the day!
[ Smiling, his eyes drift toward the fish. ]
Usually, they get the girl in the end, too.
[ Which is only how he hopes his story plays out here. Being a hero, saving the worlds, and maybe at the end of it? He gives her hand a light squeeze.
But then he remembers the last mission. It's never far away from his mind, really. Even at the best of moments. His smile drifts away. ]
I know they're not exactly realistic. I saw first hand how things went down in Mesa and there were no hero moments there. But it's nice to have the movies. 'Cause in the movies you know no matter how tough things seem, they're gonna turn out good in the end.
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For now, he looks... nice. She's not used to all this modern fashion, but she can appreciate the sleekness of his look. And then he hands over -- flowers and a bakery box. She blinks, almost taken aback. Flowers are... well, this is...
But he says it's a Japanese holiday, and maybe it's just a different cultural context. Maybe things are different, in her world. After all, she wouldn't expect him to know the implication of red and white flowers if he'd given those to her.
So she takes the things with a soft smile, blushing a little bit when he calls her his favorite person. On impulse, she moves, and hugs him easily with one arm as a thank you.]
no subject
So, with mild reluctance, he lets her go and gestures toward the house. ]
This isn't exactly Japanese architecture, but I thought it could be neat to check it out? I think it's a place to learn martial arts from what I was looking up about it? But I'm more interested in taking you to the koi pond and feeding them.
[ Junpei rummages around in his blazer pocket to pull out a small bag of fish food. It's a silly activity, but one he thinks Alicia might enjoy -- seeing the colors of the fish and enjoying the sound of the water. ]
I don't think a lot of people come out this way, so we should have the place to ourselves?
[ And with that, Junpei slips into the estate to lead the way to the aforementioned koi pond. The fish might be a little more sluggish because of the colder weather, but they should perk up at the prospect of food! Or who knows. Maybe the pond is heated? Only one way to find out! ]
no subject
Oh, it was the naked one. Alicia flushes slightly, does not explain why, and then tries to focus on the building.
Feeding koi! She's not sure what a koi is, but it sounds like some kind of animal. So by the way she perks up, it's clear she likes that idea. And the idea of being alone with Junpei, well...
Ah, maybe she's teasing him too much. But she still loops her arm around his and leans in, nodding for him to lead the way.]
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As they enter the courtyard, it's hard to be self-conscious about anything when exposed to the grandiosity of this place. Junpei takes it in -- impressed and awed. ]
Whoa. I wonder if anyone'd mind if I just moved into this place.
[ He stops near a fountain and points out the colorful array of fish as they swim throughout the elaborate pond. ]
Have you ever imagined seeing a place like this in person? The closest thing we got back home is Naganaki Shrine. But that definitely doesn't match up to whole cool this is!
no subject
Oh. Those must be koi. She pulls away from Junpei to crouch down and watch them, absolutely entranced. He's talking about some kind of Shrine, with does sound interesting, but wow. These fish! Huh.]
no subject
[ He notices her interest in the fish and then extends a hand to hold her flowers and box of pastries in order to exchange the bag of fish food he had tucked in his pocket. This way she could get the joy of feeding them and seeing them surface. ]
I always imagined being so rich someday I could have my own backyard koi pond. All that big pro-baseball player money. Maybe I could even be good enough to get recruited to the American teams. And then off-season, I'd have this nice koi pond where I could sit and relax. Kinda silly, huh?
[ He laughs at himself and his stupid little fantasies. ]
I guess it's a good thing I get to live my other fantasy. Being a big hero and saving the multiverse! Unfortunately, all I got to show for that is an apartment. But I guess on the bright side, at least I got a place to call my own? And a roomie who cooks for me! It could be a lot worse.
no subject
Hmm. She wonders if the manor's gardens have enough room for a koi pond. That'd be much less work than the horse she almost brought home, or at least thought about. Speaking of, she drops some food in the pond. It's only a moment or two until the fish are wound up, and start splashing and fighting for the food. It's enough to startle her a bit and make her stand up and take a step back.
She drifts over to his side again, just as he's talking about being a hero. It's that kind of Expeditioner hope, without the looming deadline, that always somehow manages to cheer her up. She wraps herself around his arm again, just because she can.]
Are the apartments nice? They seem cramped.
no subject
They're nicer than any place I've ever lived. And I guess compared to this, they're a little cramped.
[ He nods his head toward the massive estate. ]
But as cool as big spaces are. As cool as it would be to live here, I dunno. It'd also feel kinda empty, right? So much space and you can't fill it all the time. I got a two bedroom place just in case anyone from home showed up and wanted to stay with me -- but even that felt pretty lonely until Tristan took up the other room.
[ Of course, Junpei realizes his opinion might differ from Alicia's. Alicia seems content in the quiet solitude. Maybe she likes having a large amount of space to fill with her own thoughts whereas Junpei likes socializing and would prefer to live with a ton of people. If he moved in here, it would only be a matter of time before he started inviting other people to occupy the unused areas so it no longer felt so empty. ]
Home's kinda...a place that should feel cozy. I think? Your own little safe corner in the largeness of the city.
no subject
Maybe there's something to the apartments. She can see why he likes them.]
I'll have to visit yours sometime. [She doesn't really think of the implications. They're friends, of course she could call on him at his home sometime for a casual meeting. Right?]
no subject
But Alicia still came -- still met him at every outing after that. So she clearly wasn't bothered. Filled with a mix of uncertainty but also a boldness to act, Junpei's hand moves up to meet the one wrapped around his arm and he takes it within his own -- threading fingers with hers if she'll allow it. ]
If you wanna come over sometime, you can.
[ M-maybe for the games Tristan originally suggested. Tristan would likely be confused by the situation when Junpei claimed he couldn't invite Alicia over because of the implications, but hey! He technically didn't invite her. She invited herself and he happily accepted the invite.
.......of course, if she meant anything else by it, he would be down for that part too!
B-but Junpei's just operating under the belief that she would want to see his place as a friend. God, he's gonna have to make sure he cleans it up just in case she ever does drop by. ]
We could grab dinner and watch a movie, maybe?
no subject
It takes a second for her brain to catch up. He wanted to hold her hand? Is that -- she's not sure what that means. She knows what it makes her feel, what it might've meant in old Lumiére (not that she ever got the chance to, with anyone), but she doesn't know if that's what it means here. It makes her head spin.
But. It's her instincts driving her away, the old scars. She keeps reminding herself that this place doesn't have to be like that. Shouldn't she go after what she wants? And this doesn't have to mean anything. She doesn't have to give that much. So she reaches out, hesitantly, to try and take his hand again. She's nervous and flightly, but seems to want to make up for her reaction a second ago.
Right. What were they talking about?]
I've seen a couple movies. They're neat.
[...Of course, the kind of movies around in her day are wildly, wildly different than the stuff he's used to.]
no subject
He doesn't know how to interpret it. Maybe Alicia's skittish -- like a bird. The slightest noise or uncertainty could drive her into flight and she realized after the initial flight, it wasn't something dangerous. Maybe she's simply taking pity on him, but that doesn't seem right. Alicia doesn't seem the sort to do anything she didn't want to do. So then...she came back because she wanted to. She's holding his hand because she wants to. And Junpei doesn't have to make a big deal of it because Alicia's not making a big deal of it. She's talking about movies. Junpei could talk about movies, too.
And things could be completely normal. While they hold hands and the fish swim about the pond. ]
Riiight? I like movies with lots of action and heroes! But I could probably get into a good drama if that's your type of thing. The library has some DVDs, so I can check out their collection and see if there's anything we might wanna see? Really, the action movies are better on the big screen anyway!
[ He smiles. ]
Which I think there's a movie theater here somewhere, too. Maybe we oughta go check that out sometime, too? But only if they're playing something good!
[ Then again, Junpei would be more than happy to see a bad movie with Alicia, too. It would be funny to see her reaction and as long as they were doing it together -- it would still be super fun. ]
no subject
The way he talks, she begins to think that her idea of movies is very different from what he's talking about. They were short and rare in Lumiére, a new technology forgotten when the Fracture hit.]
I will trust your judgement. But nothing too sad or cruel, maybe.
no subject
Good vibes only! I wouldn't think of making you sit through a tearjerker. My favorite movies always have happy endings anyway. Usually they're about big heroes who face giant swarms of bad guys or monsters. And just when you think they're gonna be overwhelmed? Boom! They come through and save the day!
[ Smiling, his eyes drift toward the fish. ]
Usually, they get the girl in the end, too.
[ Which is only how he hopes his story plays out here. Being a hero, saving the worlds, and maybe at the end of it? He gives her hand a light squeeze.
But then he remembers the last mission. It's never far away from his mind, really. Even at the best of moments. His smile drifts away. ]
I know they're not exactly realistic. I saw first hand how things went down in Mesa and there were no hero moments there. But it's nice to have the movies. 'Cause in the movies you know no matter how tough things seem, they're gonna turn out good in the end.