This is totally not a lazy log

[makeitquick]

Who: Melaka and Haruka
What: That lunch Haruka won
When: ??? probably during or after Soulfasting
Where: A somewhat upscale diner and The Lucky Punch

[ So Melaka had issued an open challenge to people a while back with the offer to buy a meal for anyone who won against her. And theoretically for them to buy one for her if she won. Either way, it's been delayed a fair bit over all, but... Well, either way, time for the lunch with Haruka.

So Melaka contacted her, told her to place, and they would meet up there for a lunch. Simple. Easy. Not a date. Not going to be complicated by something or another. Hopefully it won't be awkward for her. Could even be fun. ]

Comments

pfff you're good this is perfect

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka is also hoping for fun. Or a diversion, really, but with her it's much the same thing. She needs to clear her head before another bout of trying to track down the gods or - worse - her director unveils the newest theater script.

So here she is, dressed in one of her nicer jackets and heading for her rendezvous with Melaka. The other girl got to pick the place, so she's curious what's in store for her. Should be interesting.

She's also too much of a gentleman to show up for a lunch with a girl without a bouquet of flowers; that, and Natto the Leavanny had just stared at her until she'd accepted the bouquet he'd put together for the occasion. So she takes advantage of having something in her hands to bop Melaka over the head with the flowers from behind. ]

I think your date's late, kitten.

awesome, awesome

[makeitquick]

Ain't a date-- [ Is what she says before she even turns around, but when she does... Well, she feels underdressed. Oh sure, she put on something nicer than her usually loose top and pants combo (something which actually has sleeves which isn't a jacket over it, for example) but. All the same, there's a gorgeous person in front of her with flowers now, and more to remind herself of where and who she is than anything, a hand reaches up to run a finger along the scar by her lip ]

-- They aren't too late, though.

[actsmagnificent]

[ If Haruka reads anything into that scar touch, she isn't saying. Instead she offers Melaka the flowers, smiling away. Doesn't matter how dressed up or dressed down you are. Melaka always looks like she's expressing herself and that's what Haruka likes to see. ] What am I in for today?

[makeitquick]

What... ever you wanna be, I guess. Here as a strong fighter, after all. Owed you.

[ There's no strong gusto in this though, she just takes the flowers and holds them to her chest. She inhales their scent. There we go. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Are you nervous? Haruka relaxes more, gesturing to the door. Shall we? ] I hope the strong fighter's hungry.

[ But Melaka is paying today, not Haruka. Wow, this is such a weird sensation. Not...paying....for a cute girl's meal. Haruka's life has been upended. What even is reality?? ]

[makeitquick]

[ She meant that Haruka was here as that. But she nods all the same! She's set! She's more than capable of doing this and it's not weird even if this person is very handsome. Wow okay no. She sighs and forces herself to relax more. Maybe she'll get to know Haruka better from this. she wouldn't mind it. Running her finger once more over her scar, she then turns her head quickly towards the door, nods, and hurried makes to get it for Haruka. Just. To be polite and all ]

Let's do it. Reserved 'head of time - named and all.

[ It's not an expensive place by the standards of all Union (for example, no meat on the menu at all) but it's nice by her standards. Enough to have reservations, anyway. She'll go and tell the front woman about it once Haruka's in so they can be seated proper like. ]

[actsmagnificent]

How fancy. [ No meat works just fine for Haruka, who can afford such things but doesn't really think about stuff like that. She blinks when the door gets held for her, then grins to herself and steps on in. What service.

She'll continue to follow Melaka to their table, though she does nod to the hostess so that the woman ends up walking away in a dazed sort of zigzag pattern. Haruka doesn't appear to notice, interested in the menu. ] Have you been here before?

[makeitquick]

Yeah, few times. Best in the area, promise. [ Well, best in this area (which isn't super wealthy) and is within the price bracket. Maybe she's thinking too hard on it though, she should be showing gusto and going on with things with confidence - but somehow that means that confronted with a gorgeous wish person like this she's thrown off. ]

[actsmagnificent]

I'm honored. [ As long as they have salad and tea she's good. And smiling, unaware this might not be helping to put Melaka at ease any. What was this about not being a date, again? ]

[makeitquick]

[ Hono.......red.... ] Anyway. Been up on anything lately?

[ Must. Fill space. Before orders taken. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka laughs. ] Well, we're between plays.

[ So nothing in that regard. She has had a busy life regarding her other job, the one about gods and the apocalypse, but that one's a secret. Whoops.

Haruka puts her menu down and sits back in her chair. ] It's not so bad, honestly. More time for myself.

[ And, by extension, you. Continually no pressure here! ]

[makeitquick]

[ Is it too personal to ask: oh whatever... ]

Nothing need much doing on Soulfast, for you?

[actsmagnificent]

[ A shrug. She doesn't really do holidays, and there's no one in particular she needed to honor on that day. ] Are you trying to figure out my costume?

[ It was a kitten pun, for the record. A really bad kitten pun. ]

[makeitquick]

No- No. Just... [ Jeez this person can throw her off so much. She makes a face which might be a pout and might be the face of someone who bit into a raw aspear berry. Either way, ] Just that's a thing people are doing.

[actsmagnificent]

[ Okay, she's being too difficult re: smalltalk where the other person is running the conversation. Got it. ] Ninetales Vale held a nice festival. I hope you and your Pokémon got to enjoy it.

[makeitquick]

[ Thank everything. ]

Sure did! Most of 'em loved it too - the whole thing's pretty flashy for a remembering the dead sort of thing, but maybe the dead are into that.

[actsmagnificent]

[ Interesting outlook - though she's glad the Pokémon enjoyed themselves. Haruka muses over Melaka's words. She's never really been one for looking back, period, but the ghosts she's met have definitely enjoyed being the centers of attention. Maybe that makes them feel more alive, like they've really had an impact. ] What about you? Is this more your style?

[ She nods at the restaurant. ]

[makeitquick]

Not really. [ she'll be honest, and she reaches to run a hand through her hair to push it back, only to realize it's up now and there's just a stray strand there which she felt. Oh well. ] I mean, place's great and all, but you'd usually see me sooner at Teeters or places closer to the boilers. [ IE: the poorest areas of the city ] Just how I've been, so I guess I'm used to that scene - not sure you can call it the best though, and I know that. Why I become a Ranger.

[ Well, mostly ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ That's a completely different milieu than Haruka's, so now she's definitely intrigued. She shrugs. ] Nobody can see the world through anybody else's eyes. You've got your Union and others have theirs.

[ So no worries. She won't judge. ] That's what makes life interesting.

[makeitquick]

Yeah, and in the last year we learned the world's a whole lot bigger even than that. [ It's still amazing to her. Team Evolution, Gigas, Caldera, the Citadel. There were all these places not even all that far from them and they never new. Admittedly, they have built on the foundation that many Ranger fought and died to scout out around the Verdant Forest. But still... ]

[actsmagnificent]

A lot more to range, huh? [ She chuckles. Out to lunch with a Ranger. Since they have to avoid encountering Rangers when they're out on Defense Force business - secret organization and all - that's pleasingly ironic. ]

[makeitquick]

You know it. I signed up at the right time, if you ask me. First mission I was on to get the big certification was back during that Iron shortage last year.

[ You know at the beginning of the gam right before all the stuff in the last year started ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ ...Haruka thinks she might have missed that. She spent quite a bit of last year abroad on Divine Defense Force business, only to come home with a daughter. Such is life.

But she can sympathize with the sentiments, so she nods. ] Sounds like you like it.

[makeitquick]

Definitely changed everything. [ But this is enough about her. She inhales, tilts her head and: ] What about you, what got you acting, what with the racing and all.

[actsmagnificent]

[ There's the question, isn't it. Haruka runs a finger along the edge of the menu, contemplating the best possible answer. If it wasn't her, she'd be curious, too. ] Is it strange?