(closed.)

[sotenbori]

WHO: Goro Majima, Kazuma Kiryu, Kit Fawkes, Rosalind Lutece
WHERE: Yamazaki's Paris
WHEN: Mon 5/29
WHAT:It's a double date where everyone is acting as a double agent for a hidden agenda, except for kiryu, who thinks its just a lunch
WARNINGS: Majima swears too much forgive him



[ okay, so here's how it went: majima asked fawkes to tell him how to figure out if you're on a date - a question he probably already knew the answer to before asking, especially considering his job with the club but one that was worth asking all the same. the conversation brought up two very important points: 1. even if majima felt something, would kiryu? and 2. fawkes really needed a date. thus a plan was formed.

majima's pretty sure fawkes would get along with rosalind, so he sets them both up on a blind date. on fawkes' end it's a cover to watch while majima and kiryu hang out to gauge how kiryu is feeling. majima tells rosalind that it's all about trying to get fawkes to have a good time with a nice woman -- which she agrees to because you know, no harm no foul, apparently. she probably assumes the "double" part of this date is that majima isn't really dating kiryu -- meanwhile, kiryu really just thinks this is a lunch with...friends, i guess. majima didn't really explain to kiryu what the idea was.

so that brings us to monday afternoon where they're all going to meet up at yamazaki's paris and eat food as a group and try not to trip over themselves in the process. majima's there waiting early to make sure he herds all the cats of this plan together.

yeah it's gonna be great. nothing could possibly go wrong with any part of this plan ]

Comments

[originallutece]

[She'd been half ready to call the whole thing off all morning, if you want the truth. The more she thinks about this, the more she psyches herself out, but really, it's just lunch. Lunch with a very kind man and two of his friends, one of whom he thinks might just be a good fit for her. That's nothing to be intimidated by. It's hardly a commitment, and better this than staying home all day, right? Summer classes don't start for another fortnight, and until they do she's quite bored.

Besides: against all expectation, perhaps this will turn out to be fun. Perhaps whatever man she's to meet will be utterly charming, wonderfully intelligent and witty and incidentally quite handsome to look at; perhaps he'll be dazzled by a woman whose intelligence no doubt far surpasses his own. Perhaps years from now she and he will happily reminisce about this first date--

Or, her sensible mind cuts in, perhaps he'll be be entirely dull. Either way, it doesn't matter. The point of today isn't to fall in love; it's to get out and get her mind off of things. A date is precisely what she needs.

She'd dressed up a fair bit in something a little more feminine than her usual no-nonsense teaching outfits. She feels a right idiot sitting at a table for four, waiting for three other companions whose faces she doesn't know, but whatever. They'll be here soon, and hopefully this won't turn out to be a disaster.]

[roseblooms]

[The more he thinks about this idea, the more he's getting convinced that it's sort of a stupid one, but you know what, at the end of the day Majima is his friend and this is ostensibly a favor to him, so whatever else might come of this, at least it's guaranteed to be an interesting afternoon.

Tempting though it might be to go overboard, Fawkes has successfully managed to Keep It Casual™ as far as this afternoon's outing goes — he's not particularly done up or decked out, but he does at least look decent enough in pressed pants and an Oxford with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It is, perhaps, an attempt at looking slightly older than he is, as is the fact that he's got his hair gathered back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck; Majima'd given the indication that this mystery date of his was presumably older than him, and the last thing he needs is to come off foolish or worthy of being patronized for failing to measure up on a scale of apparent maturity.

He's on time, of course. However, he opts to idle by the door, figuring it'll be best to wait around for the one face he does know, and proceed forward from there. Majima's the only one who's familiar with everyone, after all, so clearly he's to be the man of the hour, and also the one likeliest to be tasked with getting this show on the road.]

[judgementkazzy]

[ In Kiryu's case, this is an extended lunch break. It's helps that he can work odd hours at the office, no one bats an eye when lunch lasts more than an hour. He's dressed for work though; dark slacks and a long sleeved button-up in a muted shade of pastel blue. Rest assured, he's got a matching blazer and tie but he opts to leave that in his car. This isn't a date or anything, it's just lunch with friends. There's no reason not to act casual.

Still, he really doesn't know anyone else here, so when he sees Majima, Kiryu’s eyes light up. ]

Majima, hey! I'm not late, am I?

[sotenbori]

Nope, we're all here on time, except...


[ he waves fawkes over since he saw him already and then checks his watch. there's no way someone like the professor would be late, right? she's way to proper for that. he looks around for a bit and then -- oh! there she is! he waves to her and moves the party over.]

Hey Professor! This is Kazzy and Fawkes. [he points to each of them, in turn.] I'm glad no one got lost.

[judgementkazzy]

Nice to meet you.

[ Kiryu nods, polite as ever before he takes a seat. He's been here before, though it's a nice place. But he's also in the know about Fawkes and this Professor person being on a blind date, so he'll give them their space and focus on Majima. ]

So how was work this weekend?

[sotenbori]

Busy, 'cause of the holiday. It was great, really kept everyone on their toes.

[ he hopes he's not...acting different since he knows fawkes is paying attention. on the other hand, it's so easy to be relaxed and normal around kiryu. he just has that kind of face. ]

Did you do anythin' fun?

[judgementkazzy]

Nice, I'm glad it went well. I need to stop by again this week.

[ Kiryu smiles softly... He really cares about the club from a customer standpoint, but especially because he knows how important it is to Majima. ]

Oh, actually it's been kind of busy. Tatsuo is staying at my place, so we spent the weekend looking up apartments for him and running errands. I didn't have a lot of food at home...

[ Whoops, Kiryu's apartment looks all well and good until you realize how much of his meals are instant. ]

[sotenbori]

[ go see him fight too, kiryu, you promised him x( ]

You two shoulda called me, I would've helped.

[judgementkazzy]

[ Name the time and place and he'll drop everything for you, Majima. You know it's true. ]

Oh, it was just a few things, it's not a big deal. But I'll keep you in mind next time. Tatsuo was thinking of trying to make omurice, if you'd like to try some.

[ His apartment, his rules, Majima is now invited to omurice night. ]

[sotenbori]

Fuck, people need to stop brin' up omurice I'm dyin' here havin' never tasted it.

[ it just sounds....so good..... he's gonna cry ]

[judgementkazzy]

I've never had it either...

[ You dumbasses are at a French restaurant. This could have been easily solved. ]

Makoto's mom might know how to make it. I could ask her.

[sotenbori]

[ its a french restaurant not a japanese restaurant god ]

Man, Makoto's mom is the best. I feel like I should get her, like, a plant or something. Just as a like, thanks for being a great mom to Makoto and everyone.

[judgementkazzy]

[ Yes but simply make your fake date at a Japanese restaurant. ]

Yeah, she's great. Maybe we can get her something together next time we go. I know my uncle likes hot sake, but I think she's more of a wine person...

[ Y'all are making plans together already, jeez. ]

[originallutece]

[Red hair, Majima had said. Gorgeous red hair and green eyes, oh god, she ought to have known. She ought to have realized the moment he said that, because how many men fit that description? But no, she hadn't thought it would be limited to Retrospec users; she'd stupidly assumed this was some man Majima worked with.

God. God, this is wildly inappropriate, they can't do this. It's not illegal to take a meal with your assistant, but it's certainly frowned upon when it's in a restaurant like this, when you and he both are dressed for a date, when your legs are bare and you're wearing a dress that's a bit too short and oh god, this is worse than Ardyn's questioning.

She should go. God, look at him: not particularly dressed up, but given she sees him day in and day out, she can tell he's put in an effort. He looks older like this, closer to her age than the twenty-three he truly is.

She absolutely should go. And yet Rosalind doesn't get up, not yet. She waits until Fawkes has sat, then leans forward and says:]

I'm going to assume this isn't some kind of joke, Christopher?

[roseblooms]

[Well, she's not entirely incorrect, probably — there does seem to be a joke at hand here, albeit one that appears to be being played on them, and presumably with the literal universe as a culprit.

He's doing approximately the same utterly bewildered calculus as the two of them are "introduced" (as though they'd needed to be) and everyone sits down, abruptly self-conscious in his own skin and halfway wondering whether or not he ought to simply excuse himself, grab his shit, and bail.

But there's a nagging sense of loyalty that keeps him in place, even with the awkwardness in play. Majima's done a lot for him, supports him, puts faith in him, and he'd said he would be here in return to help him figure out and navigate this little "is it or is it not a Date™" mess. The wingman code compels him, even where it might otherwise make sense to act out of pure self-interest —

(And passingly, he thinks of the feeling of cold wind in his face as he stands atop a rooftop, a friend at his side and someone who scares him down below, and being told that he's to be participating in some kind of tournament — he should've run then, he feels, and maybe he could've, but self-interest took a backseat to friendship...)

— and so here he is, awkwardly facing his professor and colleague, who by the way is looking very nice today, herself.]

Whether it is or not, no one seems to be laughing, do they, professor.

[He should've known, when Majima started talking about professors at the university — but no, there are plenty of young professors, and how was he supposed to know that It was kinda sad honestly; I complimented her and it was like she didnt get to hear things like that very often and Dr. Rosalind Lutece would ever belong in the same sentence?

No, that's a very profound something, too, and now that it's crossed his mind, it's not getting out of his head anytime soon.]

[originallutece]

[She glances over at the two next to her, but no: they're firmly wrapped up in themselves, and she would have expected at least a smirk or a glance from Majima if this was some kind of cruelty. With a little huff she turns back to her companion.

Her ears are still bright red, but he's sat down and no one has raised the alarm so far. She really can't do this, and yet perhaps-- given that they're all here, given that there's nothing particularly risque about their setting-- she can let this one lunch slide.]

Well. You do look nice.

[He looks very nice, actually. She keeps fixating on his arms, but really, who told him he could roll up his sleeves like that? That's distracting, never mind how charming he looks with his hair tied back.]

Were circumstances different, I'm sure you'd be charming some other professor.

[roseblooms]

Yes...I'm afraid you know me far too well to be fooled by my pretenses of charm.

[This is so phenomenally awkward — which is sort of stupid, really, because outside of the fact that they both ended up coming here on a flagrant misunderstanding, there's nothing actually awkward about this. It's hardly the first time they've spent time together before, even outside of the classroom. It's definitely not the first time they've met up over food. So really, logically, why should this be any different?

That's what he tries to focus on as he fidgets idly with the hems of his sleeves: the fact that aside from the business of dating, he did actually come here to help Majima out, and reminds himself to take a glance over at how he and Kiryu are —

...Oh.

Okay, well. Jeez. Talk about getting along like a house on fire.]

Still, I suppose we ought to at least try to enjoy ourselves, hadn't we? Take our cue from the two of them, perhaps.

[originallutece]

[She nods. They are getting along well, and she's glad at least someone's date has worked out. Well done Majima, you got it fifty percent right, and really, it's not his fault he struck out on this particular pairing.]

All right. Though I refuse to talk about work; we do that enough as-is.

[And if not work . . . mm. Perhaps she's just painted herself in a corner. School is a safe, neutral topic, and she's already growing anxious the more time passes. But really, she tells herself, there's no reason to be. Fawkes isn't under some delusion that this is a proper date, so there's no reason to avoid any topics or tread lightly. She won't be leading him on, because there's nowhere to metaphorically lead them.

So. What would she have said if he'd been someone else? Or-- no. What would she have said if he hadn't been her assistant?]

. . . how long did you spend getting ready to meet your mysterious older date?

[It's teasing, clearly, as there's a hint of a smile in her expression.]

[roseblooms]

Ah — "long enough to be flattering to the lady in question" is the charming answer, but certainly we're having none of that. So "long enough that I don't want to admit a number" is the more honest one.

[He knows she's teasing him. Logically that should also be perfectly fine; they tease each other constantly, it's a large part of why they get along so well in all of the other settings in which they interact with each other regularly. But there's still something of a difference between idle workplace complaining about one's dating life and having it laid out in front of that particular coworker in a situation like this one, and it occurs to him belatedly that it probably looks a little bit stupid on his part, how he'd so recently been caught up in making false assumptions about her personal life and now here he is, an active part of it.

This is so awkward. And the most awkward part of it all is the awareness that essentially all of the awkwardness is stemming from the fact that they both evidently came here on the pretenses of it being a date — because if that one word were lifted, it'd be no different from any other average day, and yet there it hangs like a Sword of Damocles over the entire affair anyway.]

...Indulge my curiosity, will you — how exactly was I pitched to you, in terms of my blind date potential? You were billed as strong, capable, and brilliant, for what it's worth.

[originallutece]

[She tips her head in wry acknowledgement of those compliments: not denying them, not in the least, but she knows enough not to bob her head in clear agreement, even if they are true.]

That you were a very good person, and a little lonely. In fact, that you were such a good person that himself there couldn't find you just anyone, and that you needed someone fiercely intelligent to compliment you. And--

[Ah. Well. Perhaps she shouldn't tell him that bit.]

A, ah, flattering physical description as well.

[roseblooms]

[She's kind of strict but she has a good heart and can appreciate jokes. And she's not used to people appreciating her and you'd give her the respect she deserves.

It's so strange, really — that in a way, what Majima has really done here is acted like an objective third-party lens, painting a picture from an outsider's point of view of a person that, as it turns out, he personally will always unconsciously perceive first through the biases of his own relationship with her. Majima isn't Rosalind's graduate assistant, so he doesn't see her the same way that a graduate assistant would. And yet, he realizes, that doesn't make Majima's perceptions wrong, or any less valid; quite the contrary, they're probably incredibly true.

More importantly, they're probably perceptions that he's never actually considered himself, because why would he? When would he ever think or have occasion to step outside of his own viewpoint and see things from a different one?

She's not used to people appreciating her.

That's right...she'd said as much herself, hadn't she?

I try and project the image of competence at all times. I'm one of the younger faculty members, to say nothing of how young I was when I worked in the field. One needs to appear invulnerable in such circumstances.

It's hard to imagine you struggling, he'd told her. But maybe that's more than just the compliment he'd intended it to be. Maybe it's an admission of how he's really only been seeing a fraction of the whole picture all along.]

He's a good friend.

[It's a soft remark, but a fond one, and he's smiling as he glances almost conspiratorially in Majima's direction to scope again how things are going over there.]

Though I suspect the flattering physical description likely came viewed through some fairly thick rose-tinted glasses, in the places where it wasn't exaggerated entirely.

[originallutece]

Nonsense. You do have red hair and green eyes, that's hardly an exaggeration. Whether or not one would use the adjectives he did is up to personal taste.

[All right. All right, this is . . . still uncomfortable, but not as much as it was. Her breath comes a little easier now, and she even risks another smile, slight but genuine.]

Well. I am sorry you ended up having lunch with me instead of a prospective date. But at least this way we've a guarantee of a good conversation.

. . . did you know I was going to be older? I had no idea I was going to go out with a twenty-three year old.

[roseblooms]

I did know that much — slightly older, and a professor, and I believe my exact words were, "that might be a little out of my league, don't you think?"

[Would she have declined, he wonders, if she'd known she'd be meeting a twenty-three year old? Not him specifically, obviously, but just in general. "A professor" hadn't been a sticking point for him; would the reverse have been a dealbreaker for her?]

Anyway, it's all right. The date itself is mostly a secondary perk, anyway; I'm actually here on a sort of business, believe it or not.

[originallutece]

[It's a compliment, to be sure, and yet the phrasing sticks out at her. She has a high opinion of herself, yes, and there's plenty of people she's rejected, but she's never particularly thought of herself as a person for whom someone might say, she's out of my league.

It's particularly hard to think of Fawkes saying that. He tends to project an air of quiet confidence; it's hard to imagine him balking at meeting someone older. But of course he would; she's a decade older than him, anyone would be intimidated.

But he'd said yes anyway. He'd known what he was getting going in, and yet he'd still said yes. That's . . . hm. Well. Something to think about, certainly.]

Really? More subterfuge, or are you testing out what it might be like to work at Mr. Majima's club?

[roseblooms]

A different variety of subterfuge, actually.

[...Good god, this is like twice in as many weeks, if not fewer. At the rate he's going he's going to start sounding like some kind of secret agent. Tactical romantic espionage action.

(...Although, that doesn't have a half-bad ring to it, frankly.)

He lowers his voice, though, so he's not likely to be overheard.]

At least one of our two companions is aware he's on a date at the moment. I'm here to determine if that's true for both of them.