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 Posted: Mon May 28, 2018 10:06 pm
The bistro wasn't crowded; it seldom was with its poor location. Set at the bottom of the stairs in an awkward, dead-end alleyway, the bistro actually took its patrons underground. And while they made up for a poor first impression using table lighting and votive candles over water, often they lost a lot of business at their seedy storefront. But where crumbling plaster and windows in desperate need of repair deterred some, Ice found a certain kinship with the battered façade. He'd been stopping by once a month since he first discovered the place.
Presently he sat at a booth that jutted from a mural-laden wall. on the mural itself was a splendid recreation of one of the original Tale of Genji scrolls as featured in a New York museum. The painter paid expert care to representation of figure, recreation of scene, and its location in space — no corners were cut in this impeccable fabrication. And Ice always asked for this seat, as it neared the illicit affair taking place just beyond the mouth of a building. Ice often caught himself staring at it instead of the menu.
Now was one such time. Wistfully he turned his attention to his phone instead, where his messaging app sat open and waiting. He touched Alphonse's contact and hesitated for another long moment — was it really a good idea to bother the boy now? Surely he had school or work or some other obligation going on and couldn't spare a moment for some strange fellow met at an AA meeting. Especially a strange fellow who ditched said AA meeting for greener pastures. And wetter ones too, he supposed. Sighing, he began typing a message nonetheless.meighei Hey, it's Ice. I'm down at the Gold Lotus bistro on Fairview and Germane. Care to join me? Save you a seat.
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 12:58 pm
The sound of a flute playing an odd and brief melody could be heard emitting from the pocket of a young man as he was just heading to his dorm room. As he reached for the small, bright screen, he let the brown paper bag he was carrying down at this door. The message made him smile. Perhaps things were looking up for him again. Alphonse walked into the dark establishment and it had the earthly, if a bit mustly, smell of being underground. He didn't mind. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't recall what now. He perked up as he saw Ice at the table under the mural. The Tale of Genji. That was on his reading list for next semester for that Japanese literary history elective he had decided to try for himself. "Umm... Hi." He began as he took a seat. Something about the atmosphere made him speak just above a whisper, like he might just disturb something unknown. "I hope I am not too late. I had some trouble finding this little place."✪Strickenized Sorry for the wait! Again.
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 10:59 am
"It's a trouble to find," Ice agreed readily. And while Alphonse searched about for the place, Ice opted to sate his appetite with some tea. The mostly empty cup sat at the corner of his place mat, lukewarm in its earthen-toned cup.
"But you're certainly not late." The absence of food before him was notable — mainly to his own stomach. "Company makes the appetite whetter and all that. However that saying goes." He pawed at the air in dismissal. Maybe it wasn't a saying at all, but that didn't matter either; he was mainly interested in devouring half the restaurant by now. Or perhaps less, in consideration for his butt and thighs afterward.
"They'll swing by and take our order in a few minutes. In the mean time, how've you been?" He propped his arm on the table and curled it against his chin as he looked to his companion. The boy looked worn down in the way that only the elderly got when they lacked something to live for, and that gave Ice pause. Sure, he'd hit his low points here and there, but Alphonse looked like he was busily reinventing desolation. So far as Ice knew, Alphonse wasn't the starving artist type. Life must not have been on the upswing.
Ice suddenly startled out of his internal evaluations. "Oh, and you'll want this." He plucked his own menu from the place mat and handed it off to the beleaguered boy.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:34 am
"Better."The reply was, in its own way, measured. 'Better' was such a thing that was defined, not alone by itself, but in relationship to another. And it always begged the question: 'better' than what? Still, it was a good response, regardless. 'Better' was still much greater than 'worse'. Speaking on the relationship between things, the young man, while not quite as old as his companion who offered him a menu from across the table, seemed to seek others like the youth that have just crossed the line between child and adult tend to do. While the smile was measured like the response, it was quite genuine. "How have you been?"✪
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 1:15 pm
'Better' sounded promising. Whether Alphonse stuck with the dolorous AA meetings or switched to a different support group or ditched support altogether, he looked a little healthier for it. The sallow retreated a touch from his cheeks and he didn't wear the burden of depression so heavily. Improvement was a good look for him, certainly.
"Oh, I've been quite fine. Still get raging pissed about the damndest things. Drinking less has a habit of winding me up, but usually it doesn't turn out like this." Usually it left him wan and meager, like an old sign left in the sun until its brilliance turned a bleached blue. But in many ways, the past year and change gave him reason to bite. The myriad disappointments in his life challenged him in a way that sadness and withdrawal failed to allay. And, perhaps, anger was more dangerous — anger presented more opportunity to venomously destroy relationships and set him at odds with the law.
Or with the Negaverse. Ice's easy demeanor faltered, his smile flickering away for a second before the waiter arrived.
While older, with crow's feet well-blended into his baggy eyelids, the man provided a genuine smile. "Are you ready to order?" The ask was punctuated with an easy pose of hands behind his back.
"Crab Rangoon with a garden salad, please." Ice fobbed off his menu gracelessly.
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:42 am
"Crab ragoon sounds good to me too. I will take a salad as well. Ginger dressing, if you have it." It was hard to tell if he was just copying his guest's order to be polite, but then he added a request for a sampling of their teas. He choose three and asked for small cups. It was good to know Ice was doing fine. Not great, but fine. Alphonse could understand that. He himself had never really struggled with anger and he pondered this as he watched Isaiah's expression briefly change. What had that been about? "What have you been up to lately? I... Haven't been back at the meetings...It just didn't help much, I admit. But I have found other things that do. You?"✪
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 11:27 am
"Alright, thank you very much." The old waiter gathered the menus with a light tremor to his hands. After a sincere nod to the pair, he ambled off in direction of the kitchen. He paused but once to bid another older fellow a hearty hello, but otherwise adhered strictly to his job.
Ice's pause lasted only so long as the older man took to depart. "Well," he turned his attention to Alphonse again, "it's mostly the usual. Work six days a week at the pawn shop, cut deals where I can, move s**t around, and work my other job on Sundays. It's getting to me, you know? All this work and no play. It's a good thing I'm not named Jack, I suppose." Ice shot his companion a knowing look.
Did Alphonse have an alter ego? Perhaps he was a senshi, or a Negaverse agent. That would certainly weigh into the troubles he had — but anyone at that age could be troubled quite easily. The cusp of adulthood was bitter and hard, and ever willing to draw blood.
"Other than that, there's not been much to help me out. Taking trips does, but those get lonely fast." He chewed the inside of his lip. Secrets are a terrible thing to balance. Fun, but terrible.
It wasn't long before the old waiter returned with the tea order, balanced lightly on a wobbling serving dish, and he parked each of the cups in a careful arch around Alphonse's setting. "Here you are," he remarked with a smile. "Just be careful." Next came the pot of boiling water that was set on the opposite side. Ice's water was the last glass to serve before he departed again.
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:48 pm
Alphonse hadn’t realized that Ice had a full-time job. He supposed he should have figured that - he was older than he was and outside of the traditional college age range. He felt a bit odd that he was so used to fellow students and their problems that he hadn’t much thought of the issues a full adult would have. The young man felt as if he was in some stage of quasi-adulthood. He worked part time, but was also in school. He could pay for his own rooming accommodations, but couldn’t legally drink alcohol. He wasn't yet twenty-one - albeit that hadn’t stopped him earlier... ”I work part-time at my parent’s shop. Well, when I am not in class.” It appeared that they were both juggling multiple obligations. ”Is the pawn shop yours or do you work for someone?”Alphonse let the tea cool down a bit being content for now with the conversation. ✪
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:12 pm
"You're not cutting class, are you?" Ice had operated so long in the day-by-day that he forgot the date, and after looking, shot Alphonse an apologetic look. Get it together, already. How do you expect to be doing anything knightly when you can't even remember the date? Probably insulted the kid by now.
Breathing a low sigh, Ice fiddled with the edge of a napkin. "Does that actually leave time for studying? I don't know how it is for you, but when I went to college for art, I near about died without a part-time job. Maybe four hours of sleep a night trying to get all that homework done. I almost didn't get the degree." And he certainly didn't get it on time with the 18-22 college range, either. "I have drugs to thank for that." And poor choices and poor influences and poor self-esteem.
Ice shifted his gaze falling straight across to Alphonse as their waiter swept in again. Two trays, identical to one another in the way that chefs did expertly, were placed before each of them. Untouched appetizer plates disappeared next, and with a flourish, their waiter excused himself to other tables.
The puffs looked perfect in their delicately folded plus shapes with wantons golden at the edges. Their middles were soft, well-packed with cream cheese and flavor, with a salad added to dominate the greater half of the plate. Ice paused his admirations to take out his cell phone, level a proper shot, and snap away at the dish. It looked far better on the plate than it would in his mouth, he supposed. A pity, certainly.
"But yes, for your earlier question, I own the pawn shop. For now, at least. Unless I decide to sell it. What are you going to college for, if I might ask? Not pawn shop ownership, I hope."meighei congrats on becoming a gaia forum assistant!
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 3:03 pm
So much had been happening in his other life - his life as a knight - that he was actually happy to be focusing more on school. The end of the semester helped him avoid thinking too much about that. ”No... I’m not cutting class...” Alphonse turned red. Suddenly, Ice felt so much older than him. ”I really kind of like it now. I never was very good in high school. But college is a lot better for me.” True. He always had been a middling student in his earlier years. ”Oh, no. Not buisiness. I could never own my own place like my parents do.” Alphonse shook his hands before picking up the chopsticks and landing a wonton perfectly into his mouth. ”Japanese studies,” was his reply though it was about as hard as a foreign language to understand with the food in his cheeks. ✪Strickenized Thanks! Sorry if it has gotten me distracted from role-playing.
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:26 am
"Take it from someone who knows — owning a business sucks the life right out of you." Ice gave him a knowing nod as he sipped his drink. "It's a lot like having a child, but without all the body fluids. Costs an enormous amount of money, about eight-days-a-week of your time, and puts you into a sanity debt.
"But Japanese studies… What's that degree good for, if you don't mind my asking? Are you going to be a translator? Or maybe live there?" Which, he supposed, living there could be quite interesting. They certainly knew how to get as drunk as feasibly possible and then some. And he really couldn't knock the idea of a love hotel — he wished for a few out in Destiny City a few times — so they certainly had the right idea on the entertainment side of the spectrum. He didn't hear terribly encouraging things about their job sector, however.
Maybe that choice of study wasn't going well. Or maybe — "Do you still live with your parents?" Because if Ice was at that age, he'd be doing far worse than drinking. He'd probably be quite dead and cold by now.
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:39 am
”I want to be a translator. At least - that’s what I want right now.”To be honest, he hadn’t even known he wanted Japanese studies since six months ago. He could hardly be sure what he would do with it. But the cat, Tama, had been telling him the stories of his time in Japan - what he could remember from before his awakening, anyway. He had always loved foreign cultures and it had sparked something inside him. Plus, there was that strange kimono his ancestor wore... ”I don’t live in my parents’ apartment anymore.” Could he call it an apartment if it was above their shop? He continued. ”I live in the dorms at Sovereign Heights.”✪
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 10:47 am
C'mon kid, you're killing me here. I don't think I've met anyone more checked out of a conversation. Ice clicked his teeth together as he debated picking up the check now. It'd get that awkwardness out of the way, certainly, but it was a touch passé to leave the kid behind, wasn't it? Especially when he might have more on offer for Ice.
"I have a good friend who translates for an embassy somewhere. I think out in… Ukraine? Somewhere like that." He waved away the details. "Says it's a pretty good life. Not what he expected so much when he became a translator — I suppose he wasn't thinking about the dynamic of relationships he would have — but he likes it better than what he thought it'd be. All that's to say, here's hoping it treats you well." He raised a glass for a toast.
The next time he spotted their waiter, he signaled a pen in the air and the man nodded to him astutely. Ice's shoulders relaxed.
"I should be getting back soon," he explained preemptively. "I've a few more social obligations to fulfill this afternoon. It was quite nice seeing you again, Alphonse."
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:51 pm
He hoped he wasn’t boring Ice with his college life worries and aspirations. After all, they did sound a bit uninteresting even to Alphonse himself. Not when he knew what crazy times he had been having as a knight lately. But he couldn’t just talk about that now, could he? The young man guessed everything was going to be simply ordinary sounding if you left out the part where you are moonlighting as some sort of cosmic protector with magical powers. At least, his new friend would never have to worry about that. Alphonse smiled a smile that showed he still had some of the carelessness of youth. ”It was nice seeing you again under better circumstances, Ice.”✪
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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