InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Wash this!"

kondo kozue | 近藤梢 (anthesphoria) wrote in disappear_rpg,
@ 2009-07-14 21:57:00

Entry tags:

keiichi, kozue

Who: Kozue and Keiichi.
What: It's a thing. Coffee and pastries are involved.
Where: Chagall Cafe in Iburi.
When: A few days after Toru's dungeon: after school.
Why: She owes him dessert! That's totally why.

When Kozue found out that tennis practice had been canceled - the captain was down with a cold or something, and the other girl in charge had sprained her ankle while running sprints in gym, and besides, they didn't have any matches coming up for what seemed like ages - it was the perfect time to make good on her promise to Keiichi. And to take a break and get some kind of pastry - which, really, she deserved after that insane experience in Ishinomori's version of "Paradise". Maybe she could get some kind of personal reward program going: a pastry or a candy bar every time she fought a Shadow? Or something like that.

Although the trip through Toru's dungeon didn't seem, in retrospect, as horrible as her team-mates were making it out to be - sure, the thing with the tentacles had been horrifying and sinister in a late-night-anime sort of way, but that "ren'ai" level had been no worse than a game of truth or dare. Well, maybe a bit of a risque one, but... Truth be told, that was one reason that coffee with Keiichi had jumped to the front of her ideas for her empty afternoon: she wanted to see what he thought of the fact that she'd kissed him. It had been a game - a kind-of sort-of game at least, but some boys sure got weird if you kissed them.

She made her way up from the athletic fields to the second year hallway, pondering that as she started looking for Keiichi. School had barely ended - she hoped he'd still be around, although, if not, she could always check the dorms. Still, she wondered, distracted, why did boys get weird like that? Weren't girls supposed to be the emotional, clingy ones? But no - she'd once kissed (well, that and maybe a few other things besides but) a boy from another school who had almost immediately started discussing what their children would look like and what kind of house they should have. Creepy.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-21 04:58 am UTC (link)

"Oh, uh - I didn't mean to..." To bring up unpleasant things for him, at least. Clearly, he was annoyed. "You really don't need to listen to what they all tell you to be," she said after a moment, waving her hand a little over the top of the table. "I mean... you're probably doing the best, or among the best."

He had said as much to Kiriko, too, and though Kozue was sure some other members of the team (or whatever they were? "Team"? They weren't much like any sports team, for one thing) wouldn't appreciate it, she didn't care. She wasn't good at any of this Persona stuff yet. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be: it was a weird group, and a weird role to find herself in.

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keiito
2009-07-21 05:16 am UTC (link)

"They let things get to them too easily," Keiichi replied, making sure to lower his voice. "That whole...game bothered them. I think they took it personally, even though Toru's not to blame for it, really."

Being upset by it he could understand.

"The datesim, for example." Ito sighed. This was going to be the difficult part. "People were...giving us looks. Like what we did was somehow wrong..."

Keiichi was firmly sure that it wasn't wrong in the slightest, his growing affections for the girl aside. They'd done what they'd had to do to advance onwards. And yet...people seemed insistant on making him feel bad about that fact.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-21 05:31 am UTC (link)

"Maybe they're just prudish," Kozue commented, perhaps a bit too soon. She'd thickened her skin to reactions like that, mostly, by telling herself that other people were prudes: she wasn't the one who was unusual. They were. "It was a kiss, and that's really not such a big deal."

Seriously: worse things could have happened. Like Reizo taking off his clothing - or hell, Shiori and Kozue and Misaki stripping instead. She recalled that all three of them had volunteered. And been turned down, which gave her some unsavory thoughts about Ishinomori, to be sure. She and Misaki were the prettiest girls in their year - well, the two of them and Kiriko, if you liked ice queens with dark hair - and who would be dumb enough to turn that down?

She shook her head a little, and looked back at Keiichi, with a sigh. Back on topic, such that it was. "I figured they were just annoyed at the whole thing. I... didn't put you in an awkward position, did I?"

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keiito
2009-07-22 03:32 am UTC (link)

Oddly enough, he tended to think a kiss was a bit more of a big deal in general...but the circumstances were such that they'd needed to. The fact that he was getting *glares* about it was unconscionable to him. What were they supposed to do, sit there?

"I don't know if they're prudes or not," he replied, "but it sort of bothers me. I try my best to be part of the team, to help out, and..."

His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. "No, you didn't put me in an awkward situation at all. People just need to grow up."

There was more to the story of course, but he really didn't want to bring it up in public.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-22 04:09 am UTC (link)

Kozue was momentarily distracted from the conversation as their waiter carried out their drinks, and the two cakes: Kozue perked up a little, and slid her coffee over towards her place setting. And it looked - and smelled - amazing.

"As long as it wasn't a problem for you, there really aren't other people directly involved." She shrugged, and picked up her utensils. "I guess we can split the cakes onto two different plates, one for each of us? Or..." She from the dishes across to Keiichi as if to ask, any better ideas? This wasn't technically cooking - but - he was the chef, nonetheless. Maybe he would have a better idea.

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keiito
2009-07-22 04:41 am UTC (link)

"We can do that," he replied, shrugging his shoulders good-naturedly. "Or we can just take from the bigger plates and share them like that. I trust you not to eat the entire thing." Taking a sip of his coffee, he smiled. Ah, bliss. He didn't really like coffee that much, but it felt warm going down his throat.

"Whatever's easier for you, Kondo-san." A bit formal, but he tended to err on the side of formality. "And don't worry. It wasn't a problem for me at all."

'Nice job,' he thought to himself. 'That was smooth, except not at all.'

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anthesphoria
2009-07-22 05:12 am UTC (link)

"If you don't mind?" His suggestion was easier, after all, and Kozue was nothing if not willing to take shortcuts that meant she'd have to do less work and still get the same result in the end. "I promise, I won't eat it all," she added, with a grin that she hoped came across as mischievous - but not too mischievous. She really wasn't going to eat it all.

She took a sip of her own coffee, through the straw that had been provided, and then promptly pulled the dish of sugar cubes over, and dropped another one in. She'd said 'plenty of sugar', but this just wasn't 'plenty', at least not by her definition of the word.

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keiito
2009-07-22 07:24 pm UTC (link)

"It's settled then," he replied, good-naturedly, going for a bite of cobbler. Keiichi loved peaches, and peaches with a buttery crust and ice cream were just another slice of heaven.

That was the other wonderful thing about cooking, being able to create delicious things for himself and others. He couldn't be a conventional artist, but with food and fire, he could create something of a work of art.

Keiichi smiled as she reached for the sugar cubes. "Someone's got a sweet tooth," he asked, taking a sip of his own coffee. Just enough milk, and not too sweet, since the desserts would carry that aspect of the meal for him.

...sometimes he really DID think he watched too much Tungsten Chef.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-22 07:39 pm UTC (link)

"Hmf," Kozue said, turning up her nose a bit playfully, and taking another sip of her coffee to make the point. "It tastes best this way. Otherwise," her face turned to a considering sort of almost-frown. "It tastes like coffee otherwise."

Ignoring, by force of will, the idiocy of that opinion, Kozue reached out for a bite of the chocolate, making sure to get plenty of the whipped cream as well. After all, she did have a terrible sweet tooth. People were always telling her how childish it was, but she couldn't help it. At least Keiichi hadn't accused her of being infantile: it wasn't really fair. Liking sugar wasn't childish! Really.

The chocolate cake was good - she had neither Keiichi's culinary appreciation nor his vocabulary to describe or think about the dish, but she usually managed well enough with "good" and "yummy", at the end of the day.

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keiito
2009-07-23 12:40 am UTC (link)

"It does taste like coffee," Keiichi agreed. "It's a bit strong sometimes, but it goes well with the sweeter desserts." There was, of course, some milk in it. Keiichi couldn't yet drink the stuff without it.

He took a forkful of the chocolate cake, pondering over it. Not bad at all. The jam was just there enough to make a presence on his palette. Now he KNEW he'd been watching too much Tungsten Chef.

This was far better than being in Paradise. Enjoying the company of a friend and having dessert. If only life was like this instead of the mess it was rapidly becoming. Raising his coffee mug, Keiichi proposed a toast. "To never having to go back in there again," he whispered, hoping against hope that his toast could come true.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-23 02:21 am UTC (link)

"Hear, hear," Kozue replied, quietly, raising her glass along with Keiichi's. She didn't sound entirely convinced, though: yes, that place was frightening, full of monsters, confusing, but she also had, well, for lack of a better term, superpowers there.

After taking a sip, and putting her iced coffee back down, Kozue looked over at the peach cobbler. "I think I might try some of that. It's good?" And she was already extending her fork to the fruity pastry in the middle of their table.

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keiito
2009-07-23 02:42 am UTC (link)

"Go right ahead. It's quite yummy."

Trying to decide between the two desserts was difficult. They were both very delicious in their own ways.

He watched her as she made her move for the cobbler, making no move to stop her. Things were better when shared, after all. That, and he sort of liked it when the whipped cream from the cake got stuck on her lower lip right before she lapped it off.

Oddly, he never noticed this sort of thing before.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-23 03:32 am UTC (link)

"Oh, it is," Kozue said, leaning back - "Good choice on the cobbler, senpai. It's really tasty, especially since it's warm." Having tried both now, she leaned back, finding herself in the same problematic position that Keiichi had just been in: both desserts were delicious, so which one should she be eating?

It took her a moment to hit on the idea of alternating between them, so she could enjoy both desserts at once, one just as much as the other. It was, if she didn't mind flattering herself, brilliant.

Between her next bite of torte (where, once again, a tiny bit of cream caught on her lower lip, briefly - it was messy but it was delicious) and getting ready for her next bite of the cobbler, she looked over at Keiichi. "So, what's the difference between a cobbler and a pie? Is there one?"

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keiito
2009-07-23 04:20 am UTC (link)

What the Hell did you do when you wanted to stop dancing around a point, but were mildly terrified of doing do?

If you said "continue sitting there grinning like an idiot", then congratulations, because you are Ito Keiichi.

"Pie tends to have a more defined top crust," he explained. "Cobblers usually have crumble on top, or something similar, like this one does."

At the end of the day, it didn't matter much. They were both quite delicious.

He was talking about the difference between pie and cobbler with her. And she wasn't bored out of her mind yet. Maybe he could pull this off, somehow.

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anthesphoria
2009-07-24 03:53 am UTC (link)

She looked down at the cobbler in question, considering this new information: what in the world did defined top crust even mean? This had a crusty - sort of - thing on it, didn't it? The answer hadn't really clarified the issue for Kozue. Instead, it had made it a bit worse. But she took another bite - confusion of confection-type aside, it was still delicious.

"So, do you know many of our team-mates from before-hand, or in other ways?" She asked after a moment: her curiosity couldn't really keep her away from the issue of Paradise and the Personas for long, even if she had to couch much of the discussion in vague language like this. "Or did you just get to know them all?"

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