genessia | Autumn, November 5th

Entry tags:

Autumn, November 5th - Super Date

Video - Shrine

[ Ayame is hanging out at the shrine for some fresh air; lying down on a bench with a cup of coffee with a straw (actually booze), a sketchbook, and her trusty camera on the ground beside her. She was at a loss. An art block, perhaps? Or something else... Truth is, she watched a talk show earlier and they talked about the topic. It interested her enough that it's all she could think about. She plays with her comm device, lightly tapping it against her chin and lower lip while staring idly at the sky. With a hum, she fires it up and ponders on using the anonymous option to hide her identity to the network. But she decided to just show herself anyway.

Sitting up and fixing her hair, Ayame starts the video ]

Good morning, Genessia. I just have a quick question. Actually a couple. Might seem out of nowhere, but to the point: one - in your opinion, what are good places in this world to go on a date? Two - if you have you ever dated anyone while you were in here, was it worth it?

[ She doesn't really know a lot about things that normal people do, dates being one of them. But she knows enough about it that she can understand people's aversion to it here, since anyone can vanish at anytime. Still, with the alcohol loosening her usually reserved personality up a bit along with her morbid curiosity, she just had to know ]

To those unaware of what a date is. It's modern human vernacular for a time and place for people to meet and get to know each other, often romantically.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's a bit more complicated than that. But, I'd be glad to teach you if you want to learn.

[Don't mind him, he's just going to grin, already imagining how he's going to instruct her in how to handle the pole.]

Hm...

[ Ayame gives the pool table another look, rolling her shoulders and leaving her purse on the bar with her drink. ]

I won't oppose learning another skill. So, of course. I wouldn't mind.

[ Ayame steps off from the seat, heels clacking as she makes her way towards the pool table to eye it curiously, letting Dante take the pool cue sticks for them. She leans forward a little to get a good idea of how the game goes in her mind. He can look, but he can't touch. Not with his hands, at least. ]

I've never got to find out. Is this a form of gambling?

[And look he does. He takes a long moment to appreciate the scene before taking a couple cues from the rack on the wall, handing one over to Ayame while setting his on the floor leaning against the table while he set about racking the balls.]

People do gamble on it, but it isn't a requirement. Mainly it's just a game of skill and geometry.

[Once the balls are racked, he moves closer to Ayame, setting the cue ball on its designated spot.]

You hit the white ball here with the stick in order to hit the other balls into the pockets. Once the first ball goes in, you're assigned either solids or stripes. Then you try to get your balls into the holes first ending with the black 8 ball, and then you've won. So. You want to take the first shot?

[ Ayame gestures to the barkeep for another round of drinks for herself before turning her attention back to Dante ]

I thought you'd never ask.

[ Ayame takes the cue and quietly appreciative of the feel, balance, and weight of it. It's much like a weapon. She thinks back to the way she's seen people play it, assuming the stance by taking a deep lean forward, poking her hips out. Her stance is correct for the most part, but the way she held the stick was more like holding a spear. Her rear hand gripped the stick in a fist. If she hits the cue ball with that, it will fly around the entire place and punch a hole in the wall. ]

Hm. This doesn't feel right.

You're way too tense.

[He steps in behind Ayame, placing his hands over hers while putting her fingers into a proper position for the forward hand.]

You need to loosen up, especially in the front. Think of it like a fight. If you look too tense up front, you betray your worry. And if you don't have anything to back it up, you're going to end up hurting yourself.

Just breathe, and poke that ball hard.

[No innuendo there at all.]

[ Ayame feels goosebumps crawl across her skin as she feels Dante walk behind her, and a tingling surge in her veins when Dante's hands brush and fold over her own. She almost gasped. Not sure of what to think of this. A flood of heat rushes to her skin and face, while her attention remains fixed on Dante's instruction. Taking a quiet breath, she exhales her tension away ]

Like this?

[ Unfortunately, that innuendo flew over Ayame's head. But Dante still manages to get a reaction out of her. Figuring out how much strength she has to use, Ayame gives the white ball the gentlest of taps with the cue stick, firing away at the others in a sharp clack followed by soft thuds as each billiard ball bounce against the sides of the table. None of them got in to the holes, leaving Dante with a complicated mess to deal with. ]

My. That was quite a rush.

[ Ayame holds grips the cue stick at her side, wrapping her fingers around it and fanning herself with her other hand. ]

I think I should get in the hang of this game. Perhaps next time we can add in bets?

Yeah, just like that.

[He grins a bit as he steps away, leaning on the table with one hand.]

I'm a sucker for gambling, but I think you may want to get better before we start placing bets just yet. Unlike most forms of gambling where I have horrible luck, this is all about trajectories and angles. That, I can do.

[To demonstrate, Dante takes his cue, moves over to the ball, and with barely a glance at the rest of the table hits the cue ball in such a way that it weaves its way between several balls, hitting off the side bumpers at least five times before coming to a slow stop, bumping a single ball into a corner pocket.]

[ Ayame watches Dante take his turn, carefully eyeing his form and technique from where she stood. The clack of the white ball striking the others got her attention back to the game.

Walking to the corner for her turn, Ayame hunches forward to get a better look at the possible trajectories that Dante had left for her. Standing back up with her lips pursed and a hand on her hip, Ayame takes a second before assuming the shooting stance ]

That sounds like a plan.

[ With that, Ayame taps the ball with the point of her cue, leading to a game with Dante ending up the victor. Ayame took a drink in between turns, so much that she forgot how many pints of boilermakers she's had already. By the end of it all, Ayame is starting to feel a little woozy ]

My my, time sure flew. What time is it?

[ Ayame holds her head with one hand, frowning at her wrist watch without realizing the clock is on the other side of her arm ]

[Dante just chuckles.]

Time to get you home from the looks of things. C'mon, I'll walk ya back.

Nooo...

[ She whines, but almost immediately and in the same breath, Ayame nods and whispers in defeat: ]

...Okay.

[ She's starting to have a hard time walking straight so much that her balance was shaken from one wrong step, causing her to almost flail her arms in the air. The bartender couldn't help but not chuckle at the sight while he cleans up the bar ]

Ooh! I know! I- I can create a portal! Just a sec-

[ Her speech is slurred despite the confidence in her claim. She draws a circle (or as close to a circle as she can) in the air with her hand, creating a portal that fails to stay open ]

Huh. I swear I can make them.

[ When sober, yes. When drunk, she still can if there's ample reason and motivation to. But her subconscious mind has other plans. Dante's offer to walk her home sounds really romantic and it tickles her lonely heart that she doesn't want to miss this chance. ]

[Dante reaches out to catch Ayame, looping an arm around her waist as she stumbles. When the portal fails to stay open he just chuckles and shakes his head.]

I believe ya. Besides, I could use the exercise. C'mon, let's get you home.

Ooh~ Well okay. If you say so Mr. Deputy.

[ Ayame giggled when Dante caught her. His strong arm press against her waist felt like being dipped during a dance. Their trip went like normal.

With Ayame being too drunk to say much on the cab that Dante got for them. Her head bobs left and right throughout the trip, finding its way to Dante's shoulder. Closing her eyes she mumbles unintelligible things under her breath from time to time, until the cab pass through the threshold and making it to Genessia, then to Riverplace Square where Ayame lives.

Exiting the vehicle, Ayame struggles to leave the cab even with Dante's help, and even more so when going to the apartment building's main entrance. All of a sudden, Ayame seemed to have found her voice again after looking at the profile of Dante's face from where she stands, making conversation while they decide to go for the stairs or wait until an available elevator shows up ]

Hmm how long have you been in this world again?

[Dante was more than happy to let Ayame use him for support as they traveled. It'd been a long time since he'd had such a feeling that wasn't quickly followed by a slap or something similar.]

Just a few months really. I've never been big on keeping track of time really. I've been here long enough to get used to the craziness at the very least.

Hmm...

[ She almost wondered what Dante would define as crazy, really. He just seems to be the type to be unfazed by anything. Even the Halloween event where people turned into monsters would seem like something Dante would think of as Tuesday. ]

And in that time how many girls have you walked home with?

[ An elevator bell dinged just as Ayame finished her question, looking up at Dante and holding on to his arm firmly. She could almost feel Dante's bicep from over the leather and fabric that covers it ]

[That gets a bit of a chuckle. He's not much of a lady's man despite the flirting.]

You're the first, actually.

Oh, is that so? I almost find that hard to believe.

[ An elevator bell dings as it arrived on the ground floor, opening up with an older woman getting in before Dante and Ayame could reach it. Ayame's so groggy and slow that even an old woman with a cane managed to outpace her. Luckily, this woman already pushed for the fourth floor, so all Ayame could do is get assisted by Dante as the elevator closes.

The old woman just grins to herself while eyeing how close Ayame is standing next to Dante, and how tightly she grips his arm for support ]

For all my flirting, I rarely get any takers.

[Dante grins and mouths a silent apology to the old lady as they exit the elevator and move toward her door.]

Okay, which apartment are you?

404.

[ Ayame slurred and yawned, hopping off the elevator with Dante as her crutch. She looks up to him with narrowed eyes, thinking about what he just said a few seconds ago ]

Really? Handsome man like you don't get any takers?

[ She hummed, directing her attention to where she's walking if only momentarily before she looked at him again ]

So I'm your first?

[ A question with an obvious answer, but she'd drunk and feeling more of a tease than usual. There was an almost, very quiet giggle in the way she asked that though. ]

Apartment not found?

[He chuckles at his own joke, not expecting Ayame to get it in the condition she's in.]

Yeah, it's baffling to me too. Then again, most of the time they're either too young for me, or already taken. Doesn't stop me from flirting though. And yeah, you're my first. To walk home anyway. I've got plenty of experience in other fields.

[ Ayame felt like something flew over her head when Dante said that joke. "Not found"? What did he mean by that, the number is visible on the door, one that she leaned her back on once she lets go of Dante. ]

Is that so? Well. You're my first too. One to walk me back to my home, I meant to say.

[ Awkward silence filled the air after that, with Ayame catching herself looking at Dante's eyes a little too long before she shyly looks away to open the door to her apartment ]

Well then, I... thank you for the good time. I hope to see you around, Dante.

[ Ayame said as she enters her apartment, leaving a bit of the door open as she said her goodbye, with a hopeful tune that hints she's looking forward for a second date ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Autumn, November 5th - Super Date

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject