entrancelogs | OPEN | let's change from the heart, let's shout

Entry tags:

OPEN | let's change from the heart, let's shout

Who: Anyone and everyone! That means you! Yes, you, c'mere.
Where: The stream and the lake.
When: July 12th, evening.
Rating: PG ~~in case any of y'all get wild with that decorating~~.
Summary: Come and take part in a mini lantern ceremony, Wonderland-style. Mingle away, comrades!
The Story:

The evening of the 12th, visitors who feel like moseying their way to the stream where it empties out of the forest will be able to enjoy a summer celebration in the Japanese style. Outdoor lights illuminate the area, and tables hold all manner of art supplies and blank paper lanterns waiting to be decorated.

Didn't catch the network 411? Someone around will surely explain: it's a nod to toro nagashi, the paper lantern ceremony meant to guide the souls of the departed by decorating lanterns and setting them loose. Maybe you have a departed soul you'd like to remember, or a prayer to make. Maybe you'd just like to write a note message-in-a-bottle style. Maybe you just feel like taking the air and enjoying the sights. The choice is yours!

Either way, once the sun has set and lanterns have been decorated, the candles inside will be lit (remember fire safety, kids!), and the lanterns will be released into the water.

Gather at the lakeside afterward to watch them empty into the lake and enjoy the ambiance with some food and drink. Because we could all use a little more light in our lives, no?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

["Hyopthetically" Really Ryuji?? With that, she's starting to kind of get an idea as to where this was going. She leans back and slyly narrows her eyes at him. There might have been a hint of a smirk on her lips.

She begins to ponder to herself, looking as if she was in serious thought.]

Hmm, if someone were to ask me, what would I do? I guess, I would have to say...

[But before she can finish that sentence, she brings a finger against her lips in a hush motion.]

It's a secret!

_{[????????????

THIS IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.

Omg, is she going to make him jump through all the hoops and say it... She is, isn't she. Ryuji looks sidelong at her, pained at the corner he's helped her paint him into. Shit, fuck. Well, he's come too far now...!

Clearing his throat, Ryuji slaps a muzzle on that part of his brain going abort abort and takes the plunge. What's the worst that can happen, she says no?]}

What if I did the askin'?

[YOU STARTED THIS RYUJI!!!!!

She would have been lying if she said that she didn't expect things to end up like this. There was a part of her that was also thinking that this was a joke, so she was waiting for him to end it with a "Just kidding!"

But it never happens.

and now she's staring at Ryuji in shock in awe (Why are you surprised, Sayaka???? You're just as guilty.) but the longer she stares at him and let's it sink in, her face turned into the brightest shade of red ever.]

Huh?!

[WHAT A SMOOTH ANSWER]

W-Wait... um... ah...!!!

[Oh no, she's so flustered she can't even speak properly.]

Are you... a-are you being serious? You're asking me out?

Edited (bc hana is a fail and is great at typoing) 2017-08-11 20:25 (UTC)

_{[Her bafflement baffles him in turn. Was that... not... clear??? He'd thought it was fairly clear where he was trying to go with that. Maybe he should've been more upfront and asked from the beginning? This is where trying to be smooth gets you.]}

Y-Yes? Yeah, I'm serious.

_{[It feels like he's on a game show grasping for the right answers. One would think the bench was a bed of iron spikes for the amount of shifting around Ryuji does, a valiant but ultimately doomed attempt to come off nonchalant.]}

I mean, not to step on your toes with your career or nothin'. Only if you'd want to...

[Oh, he was serious. (What made you think he wasn't, Sayaka????)

At first she's quiet and she's trying to process everything that was going on. Even though she's never had experience in dating, the one thing she did know was that...

This was way too fast.

People don't normally go out with someone that they just met... right? Or was she the weird one? Sayaka's never had any dating experience, so she was new to all of this. Either way, she knew that she couldn't go out with him like this. Before going out with someone, she at least wanted to get to know them and for the other party to know about herself. She had to make sure there was some sort of connection, and there was also the matter of her crush.

She had to make sure her heart was ready for anything.]

I-I'm really flattered by that! But um, I-I'm so... so sorry.

[Her face was growing redder but she felt bad about this. He was a sweet person and she enjoyed his presence. If she had to be honest, she did feel a little charmed by him from their first meeting. However, this was only their second conversation. They didn't know each other that well and she felt like this was way too sudden.]

This feels really sudden, w-we just met. I don't think it's a good idea.

_{[Contrary to popular belief, Ryuji's not completely blind, deaf, and dumb to social cues--he has an inkling of the answer before she finds her voice to give it. The apology is a big indicator. Disappointment falls, but not terribly heavily; if he's being honest a part of him had been expecting as much, given there are about a thousand better places for dating than Wonderland. Like, say, not Wonderland.

But they're talking about a professional idol--he'd be doing his manhood card a disservice to not at least try! So it goes.

The no-go seems to relax him and set him free from anticipation, at any rate, and though Ryuji sighs, it's more with an acceptance of the inevitable than anything else. Settling back against the bench, he brings one leg up to rest on its opposite.]}

Eh, I had to ask! I'd totally go for a girl like you.

_{[Since facing off with those cutthroat Hawaiian girls, he's come to think of chicks as a bit of a "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" situation. This had been a pretty nice brush-off, compared to some of the ones he's gotten.]}

But I can still have that autograph, right?

_{[An attempt at lightness, to ease whatever compulsion she might feel to apologize to him. His hide's thick--and it's not like there'd been high stakes involved.]}

[The way he took it in stride made him even more endearing in her eyes. He was so incredibly nice about it and she didn't feel a sense of awkwardness in the slighest.

She has dealt with her fair share of people who don't take too kindly to her turning them down. Most people were only interested in her for her idol status and for what it's worth, she didn't sense that in Ryuji at all. Just from their previous conversation, she already thought of him as a nice guy. Her opinion of him was only continuing to rise.]

You're such a charmer! Keep that up and you'll get someone's attention in no time.

[With his cute face and nice personality, she would have thought he would have girls all over him. She was actually a little surprised that he apparently didn't have a girlfriend already.]

Of course! When I get back to my room, I'll be sure to sign a special autograph for you.

[This could have been awkward, but he didn't let it go there. Ryuji definitely earned a few brownie points and a huge amount of respect from her. This was the first time the air didn't feel heavy after turning someone down. His response was one of the nicest ones she's received, especially compared to some of the crazy fans she's had the misfortune of dealing with.

She relaxes a little while fiddling with the cup that was inbetween her lap. Her eyes glances back at him and she looks at him with a soft smile.]

I do have this to say, I think you are very sweet and I would love to hang out and have more conversations with you. Because... I do want to get to know you better.

_{[Considering he was just turned down a second ago and the nth times before that, he's not terribly convinced by the claim, but on the plus side, he thinks he's doing a good job by not outwardly sulking. Better to bloom late in the maturity department than never bloom at all--someone wise probably said that once.]}

Suh-weet, I'll take what I can get.

_{[At least there are participation prizes in the friendzone. Which is where he lives. Born and raised and will probably die in, hahaaa...]}

Uh, yeah, sure thing. Don't look like I'm headin' anywhere in a hurry. Can't promise the knowing part it'll be all that interestin', though.

_{[If he sounds a mite less enthusiastic about having a willing audience than he normally would, it's only because putting his romantic fantasies to bed and shifting into a lower conversational gear takes some adjusting when you're the fast and furious type like him. But he wouldn't mind spending more time with Sayaka, either.]}

[She's certainly impressed with his maturity! He's definitely more mature than some people she's had to deal with. She continues to smile at him at the mention of the autograph and makes a mental note to make sure that it's extra special whenever she gets to the nearest paper and pen that she can find.]

I'll be looking forward to it. Hmmm... really? [She tilts her head at him.] I actually think you are quite interesting!

[There was no way she would say this outloud, since she didn't want to embarrass him; especially after turning him down. But if she had to be perfectly honest, he caught her attention from the very beginning when he offhandedly mentioned his mom.

That was a secret she was going to have to keep from him. For now, anyway.

Even if he was a mite less enthusiastic, she was still happy that he agreed to her suggestion. While she wasn't ready to date anyone, she was excited at the idea of getting to know him better. She wouldn't mind spending more time with him.]

_{[Although he's sure she doesn't mean it that way, it's starting to feel like hollow praise. He scrubs his hair with his fingers, a habitual gesture that probably explains in part why his hair--his glorious dandelion yellow hair--never seems smoothed down.

It's still the hair, isn't it?]}

Why's that?

_{[He poses the question more to the view of the lake than her, glancing her way a moment after. Surely if she knew he'd been one of the Phantom Thieves, she would've said so by now--the argument can be made that'll be the most interesting chapter in his biography some day.]}

You were nice to me during our previous conversation! And it felt really.... genuine.

[The reasoning as to why she thought he was interesting was probably simple. She actually wouldn't have blamed him if she seemed shallow, but it was true. Most of the people that she spoke to were nice to her because of her idol status but she didn't get that feeling from him. Not only that, he also said some pretty cool things that really lifted up her spirit too.]

There's another reason, but I'll tell you later!

[It would be best if she didn't tell him right now. Considering that she just turned him down, the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass him further by being like "OH HEY, THE WAY YOU CASUALLY BROUGHT UP YOUR MOM WAS REALLY CUTE!!! TEEHEE (＾∀゜～☆)" She wasn't going to do that to his pride.

SO NO WORRIES RYUJI, it's not the hair; even if it does look nice. There were a lot of wacky hairstyles in her world. So to her, his seemed pretty normal in comparison.]

"Later"? What's that supposed to mean?

_{[There's a whine in his voice at what he takes as him being teased, but it's mild. The bulk of his attention is dedicated to fighting off a soft smile that'd no doubt give away that that compliment doesn't feel hollow to him at all. Genuineness, fairness, kindness... all things he strives for, not always things that come across well, or that people see for what he intends them to be. But he tries. And it seems his efforts had connected.

Before meeting Akira, the Ryuji of old might not have understood the difference between wanting to get to know a guy and not wanting to get to know him in a romantic light, or maybe not have cared to understand in favor of grousing about it. Likewise, he might have pushed her for an answer a little harder.

But this is enough for him.

It's enough that he could put Sayaka at ease during their talk, and that they're here now, and he's on his way to making more friends to fill in the gaps that being away from home has left. Sighing, he takes a drink, returning his elbow to its spot on the back of the bench.]}

Fine, fine, keep your secrets. I won't pretend to get girls.

[While there was a lot that Sayaka had to learn in regards to Ryuji, if there was one thing she noticed it was defintely his genuine kindness that he showed to her. He may seemed rough on the outside, but she could sense that there was a lot more to him than just his appearance and that he meant well. Speaking with him was a refreshing experience. It was hard to find genuinely nice people like him in the world that she came from.

In a lot of ways, he was beginning to inspire her. As an idol, it was natural to put on a fake persona and smile without much meaning behind it. She wanted to learn how to become a genuine person.]

How about this... I'll tell you when the time is right.

[What does that even mean?? It's a mystery. She's a mystery.

The whine in his voice makes her giggle and she leans back and takes another sip of the coffee. The more she drank it, the more she was beginning to like it. It was sweet; just the way she liked it.]

Thank you for being so understanding, Sakamoto-kun! I already thought you were nice but I think I'm beginning to admire you.

_{[Nope, he does not get girls at all. This one in particular is a slippery eel. He can sense your tricks, Sayaka, even if he doesn't know what they are! His narrow-eyed, skeptical look says as much. He's watching you.]}

You already missed my birthday.

_{[But there's still time to throw him a bone! Call it a belated birthday present!

Shit, maybe he should've brought up his birthday when he was trolling for a date, would that have added some points in his favor? Hindsight's 20/20.]}

Don't get ahead of yourself, you might come to regret that.

_{[That was supposed to be tit for tat in the mysterious arena and sound like a cryptic warning, but he doesn't seem to notice he'd insulted himself.]}

Edited 2017-08-23 09:07 (UTC)

Oh, did I? That's such a shame!

[His look of skepticism causes her to grin at him. Was this a challenge? She'll happily accept it! Bring it on, Ryuji. She's more than happy to let you watch her as she forms more tricks up her sleeve. ♥]

When was your birthday? I'll be sure to remember that for next time.

[Although it's not like she was planning on letting him wait a whole year to tell him. She may be a wicked girl but she's not that evil... maybe. But she was legitimately curious about his birthday.

It takes her a moment to let those words sink in. Dear sweet Ryuji, did you just insult yourself? She begins to laugh to herself, but doesn't point it out to him. His silliness was really charming in his own right.]

Maybe you're right! But I suppose, we'll just have to wait and see on that, won't we?

_{[Hmmm. Suspicion intensifies.]}

It was on the third.

_{[He decides against telling her one of his birthday resolutions was to hook up with a girl, any girl. Hers is just one in a growing list of dismissals.

No one can ever claim Ryuji isn't persistent that way.]}

[W o w, Ryuji pls.

At least he was definitely persistant. May he have better luck on his birthday next year?]

Oh, how neat. I'll remember that for sure, then.

[That did surprise her, since her own birthday was on July 7th. She's never met someone whose birthday was so close to her's and it was kind of exciting.]

My birthday was on the seventh. So our birthdays are just a few days apart. Happy belated birthday to the both of us!

[On Tanabata of all days too! Now that she's thought about it, the one thing she did miss about home was having Tanabata celebrations.]

Edited 2017-08-25 22:12 (UTC)

_{[That's a year away? Quit trying to make him the 19-year-old virgin???]}

Wow, for real? No joke?

_{[He blinks in surprise. Provided she's just not yanking his chain by throwing a number out there--and he can't fully put it past her, you know what you did, Sayaka!--that's some coincidence.

In Wonderland it's a welcome point of common ground when two people are from the same world, let alone use the same calendar system; that he and another girl from Japan share a birthday month is impressive, given the vastness of the multiverse. Ryuji isn't the best at math, but he's guessing the chances of that aren't very big.]}

That's pretty cool that our birthdays ended up so close. Are we the same age?

Yup! I promise that I'm not joking around this time.

[FOR ONCE, she's not pulling his leg. Although she doesn't really help her case by adding the words "this time" to her sentence. Good job, Sayaka.]

This is the first time I've met someone whose birthday is so close to mine! You know, I was kind of assuming that we are the same age. Now's a good time to ask.

[Now that she's thinking about it, she's been under the assumption that Ryuji was a high school student like herself this whole time. He didn't seem like a middle school student and sorry bro, but he also didn't give off a college student impression.

But now she was really curious, because she could be wrong.]

Because of Wonderland's not aging situation, I'm actually not sure what age I should be telling everyone. [She laughs a little.] I was 17 when I arrived, but it was recently my 18th birthday. How old are you?

_{[""""""""This time."""""""" He'd go on a date with her on account of her bombshell looks alone, but he's less and less confident he could keep up with that personality.

It's to her credit her ribbing doesn't carry with it a perceived insult. He normally isn't one to stand on the wrong side of a joke for very long before bristling under the suspicion he's being made fun of, but with Sayaka he doesn't feel as though she's being mocking.]}

Huh, same here! Whaddya know. I kinda figured we must be when you said you still had to study like me, but that really is close, damn.

_{[Wow, he could totally be a college student, though? May... be. If he ever passes his exams. Given their last conversation, though, it's probably apparent by now that his scholastic future is a serious case of the ???????]}

[Suspicions confirmed!! Even so, she was still surprised that they were also the same age. This was a pretty cool coincidence, she's never met someone who was just a few days older than her. It was a cheesey thought, but she couldn't help but wonder if this was a fated meeting. Wonderland decided who gets dragged, after all.

Maybe they wanted birthday buddies to meet, or she could just be giving Wonderland too much credit.]

Same here! I had a feeling we were both in high school, I never imagined we would literally be just a few days apart from each other.

[Suddenly, an idea strikes in her head.]

If we are both still here next year, maybe we can do something to celebrate our birthdays together? [She rests her chin on the palm of her hand, looking at him with a smile.] Surely by then, we will know each other pretty well.

_{[Perhaps it's not a John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale level of fated meeting, but there does seem to be an element of serendipitous coincidence in the people he's met, and continues to meet. If not for making the acquaintance of Jean, the sardonic soldier from a completely foreign culture, he wouldn't have gotten the flash of inspiration to introduce a taste of toro nagashi to the people assembled here.

And then he wouldn't be having this conversation with Sayaka.

Granted, getting rejected is a bummer, but! Details. Ryuji knows what it's like to be a misfit and feel like you belong exactly nowhere, with no one; meeting people, even in a world they're trying to escape from, isn't something to take for granted. They're memories to hold onto.

That said, Ryuji's automatic reaction is a protesting noise around another mouthful of hot chocolate. Here in another year? His feelings on that are made plain by his wince.]}

Don't take it personally if I say I ain't plannin' on it. Thinkin' that far ahead makes my stomach cramp.

Edited (spotting typos a million years later: the Shira life) 2017-09-05 23:31 (UTC)

[Despite that Sayaka liked living here and that this place was much better than her home, she knew that not everyone came from terrible home worlds. Everyone had homes and important people that they needed to go back to. It would be selfish of her to expect people to stay, especially since she didn't know how long she would end up living here.

As nice it would be to have a joint birthday party with Ryuji, she didn't want him to be stuck here for a whole year. He had his mom to go back to.]

It's perfectly fine, I totally understand that!

[Even they didn't know each other that well, Sayaka could say without any sort of hesitation that she would miss him. He had a charming presence and she felt like he could light up a room with his bright personality.

She can't help but giggle at his stomach cramp statement, he's so silly and she was really glad she got to talk to him like this. A soft yawn escapes from her lips as she begins to stand up to stretch her arms and legs.]

Whew! I think I need to walk around a bit, my foot's getting ready to fall asleep. Sakamoto-kun, thank you again for today. You did such a good job putting everything together. I had a really good time today!

Guess it is gettin' a little late.

_{[He'd lost track of time while he'd been sitting here in the deepening evening, and he turns to watch her stand, resting his cup on the edge of the park bench.]}

You've thanked me plenty already, with the hot chocolate. _{[A smile teases at the corner of his mouth, sincere in its gladness, and also in its sheepishness when it curls a little bashfully a moment later.]} And... thanks, y'know, for not holdin' the askin' you out against me.

_{[That could've gone sideways quickly--but otherwise it'd ended up a pretty damn good night, all in all!]}

Happy late birthday to you, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN | let's change from the heart, let's shout

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject