[Day: Saturday, April 3rd. Time: 4:15 p.m.] [Weather: Still sunny and clear! Little on the cool side, but then, it's getting later.] [Satoshi and Taki gathered at the lockers, then went to Kaede's shop, then watched some DDR, then slipped out to have a talk. Whose idea was it? I don't quite remember. They decided to get food (because the note says so, and they're not compulsive liars). The problem? They don't know the area.] [So, after spending who knows how long wandering around, looking for a restaurant, they came upon a sukiyaki place. Looks a little expensive, but hey. It's a date, right? Spent a little while longer getting seated, but now they're in a small, cozy booth near the back. It's still a good hour before the dinner rush.] [Mini Start.] * Satoshi is sitting in the booth, looking at the menu. Occasionally he'll glance at Taki. The walk over was probably quiet and awkward. * Taki is sitting across from Satoshi, and looking nervious and slightly out of place, she's throwing her own glances at Satoshi, and the few times the've both looked at the same time have been very awkward. * Taki puts down her menu and looks at Satoshi, "I..." * Satoshi looks up at her at the same time and says, "Taki?" Then he laughs a bit nervously. "Sorry, you go first." * Taki shakes her head, "I... don't know where to start... but if I don't start... nothing... I'll just be wondering untill I can't take it anymore and snap again." [A waiter is making the circut around the restaurant, but for the moment picks up on the vibe at the table and goes to help other customers.] Okay... so just start wherever you're comfortable, I guess. Unless you want me to go first. * Taki gives Satoshi a weak grin, "I don't think I've got any cofortable spots left...Would you? Please?" Okay. The truth is, Taki, that I really do like you a lot. I like spending time with you, even if I don't always know what to say. You're really nice, and you're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for. But... * Taki swallows, "But..?" I'm always afraid that I'll say something that'll drive you away. Which I think I know isn't true, deep in my mind, but I'm so used to worrying about things like that that it's going to take me a while to stop. And I don't want to force you into something you don't want. I want you to be happy. * Taki stares at Satoshi, and then raises both her hands, "Nononononononono! It isn't anything you've said or done or anything like that... you've been nothing but kind to me..." * Taki drops her hands, "... even when I've been doing some pretty horrible things to you..." * Satoshi shakes his head. "You haven't done anything horrible." But I would like to know how you really feel. [The waitor decides to come back about now. "Would you like anything to drink? Any questions about the menu?"] * Satoshi almost, *almost* glares at the waiter, but doeesn't. "Um... just some water, I think, and no questions right now." * Taki looks down, and then up at the waiter, "ahh, just water please." [Waiter nods and leaves.] How I feel right now? About you? About, you when you arn't here? About... Katie? About everything? Me and Katie, yeah. * Taki looks at her hands for a long moment, "I...'ve tried to tell you twice before... I... guess I'm not doing a very good job of it..." Well, you said you felt the same way about her as you do about me, but I was wondering if... * Satoshi sighs, then continues. "...if you still felt that way." * Taki starts to shake her head and then nods, "It's... not the same between you and her...Well... it is and it... I.." [The waiter, using his best stealth waiter techniques, desposits two glasses of water on your table and slips away.] * Satoshi tilts his head slightly. "You what?" * Taki digs through her pockets and comes up with coin while the water arrives. * Taki holds up one side of it to Satoshi, "You... I want to be protected by." She turns it, "I want to protect her." She flips it again, "The time I spend with you are the happiest moments in my life, and it seems like nothing could ever spoil them." She flips the coin again, "I want her to feel like that..." * Taki pauses and then turns the coin on edge, "I want both of you to feel like that." * Taki puts the coin down, "I... used to think I could do it..." But? ...The first time tried... the fake Katie... * Satoshi sighs. "Now if you want to talk about one of us being horrible, that would be me." * Taki shakes her head, "No, no. You haven't done anything!" * Satoshi actually laughs. "Well, it seems like forgiving each other is a lot easier than forgiving ourselves." But I wasn't good to you at all. If... you... and the fake... * Taki shakes her head, "I... told her to go for it... because I thought it could make both of you happy." That wasn't fair to *you*, though. And, let's face it, I wasn't fair to you. You... have been more than fair to me, even after I turned you down... and haven't done anything at all for you... haven't even tried. * Satoshi sighs. "Okay... we can sit here all night and insist that we're just not worthy of each other. Or we can do something about it." [Waiter stops by again. "Ready to order?"] I... Wha? Er... * Satoshi starts and looks over at the waiter. "Oh! Um... the chicken, please?" * Taki flounders for the menu again, and ends up ordering something that's out of her normal price range... and doesn't have any chicken in it. * Waiter writes down the order and slips away once again. * Satoshi looks at Taki expectantly, as she'd started to answer before they were interrupted. * Taki doesn't quite meet Satoshi's eyes, "we're both the same like that arn't we? ...Where do we start?" Well, we should figure out what *we* want to do. I don't think either of us wants to keep going like this. * Taki nods, "You're right... but... I don't know what it is I want anymore... It was all so simple when I started... I guess I did succeed though." ...have you talked to Katie? * Taki pauses and then nods, "She... is still my friend... I... Part of me wishes that knowing she doesn't feel the same... could change how I feel, but... at least I know now." So if you and I continue going out, will you actually be happy with me? Or are you going to be wishing for her instead? * Taki puts her arm on the table and rests her chin on it, "If I... was with her... I'd be wishing you were there too... and ... it's going to be the same, the other way around..." * Satoshi sighs again. "But she's not interested. I am. If we do have some sort of a relationship, I want it to be because you want to be with me, rather than you want someone you can't have more, but I'm there." It's ...not want more... if it was I could have... done something by now. [Waiter brings by your food at this point, he gives Taki the chicken and Satoshi the expensive not chicken.] Err, excuse me? You got the orders mixed up. * Taki sits up again and then nods, "That one's mine." Sorry, my mistake. ::He switches them back and then walks away untroubled, because there's no tipping in Japan. Bru ha ha ha. Okay, he doesn't really laugh:: * Satoshi picks at his chicken a little. "You said you don't really know what you want. Would it help if you had some time to think about it?" * Taki starts to reach for her chopsticks, "No... I'll just put it off, and farther off until it's too late again." I hear you on that. * Satoshi eats a little. Okay. We don't have to make any sort of huge commitment right now. So why don't we go out a few times and see how things go from there? * Taki nods, "Thank you..." * Taki looks across the table, "Where do you want to go next?" We could go to a movie after this, if there's anything you want to see. Or we could go take a walk somewhere. Uh... I don't know what movies are playing now. Well, do you want to find out, or just go walk? Movie first, more walking can wait untill I don't have a hole in my leg. * Satoshi mentally smacks himself. "I guess teleporting can help get around that. So, after we're done here, let's go find the closest theater." * Taki grins, "Closest doesn't matter... just... warn me if the field goes up again." * Satoshi smiles back. "I will." [Waiter stops by to drop off the bill.] * Satoshi finishes eating and reaches for the bill. I'm paying for some of this, you've given me too much already. Okay, we'll split it, then. * Satoshi puts in half. * Satoshi gets up. "Shall we?" * Taki nods, "We shall. Thankyou again." * Taki slides out of the booth and stands up. You're welcome. [The waiter comes by to pick up the bill and money. He counts to make sure it's the right amount, then bows to the pair of you. "Come again." And he leaves!] * Satoshi heads out of the restaurant, towards a theater or a place to teleport to one! * Taki limps after him for a bit, "Satoshi?" * Satoshi stops. "Oh, sorry. Yes?" * Taki points at a nearby alley, "This is faster." Right. You lead on. * Satoshi follows her. * Taki ducks into the alley way, and looks around for nosey people and/or drunken bums who will spout dire warnings at them. [She fails her roll! That or nobody is there.] * Taki nods to herself, "Right, ready?" Ready. * Taki sends them to another alley! (and to the end of the mini?) [And End Mini.]