ataraxionlogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

asato,
konoe

(no subject)

CHARACTERS: little fuzz (

tailcrook) and big fuzz (

walksonrooftops)
LOCATION: some lounge somewhere; backdated to the night before the eleventh jump
WARNINGS: Asato being sad totally counts :c
SUMMARY: Konoe steps out of his element and tries to cheer up someone special.
NOTES: none to start

Even with the 003 on his arm,for all the time he's lived on the Tranquility, Konoe has not made a habit of going out.

In eight months here.

Not for any particular leisure at least, unless the Oxygen Gardens count. His day-to-day life has simply been straightforward. Check things here, get food, go home, start again tomorrow. Excitement stems from his mistaken sense of direction, more than any real goal of spontaneity. But it's this very disadvantage that's kept him on the straight and narrow.

He's still got a somewhat serious mood about him while he waits in a lounge. He'd stumbled upon it the day before, and found it wasn't a terrible to have taken after all. With some time exploring it, then deliberation, some discussion later on, some careful mapping to find it again, and finally an encouraging purr, Konoe arranged to meet Asato here after dinner. A new take on the evening before the jump feels deserved, especially for him. With Asato so somber since the strange fog disappeared, to see him happy for even a little while became an utmost goal.

Finding a table for them isn't difficult at all. Compared to most places on the ship, the room isn't so cavernous to make him feel small, and while darker than he's accustomed to, colored light tints the place in relaxed, cool shades. The music playing from somewhere above managed to bring a small smile to his face, low enough not to prevent him from hearing someone coming.

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Asato doesn't take much longer to arrive, not wanting to keep Konoe waiting here. The suggestion had caught him off guard when Konoe first introduced it, but even at his most somber he's not quick to turn down an evening together with his Sanga. It's just that the location surprised him when Konoe first spoke about it; he hadn't really been around much during the days when Konoe went on his own little excursions, so he found himself wondering how he happened across the lounge to begin with.

Besides, he knows how Konoe is with directions.

But a promise is a promise. He tries to make himself look presentable, donning the tie and shoes Dave gave him before he disappeared. Still, there's a weariness to his expression that just a smile can't really hide. Maybe it'll disappear by itself when he and Konoe spend some time together. Konoe's never failed to cheer him up before, after all. So he rolls his shoulders back, perks up his ears, and puts a sway in the movement of his tail, and off he goes to meet him.

Neither the light nor the music overwhelm him--it's a good selection, one that can make them both feel at ease, the lounge small enough to lend them a feeling of privacy. He spots ears in the crowd within a few moments, and before he sits at the table, he gives Konoe a nudge with his forehead in greeting.

"Were you waiting long?"

Konoe's eyes raise just in time to see the headbutt coming his way, and he ducks his head with a laugh.

"You saw me only a while ago...!" Though Konoe's surprised to see Asato's changed since he went ahead to save them a place. He hasn't seen either new article on him before, and his eyes flicker down as Asato slides beside him.

Instead of asking things like 'Do you like it here?' or 'It wasn't hard to find, was it?' he ends up canting his head a bit, looking up again.

"What are those for?"

Edited (better -) 2012-10-10 05:35 (UTC)

Asato takes a seat right beside Konoe, scooting as close as he can--personal space be damned.

The place wasn't hard to find for him, and he likes it here fine, so both questions could be answered fairly easily. Instead, he follows Konoe's line of sight over his newly-worn accessories. Now it's his turn to duck his head as he tries to figure out a way to explain this without getting too invested in any side of it, the Dave side or the Konoe side.

"I got these a little while ago. And I just wanted to try them on. I didn't want to wear them every day. They'd get dirty. But tonight, it's okay."

Hopefully that's enough, and he adjusts his tie a bit once he's finished speaking.

Without a hint of objection to that, Konoe's content to have him at his side rather than the seat's length away from him. His tail follows suit, finding Asato's to hook itself with in no time beneath the table, as he watches him think.

"They are nice." Konoe remarks reassuringly, noting to himself how they match his dark ears. "Why tonight, though?"

Part of him doesn't think it so strange for Asato to want to look presentable, but he doesn't quite gather what would make this so special. Different maybe, but this outing was hardly a party....

If that's what a tie is reserved for, parties.

"Because I'm here with Konoe tonight. I don't need any other reason."

His tail follows a gentle curl around Konoe's in return. Really, he hadn't put a whole lot of thought into how he dressed; he just had a feeling he wanted to wear something different tonight, to match the novelty of this little outing. And he wanted to look nice for Konoe--no harm or shame in that, either.

"But if I wore them every day, they wouldn't be as special either." Which means he does think of tonight as special, though he wouldn't be able to explain why even if prompted. It'd like asking, why this room, why this evening, why the two of them. It's because it feels right and it struck him as something he wanted to do, nothing more.

"So it's just for tonight. Is that okay?"

He nods quietly, thankful for the cool light on his face as he feels it warm slightly. It does make him happy that Asato looked forward to this so much, but he glances away, willing himself not to spend the whole night staring.

"Yeah - and you're here now, so why don't we get something?" He rambles quickly, seeming to lean as if thinking of standing up. "They mostly serve drinks here...!"

Eating again isn't something he'd put past him, though, and he looks to him again, anxious somehow in case their options don't sound like enough. He just wants to do this right and make this good from beginning to end.

Asato has already eaten not too long ago, so unless someone puts more food in front of him, he'll be fine with just drinks. So he tries to give Konoe a reassuring smile, one that falters not so much at the options and the setting--which are both just fine--as at his own inability to pull himself out of this slump he's in.

He wants to make this good for Konoe. He wants to smile and laugh, he wants to hold him and share drinks and meaningless little stories that offer them little bits of insight into each other's lives. But his mind always goes back to his hand on the hem of a skirt, and a gaunt figure at the edge of a cliff. He's not sitting around here moping, but it's clear he's still not exactly okay.

"Drinks are good." He looks up and glances around. "Do we need to go get them somewhere?"

After months of spending time together, it's difficult for Konoe to misread the nuances of Asato's expression. It doesn't slip him by just how much effort it's taking for Asato to try, and he does his best to stay bright enough for them both.

It isn't easy with the weight of what he never saw in his own stomach, but he's bitten such things back before.

Shifting away to stand up, he comes around to rest a hand on his Touga's shoulder and give it a squeeze, "Yeah, just over there - but let me surprise you."

The squeeze at his shoulder reassures him--everything about Konoe does. He covers his hand with one of his own for a moment, not to demand that it stay put but to simply enjoy that warmth for however long it lasts.

Surprise him. Now he's certainly curious, his ears swiveling up towards Konoe. Who knows, they might find something they both enjoy but never even heard of before now. He could use a little spontaneity, especially tonight, and he's wanting, if nothing else, to be able to meet Konoe's gentle enthusiasm in kind, genuinely. He deserves that. This evening is supposed to be special, and here he is with only a half-smile on his face...

So he nods and pulls his hand back, tail curling over his own lap while Konoe stands, waiting for its friend to return.

"I'll wait here."

It does make it a little hard for him to simply leave, and he lingers for Asato's hand until it falls, just that moment longer. It's reassuring for him, too.

The trip to the bar suddenly feels longer, and his return is made all the more in haste - but not so much that he spills what he brings along for them. Both in narrow glasses, one is a mix of colors, layered almost like a sunset. Its partner seemed carbonated, but blue with something clouded and white, the rim of the glass lined with sugar.

Konoe's recovered some in that little time away, and his smile on his return is genuine with a slight tilt of his head as he offers both, "Pick one!"

Neither of the drinks Konoe offers him are anything he's seen before. One reminds him of juice, the other of milk of some kind, but for the rest he doesn't know what he's getting or what to expect. Still, he trusts Konoe to not have brought anything that's downright undrinkable. So he looks between the two glasses for a second or two.

He goes for the one with the sugared rim. The other one reminds him of Konoe somehow, so he'll let him enjoy that one.

"What is this?" he asks, honestly quite curious. Before he can hear his answer, he already takes a cautious sip.

And in truth - neither has he. Though he can at least explain what he'd learned on his short excursion, plopping back down to sit where he was. Asato's Midnight Kiss has an extra shot of cream, apparently, and there's a hint of bashfulness when he names the cocktail. His tail curls and uncurls by his feet for a little bit after.

"... I was surprised when I heard what it's called. But - it's supposed to be really good... is it?"

Asato just gives a quiet "I see" when Konoe names the drink before taking another sip. His tolerance for alcohol is nothing to brag about, but his capacity to down it without even realizing it's alcohol is something different, especially in a drink like this. He tries another sip before thoughtfully putting it back down on the table.

"It is good. Tastes kind of like juice." He nudges the glass towards Konoe. "You can try some if you want."

In the meantime, he scoots comfortable close, his tail finding its restless companion by sheer force of habit.

Again their tails entwine without him giving it a second thought. It's always a nice thing, though, even while he's distracted from it in a huff of laughter.

"But I still need to try this one," He looks to his own glass again, idly wondering how its colors mixed so. "Enjoy it a little more."

He's satisfied that Asato likes his, knowing he'd never share something bad. Enough for him to take a sip of his own - and it's not a little eye-opening! The alcohol is something to get used to (he'd forgotten to consider just how much he might prefer), but the sweetness and tang mingle in just the way to get his ears perking up.

He turns back to his Touga, just a little wide-eyed as he urges slowly, "... And then try mine!"

He waits as Konoe tries his own drink, tail twitching pensively against Konoe's own. When his ears perk up, Asato mirrors the movement in curiosity, already leaning in a little closer to have a better look and to maybe see if he can catch any kind of scent coming from the brightly-colored drink. He picks up the smell of fruits, a mixture that almost reminds him of kuims.

So when Konoe offers to have him try, he's glad to be able to satisfy his curiosity, switching glasses between the two of them and having a little taste. The first sip is odd, with the flavor of his own drink still on his tongue, but the second is bright and tart, making him lick his lips when he puts the glass down again.

"They're both good. If you like this one better, we can switch, too."

He's smiling a bit more, caught up in the relaxing atmosphere and their carefree conversation. Still timid, yes, even more so than normal, but no longer completely withdrawn.

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