InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Donald Duck the Suicide!"

Oubai, Kouchisei (daioujou) wrote in disappear_rpg,
@ 2010-06-05 20:17:00

Entry tags:

kiriko, kou

WHO: Kiriko and Kou.
WHAT: Investigation and bitching.
WHERE: Subako Department Store.
WHEN: Saturday afternoon.
WHY: Food!

The department store was an elegant, luxurious and very Japanese bastion where Kouchisei could be seen, and it also had some of the best service in the city. Kouchisei didn't look at the ground as he walked. There was a tram station underneath, and he imagined the carriage moving along the wire and rail.

The fashion and accessories department was open-floored and open-spaced, and built with polished stone and black lacquer, of which diamond patterns had been positioned across the floor. The glass windows reminded him of when he was young, and came with his parents to buy holiday gifts. He didn't think much of it now; he had enough money to come here, had lived in Iburi long enough to get used to it. Instead, his attention went onto other people.

These were the sort who wore street shoes indoors. He looked away, thinking it rude, but now he understood it was accepted behaviour. So he had chosen to lead by example - he was dressed smartly and facing a window and not paying much attention behind himself.

Well, at least he knew he could afford it. He'd have to check the pottery later.

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apathyisboring
2010-06-05 09:10 pm UTC (link)

"Oubai-san? Huh, what a surprise." Kiriko's street shoes were at least expensive and well-kept, and they clicked against the polished floor as she approached him. She was reflected in the window, dressed in leggings, a skirt and a sweater with her hands in front of her, carrying a shopping bag. She was also smiling - probably related to the shopping bag.

"I didn't think you came to these kinds of places very often."

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daioujou
2010-06-05 09:53 pm UTC (link)

The bizarre combination of meeting someone he knew in this store meant that Kouchisei was left standing and gazing at various parts of the department, and then looking outright confused when he turned around and focused his gaze on Kiriko. Saying what he was doing here meant putting his personal business into the open window. The hat suddenly felt uncomfortable on his head and he took it off.

He raised his left hand up and pushed the crick out of his neck. His long fingers curled into his palm after, and his contented expression moved downwards. In a moment it was replaced by something he hoped wasn't any expression at all, and perhaps he was still at a safe distance.

"I'm shopping. What's so strange about that? This store has something I want. I came here to buy it."

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apathyisboring
2010-06-05 09:56 pm UTC (link)

The smile faded into something a little more neutral, tinged with confusion. She couldn't keep her head from tilting. Oubai was awkward, that couldn't be argued, but he was this strange, dignified kind of awkward. Watching him trying to adjust himself to surprises was like watching a bird with ruffled feathers preen itself.

When he spoke, she was a bit taken aback by his defensiveness. "There's no need to snap. I was just saying hello." Irritating. "I just meant that I don't see you out and about very often."

Also that he was a shut-in stick-in-the-mud.

"What did you come here to buy?"

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daioujou
2010-06-05 10:28 pm UTC (link)

What exactly was Kiriko cross about? She had seemed offended by him, he thought; but this was how he spoke normally. Not that his father gave him much leeway like it when it came to associating with clients. Perhaps this was a misguided attempt to assert himself?

"Clothes, I suppose. Whatever exactly is good enough to wear. The ones here are all right, and by that I mean they don't need replacing after a few months." He glanced left and right, and then he shrugged. "They look nice, I guess? I'm usually too busy to pick them up myself."

From the moment Kiriko had found him she had been asking him questions. He ran a finger around his collar, looking frazzled. Then he thought of apologising. It didn't feel pleasant, and he'd only say it to keep her happy. But it was better to have someone happy with you than to ignore you. He had thought being ignored would be better, given some of the people in that school.

"Uh... I really don't know what else to say. Do you have any idea where the groceries are?"

Conversations were awkward. At least you could rehearse a speech.

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apathyisboring
2010-06-05 11:08 pm UTC (link)

She looked him over. He looked decent - you couldn't really go wrong with a conservative look, especially when you didn't believe in colour - but she was more interested in his opinion of what passed for nice, and why clothes shopping involved standing in front of a window and staring into nothingness.

Groceries? There was a pause, during which Kiriko imagined whistling wind and rolling tumbleweeds in the middle of the expensive mall. "Um. Yeah. I'll take you, follow me."

She turned and started off in the correct direction without waiting for any confirmation, trusting that Kou would follow.

"You're not planning to cook, are you?"

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daioujou
2010-06-05 11:39 pm UTC (link)

Kouchisei looked around thinking it wasn't best to watch her too long, and then a smile appeared on his face - just a little.

"Yeah, I..." He paused for a second. "It's nothing, really."

Now he was scratching his chin. Kiriko seemed so self-assured and confident, and he was sure she was more capable of co-ordinating their large group than anyone else, but he felt uncomfortable being around so many people. There were simply too many voices, all asking him questions.

"Why are you that surprised, anyway? Are the others giving you a rough time lately, enough that you want to talk to me?"

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apathyisboring
2010-06-06 07:11 pm UTC (link)

"Huh?"

She glanced back over her shoulder. Kou really was nervous - not to mention, apparently stuck in the past. Nobody had given her a particularly hard time for at least a couple months. Well - nobody except him.

"We're teammates, senpai. Why wouldn't I want to say hello when I see you around?" She turned her head back facing forward. "Besides, you're usually not one of the annoying ones."

A sudden left turn, a bit more walking, and a world of produce was suddenly opened to them.

"Here you go. What do you need to pick out?"

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daioujou
2010-06-06 10:39 pm UTC (link)

Kouchisei shrugged. He was looking forward to two things from doing his shopping: understanding from his father, and the ability to be capable of doing things for himself without having his hands held. But the thought of the first made him do the other, and he pressed a tense right fist into his left palm.

His mental image of Kiriko had shifted from when they'd first met, changing his judgment of her from a self-asserted female that made him uncomfortable, to a self-asserted female who was at least capable of seeing the world as it was. It was the sort of thing his father would say.

"Lamb and vegetables."

That was when he scratched his chin again. He was looking forward to seeing what sort of man he'd become once he managed to achieve his aims. So he looked around and was astonished by the quantity of what was avaliable.

He next referred to her confession and said, "Uh. I suppose there's a reason for saying that. I wouldn't mind hearing it."

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apathyisboring
2010-06-07 05:08 pm UTC (link)

"Just that it's the truth," she continued casually. She was leading him up the produce aisle now, after an awkward few moments where they had stood at the entrance of the grocery store while Kou apparently contemplated what to get and where. She moved slow enough that he could pick up whatever it was he wanted as they went, while some small voice in the back of her mind attempted to draft a plan on how to get free food out of this equation.

"You're grumpy sometimes, but usually pretty respectable... I think the only lamb they're going to have here is frozen, that's fine, right?"

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daioujou
2010-06-07 09:40 pm UTC (link)

"Not really."

His response was accompanied by a confused expression. A left hand was rising to scratch the back of his head as the other flattened itself over his trousers. This was knowledge, he told himself. He was happy that his father taught him most things. The advice was respectable, and he knew that sacrifices would have to be made if he was to get everything he wanted.

"I mean there's nothing wrong with that, but I prefer fresh. I don't plan on keeping it for later."

He looked at Kiriko once. She hadn't answered his question with as much detail as he had wanted. That was a pattern in her behaviour. Kiriko kept plenty of her own thoughts private, he believed. He looked around enough that he seemed interested, but he was already thinking of other places to shop. He hadn't really planned on her being around.

"It's kind of stupid talking about this, so I'll just mention I'm grateful for the help. Do you know where they keep spices?"

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apathyisboring
2010-06-08 02:48 am UTC (link)

She answered with a small noise and an indifferent shrug as she led him first through the section of produce where the fresh herbs were kept. It was while she was prodding at a dewy bundy of cilantro that she lifted her head up to look at him.

"So, what do you think of all the 'Idol frenzy'?"

She asked this with a smirk on her lips, and waited for the answer while looking over to the dried spices with vague interest.

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	daioujou 2010-06-08 12:55 pm UTC (link)
	Kouchisei snorted; his hands, when he rested them on the display counter to survey the herbs, pressed firmly in such a way that he hadn't noticed he might mark his palms. "Proper idols are pretty, cute and fresh-faced. They have grace, but that show was a farce. Not that I think much of either. The whole business is appallingly stupid." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

apathyisboring
2010-06-08 08:38 pm UTC (link)

She swept her eyes over him. That was approximately as expected. Kou was unfortunately too grumpy and unexciteable to ever be able to turn a profit from, but that did mean he'd be decent for conversation (and funny, what with not being in on the joke).

"Cute and fresh-faced, huh? I never expected you to say that, either." She waved him over to the next aisle, moving there herself at a leisurely pace. "Still, though - you have to admit, it's pretty funny. Ishinomori-kun as a cat? Well, I guess he'd be the easiest to catch dressed up in something bizarre, but still."

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daioujou
2010-06-08 09:09 pm UTC (link)

Kouchisei was quiet for a few seconds; his fingers drifted over the stalk of a spring onion. He tensed his shoulders - a breath was rising within his chest and it exited his mouth as a tired sigh.

"That's because they're all over twenty-five."

He followed Kiriko afterwards and didn't quite know where to look.

"I wouldn't even have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Didn't even know where to look. Still, I can't help but wonder how that performance will screw his reputation up. I understand he's fond of perverse things but it's all just a little bit too damaging."

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apathyisboring
2010-06-10 02:31 am UTC (link)

"I don't think so. He probably couldn't have gotten any worse - at least now he's notorious instead of invisible. Are you finding what you're looking for?" She hadn't seen him pick up a single item since they entered, and was now peering curiously at him. He was thoroughly distracted now, both by her presence and the present topic of conversation.

"If anyone needs to worry, it's that weird kid who dressed up as a girl."

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daioujou
2010-06-10 02:48 pm UTC (link)

Kouchisei exhaled at the sudden focus Kiriko had pushed him into - had he actually selected anything? He looked down; most of the vegetables were unwanted, pitted green olives and yellow peppers, so he ordered the spring onions as if telling her 'Look, I've done it'. He didn't really notice how fresh-faced the clerk was or rather he only remarked on it once and then took his purchase that had been wrapped up in a paper bag, which he put into his satchel.

And yet this wasn't interesting. That concert had been ridiculous, and something he was surprised the school had sanctioned.

"Noh drama had playing male and female roles," his tone was wistful, "so that isn't a problem. The problem is they suck. None of them were convincing, and didn't even seem to know the roots of the whole thing."

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	apathyisboring 2010-06-13 06:26 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh, I see." She pretended to be terribly occupied with she had picked up before, sifting through her shopping bags for something that wasn't there while she spoke. "So if they were good, you wouldn't care what they did?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

daioujou
2010-06-14 09:00 am UTC (link)

That was a loaded question, Kouchisei thought. It was about common decency and people knew he had opinions on that. Unfortunately he wasn't afraid of sharing them; he thought that other people needed to learn.

"Everything has its place; that doesn't have one off of the stage. I'd rather people didn't make exhibitions out of themselves. It's selfish." There was a pause. "I'm aware I did and I wish I hadn't."

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