[OPEN/MINGLE LOG] New Year's Eve at the Youth Center!

[cuteshit]

Who: Kanji Tatsumi, Coraline Jones & you!
Where: The youth center!
When: Evening of 12/31 (forward-dated).
Rating: PG
Summary: The adults are celebrating New Year's Even in their own way, but what about the younger crowd?
The Story:

[The idea had actually been Coraline's, way back around Halloween. New Year's was pretty important back home, and in the wake of Wonderland's most recent event, Kanji was missing home more than usual. This would be the first New Year's he'd be spending without his mom. There was no shrine to visit here, and while he could still go around and offer New Year's greetings to his friends, he still felt like there should be something more.

Coraline's idea for a sundae bar seems like a pretty good solution. A lot of the adults in Wonderland will be ringing in the new year with alcohol, but that didn't mean the younger crowd had to miss out entirely. It's nothing like the traditions he would have observed back home, but-- since he wasn't at home, maybe doing something totally different was the way to go.

He has to ask Coraline for her expertise, not exactly knowing what goes into putting together a sundae bar, but he helps with the legwork and the lifting. By the time evening rolls around, the youth center has been turned into an ice cream buffet with an extensive toppings bar, including candy that had been inspired by some of the treats that Dustin had handed out to people for Christmas. Once everything is set up, he sends a text out across the network to grab people's attention-- can't have a party without people!]

Yo, Wonderland! Too young to drink? Youth center's got all the ice cream you can eat, come ring in the New Year right!

[Or, you know. By sending yourself into sugar shock.]

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji finds Kanji almost immediately, but doesn't approach him right away. He wants to give him time to see what a good job he's done before Souji says it to him straight. So he takes his time eating a bowl of ice cream before finding Kanji finishing off his waffle cone.

Coming to stand next to Kanji, facing the room, Souji puts a hand on his hip.]

This is a great party.

[cuteshit]

Yeah? You like it?

[Kanji grins broadly at the compliment-- it always means a lot to him whenever his senpai gives his approval. Makes Kanji feel like he's moving in the right direction. He's had time to see that people are enjoying themselves, and that's proof enough of a job well done.]

It was Coraline's idea, we were talkin' about it awhile back. Thought it'd be fun-- I know it's not like what we do at home, but it didn't feel right not to do something.

[eatsyourscience]

It's a good alternative. [A tasty alternative.]

I don't think I've ever talked to Coraline. [But she sounds like she has excellent ideas.] There are a lot of people I haven't talked to.

[cuteshit]

Maybe this'll be a good chance for you to do just that. I mean, I know you were sayin' awhile back that you haven't gotten to know a lot of the newer people around Wonderland.

[Actually, on that note...]

Speaking of, uh-- there's someone I oughta introduce you to later.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's proverbial ears prick up.]

Yeah? Who?

[cuteshit]

Uh--

[Kanji turns predictably pink, as he so often does when he's struggling to articulate himself.]

Haven't seen her turn up just yet, but she's kinda-- my girlfriend?

[It's the first time he's used the word, and it feels weird.]

[eatsyourscience]

[O. M. G.

OMG.

That is so precious.

But Souji keeps his cool. Gotta be the chill senpai here.]

Who is she?

[DOES SENPAI HAVE TO MAKE SURE SHE'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?]

[cuteshit]

[He appreciates your being cool about it, Souji, because he is unable to be chill about it at all even though he was definitely there when it happened. Hell, he even instigated it, if stammering your way through a barely-coherent conversation counted.]

Her name's-- Maya.

[Cue him fidgeting and shifting his weight uncertainly.]

She's American?

[IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION HE'S JUST REALLY NERVOUS AND SHE'S NOT EVEN HERE RIGHT NOW.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji can't help smiling. Kanji's awkwardness is one of the most endearing things about him.]

I'll have to meet her. [He keeps his expression and his voice deadpan as he moves right on to the teasing.] I have to make sure she's good enough for you.

[cuteshit]

[Really, it's a good thing that his friends do find it endearing, because he's so often flustered that he'd be up the creek otherwise.]

Good enough for--

[Aw, shucks, senpai.]

Never thought I'd hear someone say that.

[eatsyourscience]

I have to look out for you.

[That's said with complete sincerity and not that deadpan teasing.]

[cuteshit]

You're real good at that.

[Kanji's not used to being someone who needs looking out for, having spent so much time building himself up to scare people away. Even if it's kind of embarrassing, it's nice to hear.]

But make sure you let me return the favor, okay? [Let's not have a repeat of Quor'toth.] Remember, you don't gotta do everything.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's quiet for a moment, but he smiles.] I get it.

Thank you.

[cuteshit]

[He smiles warmly, glad to see that particular lesson has carried over.]

Good-- I'll give you a reminder any time you need it.

[Just in case. He grins, inclining his head towards the ice cream buffet itself.]

Gonna grab seconds, you want in?

[finewithhalf]

[There's grabbing, but perhaps not in the same way Kanji intended. There's a definite bundle of extra weight bounding up his back and onto his shoulders now, without warning and without permission. Someone's been getting into too much sugar today.]

Hey Kanji. Who's your friend?

jhajshgs I will let Souji go next but I couldn't resist reacting to this

[cuteshit]

[HRK. You would think he'd be used to this by now, but nope. He is, at least, trained well enough to act quick and catch her, reaching back to put his hands behind her knees to keep her from sliding off.]

H-hey--

[It's probably a good thing that she's behind him, because he's turning bright red all over again as he looks to Souji.]

We were just talkin' about you. Thought you should meet each other-- this is Souji-senpai.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji blinks at the sudden appearance. Not even Rise has ever done that to him, but he has a feeling his reaction would be similar to, though probably less red than Kanji's.]

Hi.

[He raises a hand in greeting. And...really, what else is he supposed to say to this picture in front of him?]

[finewithhalf]

Right, you've mentioned him. [And given the mouthful of syllables, Maya's never really sure what to do with figuring out how his actual name happens.]

Well, looks like we're meeting now.

[She shifts her weight to free her right arm, reaching out for a handshake.]

I'm Maya. Kanji says you're a really good friend. Good job, keeping this one out of trouble.

[cuteshit]

[Kanji, at least, seems to recover quickly. This has happened enough times that it doesn't throw him off-balance for too long.]

Hey, I don't get into that much trouble--

[Well. Actually.]

At least, not as much since I met Senpai.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji reaches and takes Maya's hand.]

I'm Souji. It's nice to meet you.

[Now are you good enough for Kanji?

Probably. Kanji's judgment concerning other people is generally pretty good, so Souji isn't as worried as he'd teased about being.]

That's true. He used to get into more trouble. Like yelling at TV reporters.

[Just like a parent, your senpai is here to embarrass you, Kanji.]

[finewithhalf]

Yelling at reporters sounds like fun though.

[She perks up, excited for this impromptu storytime.]

So what did they do to deserve it?

[And did he beat them up? Can there be more stories that end with Kanji beating people up??]

[cuteshit]

[Kanji looks sufficiently grumpy at the mention of that particular story.]

They were harassin' me! Wanted an interview because of some crap with local bike gangs.

[He lets out a soft tch, irate.]

Y'know, I know violence ain't the answer, but I still say that gang had what was comin' to them. If they didn't want to get the crap beaten out of them, they shouldn't have been disturbin' the peace like that!

[eatsyourscience]

[Looking at Maya, Souji points to Kanji. There is the explanation, and there is also an additional story in there about Kanji beating people up.]

It all turned out okay.

[The biker's stopped making so much noise and Kanji got rescued after he was inevitably kidnapped and shoved through a TV screen because he'd been on TV. NBD. He doesn't bring that up, though, because he's not sure how much Kanji has told Maya. It's really not his job to tell her Kanji's story, unless he's asked to.]

Violence isn't usually the answer, but it helps sometimes.

[finewithhalf]

[No wait, why are you guys skipping the good parts??? Maya leans over Kanji without regard for the shift in weight on his body (eh, it's not like he'll drop her).]

Tell me more about the gang. What kind of violence?? Kanji, did you get into a gang fight?

[This is a special kind of excitement that Maya doesn't know how to process.]

[cuteshit]

[Kanji snorts. Alright, now his pride is being called into question-- sort of.]

'Fight' makes it sound like they had a chance. I handed that gang their asses.

[Yes. All by himself.]

They were rippin' up and down the street on their bikes makin' noise at all hours! People need to sleep.