[closed] when stars smile at moon

[compendiem]

WHO: Minato, Natalia & Porsche
WHERE: Recollé Planetarium and Observatory
WHEN: January 1st, 5PM
WHAT: New Year's not!date, viewing the full moon one last time before darkness swallows the world
WARNINGS: none

[ Minato makes sure to be there at the planetarium half an hour before five, pacing back and forth in front of the building in order to keep warm. He's not the one with the tickets, so that leaves him to look out for either a prosthetic arm, a cute dog, and/or what he told Zack were the most gorgeous eyes in the world if he hadn't spent most of that encounter staring up at the ceiling or down at the floor. Either way, the sun is setting and will soon take its warmth with it, so Minato huddles in on himself, clamping a paper shopping bag in between his arm and side, and prays Natalia remembered to bring Porsche. Also that she remembered to come. ]

Comments

[nachetanya]

That's not what I meant...?

[ How can he never have had a date before....

How sad...

She makes to lift Porsche to his lap outright now... ]

[compendiem]

[ Heck yeah, Minato takes Porsche onto his lap and makes a little cage around her with his arms, not looking the least bit sad about this. ]

What did you mean? I can't read your face, so I'll need words. ...Was this not fun?

[nachetanya]

... No, it's been fun. [ . . . ]

I'm just wondering if I did enough to make an impression for a first date, period. That's all.

[compendiem]

[ He can't read expressions, but he knows pauses very well. ]

If both people had fun, that's enough of an impression, isn't it? Unless you want to try again on a second date.

[nachetanya]

[ Oh wow, that was the opposite of smooth, but she still finds herself considering it. she snickers a little bit and... ]

Well, maybe. But you're right, that's enough.

[compendiem]

Just bring your dog on all your dates. You won't have a problem making an impression.

[nachetanya]

Pass! I love Porsche and of course I'm not going to be opposed to the idea of threesomes with her, but at the same time, I want to be cared for just for me at some point.

[ It's all said with a smile... though... ]

[compendiem]

[ Minato stops playing with Porsche's paws and gives Natalia a long look. Has he been ignoring her all evening? He doesn't think so, doing his best to uphold his end of the conversation, but he's also been clearly more excited about the moon and the dog than the person he's with.

...He straightens up, and faces her. Stiff bow. Hand out. ]

I learned how to dance like I promised. Just the simple swing, though.

[nachetanya]

[ That wasn't directed at him, honestly. He's been a good date! Just... for a real date, one she was more invested in than the whim which brought her here, she would want to be the center of attention. Her little dog is incredibly special to her so she doesn't resent his fascination, but she does...

Look at him with surprised hazel eyes.

Ah.

She takes his hand and, ]

Oh, really?

[compendiem]

Yeah. The few days after the festival. Didn't have anybody to practice with besides my roommate's cat, so...

[ He takes her hand, and leads the dance to no music. When she'd last saw him at the festival, that would be the first day he'd been asked to dance too, by somebody else, and that "dance" was a whole lot of him staring at his feet trying not to step on toes. While a cat is a terrible, and short lived, dance partner, this at least gets him to the level where he can do this while maintaining eye contact. ]

[nachetanya]

[ Dancing with no music, man...? She rolls with it, smiling as she does. Okay, this actually makes it a little funnier, to get in step and go around the planetarium like this. ]

Did you thank the cat?

[compendiem]

[ They could probably put music on via their phones, but Minato's phone doesn't have anything that can be danced to and he wouldn't know how to search for a relevant playlist. ]

Sort of. I apologized to her with an early dinner for her cooperation.

[nachetanya]

Well, that's pretty fair! [ Nod. ]

[ Her own phone probably had... something... but it's sort of funny to see him trying to lead without any beat to go off of. She's having fun, at least, with a somewhat wide smile. ]

But if you only consider it sort-of, maybe not!

[compendiem]

[ He has something of an internal beat, even if it's just a simple "1 e & a 2 e & a" that's getting thrown off every time he tries to talk, haltingly, gives up and tries to match his speech with the beats instead even if it makes him sound like a robot. ]

Guess I'll have to sincerely thank her when I get home. I'll let her sleep on my chest for a night and hope not to die.

[ It's the best thank-you he can offer to that cat, who scritches on his door every few nights wanting to come inside but he doesn't let her. ]

[nachetanya]

See, now you're cooking with gas, Arisato!

[ . . . Wow???
Wow??
wow.

But all the same, she says this with an upbeat tone, grinning as she's lead through whatever dance the guy thinks he's doing here. Still, to risk his life with a cat for her? She knows he's being sarcastic to some extent or at least is just being whacky but... it's nice to hear? A little, ]

[compendiem]

When that gas stove explodes, you'll know how I died. She weighs fifteen pounds.

[ A huge cat who will definitely crush him and make it impossible to breathe. ]

[nachetanya]

I'll prepare my statement for the authorities.

[ And then she decides to try to tease him. She grins and leans in to whisper, mostly to see if it's possible to fluster him: ]

You'll be one of the first to die for me!

[compendiem]

[ It's possible, but maybe not while they're sort-of dancing, because when she leans in, he just takes it and then swings her back out because this is how the dance works. ]

How many others have died for you already?

[ "One of the first"... ]

[nachetanya]

Oh, that's a good question... let me think...

[ SPINNING. Swinging out is fun. ]

[compendiem]

[ Is she serious... Just in case, Minato will ask seriously ]

You can give me a ballpark. Round to the nearest ten.

[nachetanya]

Oh... Hmm. Well then it's... zero! Rounding to nearest ten is zero!

[ . . . Which means 4 or less if she's being cheeky. ]

[compendiem]

Hmmm. I see.

[ Yeah, okay, she definitely must mean four in that case and Minato will gladly be number five. ]

I was sort of hoping my death would by useful to somebody. So it works out.

[nachetanya]

[ She nods, and bats her eyelashes.

It's appreciated Arisato.

... Man this guy is weird but that's sort of fun admittedly, so. ]

[compendiem]

[ ...e & a 2 e & the dance is done, whatever song he'd been playing in his head coming to a slow end and he lets go. ]

Ta-da. Van Morrison's "Moondance."

[ ... ]

I should probably go home, practice, and thank the cat. In that order.

[nachetanya]

[ . . . He actually had a song in mind?

She snorts at this and nods as this trails off, and resolves to look that up when she gets home and compare it to the memory of the steps. She pulls her arm back to herself and she nods. ]

Honestly, I'm just glad I didn't pass out. I need to go home and nap!

[ After all, she had a late night. ]