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 Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:53 pm
"Oh, no reason," Lucretia replies with a small shrug. Then she quickly adds, "Or, well, I mean, if I know how to, then I also know how not to, right?"
As the bus stops at the next stop, the Raevan leans down to look out the front window. Then she tells Setsushi, "Next stop should be ours~"
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:09 pm
... Setsushi doesn't seem that he quite knows what to make of that answer. He looks the Raevan's posture and expression over, though, and decides to go ahead and treat it as a well-intentioned question, not as a threat.
"A Porcelain's heart breaks when his wife dies or when he is married against his will," he says slowly, his brow a little creased but the rest of his person not showing an excess of emotion. "Most men die of it." He pauses, regarding Lucretia; "But it is different from what humans call 'heartbreak.' That sort of sadness results from all variety of things -- such as a proposal being laughed at."
Setsushi assures Lucretia, however, that he believes it unlikely that she will ever find herself in a position to break a Porcelain's heart -- though he doesn't mean any offense by that. He just means to reassure her that she does not need to expend her energy on worrying about it.
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:44 pm
"Oh. Um. Okay." Lucretia did originally think heartbreak sounded like something deadly, but has since learned that it is not quite as physically terrible as it sounds. Unless it is literal for Porcelain somehow? Like... Porcelain like, breaks when you drop it?
"I still don't really understand," she admits. "But if I don't have to worry about it, then I guess I won't."
"... What do you talk about when you're on a date in Porcelainland?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:50 pm
... Setsushi is privately amazed at Lucretia's ability to ask him surprising questions. At the same time, as she asks more and more strange things, his anxieties relax somewhat.
"Whatever topic interests both parties," he answers. "Their enthusiasms... gossip... the subject of the outing. Anything." After all, the two are just on an outing; things between them should not be any different from usual--
... ... ... Though slowly, slowly, Setsushi is finally beginning to suspect that Lucretia means something different from a mere outing by the word 'date.' He cautiously inquires to this effect.
Does Madame in fact mean... "Courtship?" ... Which, he asserts with an unsuppressable blush, he and Lucretia are certainly not engaged in at present.
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:00 pm
"Courtship, like...?" The Raevan trails off, looking momentarily confused until she notices the Knight's blush, which makes her giggle a little. "Of course we are. It's Valentine's Day. I gave you chocolates and everything.
"Although it doesn't have to be a date date next time if you decide you wanna come play laser-tag with me again, I guess. It's just... today's an important holiday and all, so.
"... Do you, uh, have any interesting gossip?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:07 pm
... Setsushi really needs to study Gaian customs more carefully, doesn't he? Or he'll end up in this kind of situation... Because they are definitely not engaged in courtship, he reminds Lucretia firmly.
... Of course -- he strokes his chin as this thought comes to him -- perhaps they are on a 'date,' but in a game of mock-courtship, such as that children play during the Red Festival. This idea seems to cheer him up considerably, and his anxiety disappears in favor of a smile.
"I am sadly deficient in gossip," he admits; "I shall have to ask Tenkyuu for some when I next see her. ... Does Madame have any interesting gossip? Or perhaps Madame may teach me about the customs of her people?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:17 pm
"Okay, okay, it's not really courtship," Lucretia finally admits. "I'm not trying to steal you for myself or anything. But I promise the laser-tag will be no less fun."
"My people?" The Raevan rubs her chin, too, glancing upwards as she wonders what there is to tell him. "We don't really have any customs that I know of. I'm not even one year old yet, so I don't really know a whole lot beyond what Kumoru has taught me. I know a lot about Gaian customs, though. There's been a lot on TV recently about Valentine's Day. Chocolates and flowers and heart-shapes and diamond jewelry are pretty important, but I'm not sure I could tell you why." She laughs a little to herself again, and lets go of the handle overhead so she can switch hands holding it.
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:21 pm
Not one year old? ... Privately, Setsushi decides this explains much about her behavior -- and smiles a bit more.
"Perhaps I am so sadly ignorant because I do not have a tivi," Setsushi speculates.
He glances out the window before replying, then looks up to Lucretia. "Is this the stop?" he asks, shifting his slightly stiff legs a little. Maybe he should have just stood...
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:46 pm
"Eh, TV isn't always all that great," she tells him. "Interesting sometimes, but like, my brother Bhel watches some really stupid shows in the afternoons. Like there's this one with these guys-"
Lucretia stops abruptly as Setsushi asks about the stop and nods eagerly, seeming to forget about her complaints regarding her choice of brother's programs. "Yeah, this is us," the Raevan exclaims happily, backing away from Setsushi's seat to give him enough space to get up, and also offering him a hand to help him stand if he needs it.
"The place is right around the corner from the stop, so we're as good as there. Are you excited?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:26 pm
Setsushi sends a kind thought to Lucretia, acknowledging her offer of assistance, but stands on his own, unfolding his long limbs slowly.
Setsushi isn't quite sure that he'd call himself 'excited.' "Full of anticipation," perhaps. He is sure it will be an interesting experience, if nothing else.
Well then, "Please lead the way..."
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:03 pm
Once they are off of the bus, the Raevan leads Setsushi to the end of the block and around the corner. Then she points to a black brick building with no windows decorated with huge neon letters that read, "LAZ0RTAG CENTER". She allows herself a moment to bask in the wonder of the storefront, then goes to get the door for Setsushi.
Inside the lobby of the place, there are various arcade machines at one end and a snack counter at the other end. In the middle is an ominous-looking labeled "briefing room". Apparently the discount for couples in honor of Valentine's Day drew out a larger crowd of the older players of laser-tag, so fortunately, there are not nearly as many eight-year-olds underfoot as usual.
Lucretia allows him a few moments to look around, then edges closer to him again, reaching for his hand again while also pointing out the cashier. "How many games do think you want to play? At least one, right, so you can have a practice round?" She figures they probably only need to kill an hour or so to give Kumoru enough time.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:13 pm
Setsushi regards the many pairs around them, a bit of anxiety creeping back into his mind. He worries privately; the Gaians will not be so offended at this uncle-and-niece -- grandniece, even? he will not accidentally engage in some gross breach of local propriety? and he won't end up in some dreadful, dreadful situation by the outing's end??
... Snapping out of this haze of worry, he considers Lucretia's question. Well, Setsushi would normally say "As many as Madame would like," but he cannot be sure how long it will take him to learn the rules and rhythm of the game, not if he will have the energy for several games.
"I trust your good judgment," he concludes. Smiling a bit nervously, he adds, "Be gentle with me."
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:57 pm
"Well, you're a little tall, so you might have to be careful going through doorways, but anyone's allowed to play." The girl shrugs and heads over to the counter to pay for three games for the two of them.
"Looks like our first game will start in a few minutes," she tells him, then purrs, "And don't worry, I'll be gentle. We'll play on the same team, so you won't have to worry about me kicking your butt."
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:03 pm
Setsushi assures Madame that he has hit his forehead on so many doorframes in his life, the front of his brain has become safely calloused against injury sweatdrop
... Setsushi also vaguely wonders why Lucretia would kick his buttocks -- indeed, how she would -- but feeling a little awkward and shy, does not question. Instead he stands out of the way of the traffic, hunched a little with his arms wrapped loosely around himself, self-conscious and nursing a feeling of, well...
An impending, embarrassing failure.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:17 pm
[...]
Lucretia drifts out of the Laz0rTag arena after the first game happily fluttering her wings and grinning.
"I think our team might have won!" she shouts excitedly, and tries to herd Setsushi over to the end of the counter sporting a screen with the statistics for the past match. "You look for your vest number up on the screen up there, and it'll tell you how many points you got, and then they print out detailed score sheets for us."
Still practically vibrating with excitement, the Raevan hovers around close to the Knight, radiating a bit more cold air than usual. "Did you have fun~?"
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