View source for 1510/Ice Cream Smoothies

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/05/25
|Location=Uminari City - Game Center Crown
|Synopsis=In which Takashi does *not* blast Usagi across the Crown for being too excitable. Though it might have been a better plan in the long run not to let him see the Silver Crystal in person. Also: what exactly is this moral fiber thing, anyway? Is it that stuff you get from oats?
|Cast of Characters=47,58
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi found his way to the Game Center Crown after walking the strangely-quiet and distant Ami home. He possibly unconsciously found his way there because that's where they'd met, or maybe because it was the closest place he could find an excuse to sit around near people without going home to his very empty home.<br /><br />Not that it appears to have done much to improve his mood, eyes roaming over the various people there with friends or significant others. He looks at his watch - still a fair bit of time before he planned to show up at UMBRA - time he'd intended to expend with Ami.<br /><br />Instead, though, it's time he's spending poking a rather large plate of chili-cheese fries - well, idly poking one fry with another. The half-consumed soda glass has been there long enough to take on the amber color of a soda slowly becoming more water than carbonated goodness.<br /><br />Takashi's scrunched up in the back, leaning against a window. 'Time is taking forever to pass today.' he muses internally. 'Maybe I should go pick a fight with Homura or something.'

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi takes a deep breathe, squares her shoulders, and takes Very Determined steps to the entrance of the Crown. Once her favorite hangout, in recent months its been almost habit to avoid this place altogether.<br /><br />At the last second, the leg raised in the air just inches from the now open door pivots and she's walking along the long stretch of window panes.<br /><br />"Nope, nope, nope." She shakes her head. She's made progress, at least! Maybe that's enough to--<br /><br />Oh hey, Takashi! The jolt of familiarity is replaced with righteous indignation as she presses nose and hands against the glass. "Ehhhh?!"<br /><br />Its unthinkable! It's inhuman!<br /><br />Withought a thought, she zooms into the Crown and ''slams'' her hands down on his table. "What do you think you're doing?!" She picks up one of his fries and waves it at him. "These delicious morsels are supposed to be ''eaten,'' Takashi-kun!"<br /><br />As a demonstration, and a so there, she pops the fry into her her mouth and chews. Then she makes a show of swallowing. "See?! Like that!"<br /><br />Her spine stiffens a bit as she realizes she's actually ''in'' the crown.<br /><br />Determined not to let it show that she's antsy about it, she plops in a seat across from him and ''glares'' at him until he eats a fry.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi looks up, surprised. Not annoyed, just surprised. And a bit taken out of his own world, looking up at the girl with the long blonde twintails. There's a moment of recognition on his face and finally, finally, he says something. "Oh, you're one of Ami's friends, right?" he says, like they haven't met in the Crown before. Because well, that's what's on his mind.<br /><br />Takashi leans forward and takes a fry, humoring her. "Tsukino-san, right?" he says, once he's finished the fry. "...we've talked before here?" he says, the recollection coming back as he shakes off his self-induced mental fugue.<br /><br />But it's painfully obvious to the Human Emotional Radar Detector across from him that Takashi is faking a sort of happy interest because that's what people do socially, but he's not actually ''happy'' - he's still got whatever's inside him eating at him. This is proven when he pushes the plate of fries towards her. "If you want some, have at."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi arches her eyebrows. "Yeah...and also when I came to your place to help take care of Ami-chan..." She trails off, nodding just a bit so he can remember.<br /><br />She's texting, of course, eyes darting down occasionally to make sure didn't didn't mispell things too badly.<br /><br />TXT: Halp Takashi abused food now in Crown!<br /><br />When she hits send, Takashi has all of her attention instead of seventy-five percent of it. She perks up as the plate is pushed before her and digs in. A few mouthfuls later, she finally swallows. Gosh she's missed these fries!<br /><br />A short tango announces the arrival of a text.<br /><br />Mamochan TXT: ack help how i cant go jadeite is in the shower i mean unless its actual danger not food abuse then fuckit ill brt codeine and all &gt;:O<br /><br />She snorts a bit and replies.<br /><br />TXT: No its okay just ansty! Stay there, drugged boy &lt;3<br /><br />Before she's even hitting send, she's talking to Takashi. "You know. I can tell you're not in the best of moods." She looks up at him and folds her arms, phone tucked against her elbow. "Did you say something stupid to her again?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Oh yeah! Right." Takashi says, nodding. That seems like it was a really, really long time ago now, to him. "...thanks for that, by the way. Having friends over helped her. Helped it be less awkward for her, too, I think." He looks down a bit.<br /><br />Some part of Takashi is jealous of Usagi's text spree. Not because of the lack of attention - he was just sitting here not looking for companionship - but because it takes him zero guesses to know who she's texting, with the way she looks so intently at her phone.<br /><br />"Huh. No! I mean. I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know." he says, rapidly, leaning over to drink his watery soda before making a face at the taste. Thankfully, one of the crown's waitresses comes by and swaps it out for a dark, fizzy, delicious bit of heaven and he greedily slurps at the straw suddenly.<br /><br />"...She's always worried if she's doing anything right, but I think I must be the one who keeps muckin' up. She was really distant on the way home. Not angry with me, not sad. Just. I could tell her head was elsewhere, and I don't think she wanted me there right then."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, of course." Usagi tilts her nose in the air. "Ami-chan's one of my best friends. And someone had to make sure you didn't tire her out with a nerd-off."<br /><br />Usagi is, of course, completely unbashful when it comes to reading and sending texts to Mamoru. Even if she were the kind of person who masked their emotions, her face would still be an open book while lost in cyberspace with him.<br /><br /> She opens her mouth when the waitress swoops in, but is unable to get anything out before she's gone away. Hrmph. She's been gone too long, losing her edge.<br /><br />Oh well, she'll get up in a moment to order.<br /><br />First!<br /><br />"Well, haven't you ever done that? Zoned out around someone?" She taps her chin. "It could be that her mind was elsewhere, but if there were no furrowy eyebrows whenever you tried to talk to her, I'd say your company wasn't totally unwanted?"<br /><br />Augh. Now that she's back, her hands are itchy. She needs...yes. She's come this far, she may as well go all the way.<br /><br />"Excuse me just a moment. I need to go get a...milkshake."<br /><br />For a moment she looks at him, somewhat perplexed. Did it signify anything that the last person she drank an uninterupted milkshake with would be the first one this time around?<br /><br />Shrugging, she brushes it off as coincidence.<br /><br />She's barely at the counter, lungs expanded, when suddenly she's mauled by a giant bear hug!<br /><br />"Eeeeep!"<br /><br />"Usagi-chan! Where have you ''been?''"<br /><br />A year ago, this would have sent her off in a swooning bliss for the next ''week.'' Now she just giggles and hugs him back before he lets her go to get back behind the counter. "I had to make sure you didn't get ''too'' used to me!" She flips one of her twintails, and it scatters...weirdly.<br /><br />Motoki rolls his eyes while she finger combs her hair back into place. "Well, what will it be?"<br /><br />She hums and looks at the menu. Her eyes widen. "Hey! When did you change that?"<br /><br />Motoki looks at the menu and shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "A few weeks ago, maybe? You know, it just seemed like time for a change."<br /><br />Usagi growls. "Motoki-nii!"<br /><br />He steps back a bit and holds up his hands. "It was Mamoru-kun, okay? He made me do it! He was acting weird so I didn't ask."<br /><br />Motoki is safe, because now there are hearts and stars pulsing in her eyes. "Strawberry chocolate banana peanutbutter, pleeeease!"<br /><br />After she pays and floats back to the booth, she texts a series of hearts, kissy faces, and bunny emojis.<br /><br /> When she slide in the booth, having just been two feet off the ground, she has a dreamy expression and she's hugging her phone. "I'm going to kick his butt."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi watches the whole goings on. "I don't know, I mean... There might have been a little furrowy eyebrows. It's hard to focus on her eyebrows because I get lost in her e.." Takashi catches himself there - too much information, delivered in a rambly fashion by a boy who isn't quite used to ''actually'' being infatuated with someone to the point of needing to be careful around himself. A fry is stuffed into his maw and followed up with a long drink of coke.<br /><br />Thankfully, Usagi gets a milkshake which gives Takashi some time to center himself. He watches the interaction between the two of them with a wry expression of amusement on his face - though it falls for just a second when Mamoru is mentioned.<br /><br />"I don't know. I'm worried." he says, looking as though he's talking to the plate of delicious cheese-coated starch. "I mean. Sometimes it seems like she's really excited to see me - and sometimes it seems like she'd really like to avoid me. I don't know which is the real Ami."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>She smothers her happy giggle for his sake, not hers. Her eyes! He gets lost in her eyes!<br /><br />A short tango.<br /><br />Mamochan TXT: ???? &lt;3 u 2 but ???<br /><br />TXT: Motoki outed you &lt;3 &lt;3 You goober.<br /><br />The mil---ice cream smoothie arrives, and Usagi, tentative at first, takes a sip. And then a much longer sip until she was bordering on an ice cream headache.<br /><br />"Why can't they both be the real her? I mean, sometimes there are things that Ami-chan overthinks, you know?" She shrugs and takes another long sip before suddenly hissing and scrunching up her face. She's out of practice! She sticks her thumb against the roof of her mouth until that headache is gone. "I mean, if she really didn't like you, she'd look like the first one all the time. But I learned introverts sometimes need to find a quiet place to recharge their batteries."<br /><br />She nods and sips some more, careful this time. "Like, sometimes someone just needs to not talk, too. Or just rest. And they don't necessarily need to be ''alone,'' but them not talking doesn't mean they're mad. They're just...resting?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi listens to Usagi. It's entirely possible he might be projecting a little of his own worries - about where the real Takashi lies. Though Usagi's ice cream headache and the clear signs of it are a smile he has to hide, himself. People don't like to be laughed at, right.<br /><br />"Maybe." he says, perking up a bit. "Maybe I come around too often for her tastes." he admits. He has been kind of pressing more than usual, partly because he thinks she's really cute when she blushes. "So I guess what you're saying is I shouldn't feel bad if she wants to give me some space." he says, nodding a little bit.<br /><br />"I guess that's just hard for me to understand because I'd rather be around her like... almost all the time." The almost is there because sometimes he does things he doesn't think she'd approve of, so being around ALL the time would be very bad.<br /><br />"Maybe you don't understand that, though." AS IF. "I don't entirely understand it, either. I'm trying really hard to be patient with her, and to understand that maybe I can't expect everything to just... work outright, instantly? But it'd be really nice if it did." he muses. He attacks another french fry.<br /><br />"Maybe I worry too much, because she worries so much, so it sometimes I worry that I'm not worrying enough?" Then Takashi hears that whole sentance come out of his mouth, and shakes it off visibly, kind of flabbergasted at the fact that he said it.

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi nods, humming around a mouthful of fries. Chew chew chew swallow! "Kind of! It may not be that you come around too much, just sometimes when you do, it's the times she's having overthinking thoughts!"<br /><br />And she totally gets wanting to be around someone maybe too much. She'd voice it out loud, but right now she's taking a big sip of her--<br /><br />The glass lands on the table with a thud. She gives him a look that says 'really?' "For someone so smart, sometimes you can be a dumbass. I'm pretty sure I had a hand driving him insane when he was brainwashed because I couldn't think straight. I wanted to be around whoever he was then so much so that I didn't care if the...Not Him thing came out."<br /><br />And, because it warrants one, she leans over the table to thwak him upside the head before sitting back down.<br /><br />Scolding done, she moves on as though it never happened. "Relationships are not fairytails." Says the one girl ''ever'' who has one that practically ''is.'' "Even happily ever afters aren't always happy. It's just even when you're miserable, you'd rather be miserable with that person than without."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi makes a very upset face at getting thwacked, and for juuuust a moment he can feel that anger becoming something more. But Takashi has a lot of practice at keeping his emotions in check - as long as Ami isn't around and his personal pride isn't impuned, anyways... or his intelligence... or he doesn't think someone's getting too close to Ami... okay so he has a decent amount of self control in many circumstances.<br /><br />So what he does, instead of his initial moments reaction of blast his girlfriend's best friend across the room with a surge of dark energy, is just holds up a single finger.<br /><br />There's a small flare of black energy in it - not enough to be hostile, really. Just enough to be there. It's not a weapon, at all, because it rolls down into Takashi's hand and he rolls it into a little ball about the size of a large gumdrop - still seeming to be solid, liquid, and gaseous at the same time.<br /><br />"I don't know if you know this, but maybe you do. It's possible she told you." he muses, and puts it on the table, where he spins it. It's not long after the ball seperates into two small but immaculately detailed little shapes. A little tiny shadow Takashi and a little tiny shadow Ami. They start to dance on the table - a ballroom dance - and Takashi watches the two of them as he picks up the conversation.<br /><br />"It seems like the only time I'm upset around her is when she's upset with me." he muses. "I've spent a lot of time looking for someone like her, though." then he stops himself. "Well, not really. I mean. I wanted someone like her. I just didn't think she existed. So I had a few meaningless relationships instead, but they couldn't hold. And recently I've lost a lot of people close to me. So I'm afraid of losing the one I have now." he says. The little shadow Ami vanishes, leaving the little shadow Takashi dancing much slower with himself before he vanishes too.

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi is steadily looking more and more green around the gills. She shoves her milkshake aside even as she's politely listening to his story. The part of her that ''doesn't'' want to throw up marvels at how ''pretty'' the little scene is.<br /><br />''Put it away...''<br /><br />She listens on the periphery, absorbing and that same part is formulating a response.<br /><br />The song the dark energy sings is a siren's call to others. For Usagi, it's a cacophony of discord.<br /><br />''Please put it away...''<br /><br />She remembers what it was like to have the sword shard in her back, feeding Dark Energy to a system that that attacked it with abandon. She remembers the smell of it when rusted eyes glowed bright red.<br /><br />It's in her hand without her realizing it. "Put it away!"<br /><br />It's a small little burst of purifying energy, weaker now that she's in her civilian form.<br /><br />She sits stock still in horror at what she's just done, clears her throat, and puts the Silver Crystal away.<br /><br />"I think...it's good you feel like a better person around her. That you're not upset around her. But...you have to try to find that zen away from her, too. Because when someone you love is gone, the pain is so bad you'd wish you were, too. Adding anger on top of that...would be bad."<br /><br />Heh. Maybe he didn't notice...

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi shirks back, himself, too. From that burst of puryifing energy that eliminates the little shadow Takashi from existence even before it can fade away. And Takashi is about as far away as the seat will let him get - an unconscious reaction to that light, a light that's far brighter than one can see with one's eyes, but one he can feel in his spirit - and he can feel the distaste.<br /><br />Now they both look a little ill. Though Takashi shakes it off because he saw that Crystal. And so did Axion. And in a brief moment, information was recieived. Still, he stays clenched back against the seat until Usagi starts talking, and calms down.<br /><br />He totally noticed.<br /><br />"I don't... I don't know. I.." He's still a little stunned by her reaction, by the back-and-forth. Her reaction to his energy is as alien to him, as his reaction might be to hers.<br /><br />"I.. really, really spend enough time alone." he finally says. "I don't mind it, but... I don't want to do that forever."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi's muscles slowly relax, and the crystal dissapears. Yep, he noticed.<br /><br />She clears her throat. "I'm sorry." Her voice is almost a whisper. "I'm allergic. I didn't get you, did I?"<br /><br />And then she shakes her head and is back on the topic. "That's not what I mean. You don't have to be alone. Maybe, if nothing else, Ami-chan is..." she trails off, trying to find the right words. "A gate-way drug? To friends?" Friendships can be like a drug, right? The nontoxic kind? (Well, sometimes, but in those cases the 'drug' isn't really a friend. She's read this on the internet.) "My point is. If you look...you'll find friends that are more like...the good drugs, right? And not the toxic ones? Or something?" She scratches the back of her head before suddenly leaning forward. If he flinches, she'll pout but pull back. If not, she's leaned forward. "I mean, the heart isn't finite, right? It stretches and grows to let others in."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yeah well, I'm alergic too." he says, suddenly. Perhaps with a little more hostility than he ought to, that bright light having brought it out. Or maybe it's that latent greed, having witnessed (even in a small dose) the power she suddenly brought out of that crystal."No, I'm okay. You'd know if you got me." Wether that's a statement or a threat can be hard to tell, but it seems to be less a threat as he calms down.<br /><br />But he doesn't do a great job in hiding his... lack of appreciation for where Usagi's going with her little talk. Nope, he doesn't like the implications he's reading into it even a single bit - wether that's what Usagi intends or not.<br /><br />His arms cross slowly, somewhat unconsciously across his chest. Maybe it's easy to miss that his hands are fists. "Do you know something I don't know?" he asks. It's a direct, almost angry question - but he visibly works his way through and around it, and his hands uncross and his palms are against the seat.<br /><br />"Look, unless this is your coded way of telling me that she's really not interested - in which case I'd rather you just said that, or she did - in me romantically, I would think maybe you know that... your suggestion isn't really at all acceptable. I mean, ignoring the fact that it sounds like you're telling me I should be happy if this ends up just netting me friends, like I didn't have those already..." Hannah counts. Euphemia counts. Right? "...all of Ami's friends hate me. After today probably you too. Maybe that's why she's gone from kissing me to being tense around me." he adds with a glare from above his glasses. "'Cause nobody trusts me, even though I've tried hard to save you all and help you out - not even just her!" The fact that most of that help was still rather explicitly for Ami isn't mentioned.

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"That's why I didn't hit you with it, ''baka''! I know it hurts!"<br /><br />She stops talking at his question and blinks. Then, as he continues, she gets more and more ''angry'' at him.<br /><br />And, well, Usagi's not one to hide how she's feeling.<br /><br />Finally, she slaps her hands on the table again. "Don't you dare go putting words in my mouth! What, you think you can read minds? Is that it? Truth is, I don't know how Ami-chan feels about you because we ''don't talk about you twenty-four seven!'' The world doesn't revolve around you, ''ahou!'' And blanketing your woes over ''everyone'' is really pissing me off! ''I'' don't hate you! I don't distrust you! And unless you hurt Ami-chan, ''if'' something happens to end this between you two, and I stress again ''I don't have a clue,'' I don't think I'll stop either of those!"<br /><br />She is, of course, not ''quiet'' about her discomfort. Since she hasn't been around in awhile, there's a ripple of a gasp through the parlor and then silence. A few seconds later everyone's eating again, the noise returning to its light din.<br /><br />Usagi, of course, has trembling lips, and then she's crying. The sniffling loudness of a four year-old who tripped and skinned their knee. "Taka-baka! Why are you so mean?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi glares down at her hands as they hit the table. That look doesn't actually leave until she finishes her talk - he doesn't actually have the good sense or decency to look humiliated or cowed or pushed away. He looks rather like a disobedient child getting a lecture - if that child was a bishonen teenager with a self-absorption complex that would make a toddler look positively empathetic.<br /><br />He does manage to get in a half-sighing "...Look, I thought you'd know, with how much she talks about you as her best fri-" and then Usagi starts crying. "H..hey..."<br /><br />Crap. He's made Ami's best friend cry. Notwithstanding the continued confusion over why this person even is Ami's best friend. "Look I'm not trying to be mean!" he says, pushing the last of the chili fries towards her in some sort of gesture of apology. "I don't even know why I'm so worried, I ju-"<br /><br />Nope. Can't do it. Can't do the crying. Can't take the crying. Window might not take the crying. "Look, I'll be right back, let me get you another drink, ice cream always helps right?" he says, and then he's off.<br /><br />He takes a little longer returning with that milkshake than he strictly needs to.

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Then she's crying ''harder'' because she feels like a ''terrible'' best friend because this talk reminds her how much she hasn't been around Ami-chan lately!<br /><br />Then he's gone, and the promise of a refill reduces her to quieter sniffles but she's still crying.<br /><br />Her phone does the tango, and sniffling she looks down.<br /><br />Mamochan TXT: OH lmao<br /><br />Mamochan TXT: hahahahaha &lt;3<br /><br />Being a teenager, this of ''course'' does more to stop her crying than anything. Even though her face is still red and wet, she at least smiles a little when she texts back.<br /><br />TXT: Perfect timing! Takashi's a butt and he noped away to get me a refill.<br /><br />Sniffle sniffle!<br /><br />TXT: xoxoxoxoxox

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi returns from noping away and carefully - like Usagi is some sort of fragile stained glass window that might shatter if he's not careful. The next thing he says might be one of the rarest things to hear Takashi say, especially in any form that sounds honest, and not like sarcasm.<br /><br />"I'm sorry, Tsukino-san. I didn't mean to upset you." he says, as he sits back in his seat. There's no indication he's not being truthful here - though it could just be very skillful lying. "I just get really emotional about Ami."<br /><br />He sighs, loudly, and leans back. "I don't know why - I've never cared about anybody like this before. Really, I'm just as confused as she is." It just makes you sound like a jerk to say 'yeah I've dated a lot of girls but I didn't really feel like THIS' or something. "But I'm trying. I hope that counts for something." he says, slumping down a bit. His head's about even with the height of her 'ice cream smoothie' glass as he looks at her around either side of it.<br /><br />"I don't know. My only real female friend is American, so I don't think she's helpful for advice. I don't know what to do. And it makes me tense."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Being a kid of today, she's able to text ''really fast.'' It helps when the texter is responsive, as well.<br /><br />Mamochan TXT: a butt how??<br />TXT: Me made me cry because he was putting mean words in my mouth ;.; And um...I purified one of his dancing Dark Energy things...<br />TXT: And I may have thwacked him upside the head earlier for being a dummy...<br />Mamochan TXT: where is he i have a sword<br />TXT: Silly, I'm still in the Crown xD Its okay, I made him nope away!<br />Mamochan TXT: i looooove you<br />Mamochan TXT: i love you lots and lots<br />Mamochan TXT: and you're pretty always. and if he made you cry just to see how pretty you are when you cry then idc i'm coming over there with a sword because i dont even do that anymore<br />TXT: Poor sweety, you're so stoned. &lt;3 I'll come visit you after this and you can see my pretty.<br />Mamochan TXT: haaaah. okay &lt;3<br />TXT: OH OH OH I looooooove you, too!<br />Mamochan TXT: yeeeeee!<br /><br />Yes. All of that before Takashi's returned. The extended nope away helped, of course, but she's looking less like a miserable soul.<br /><br />She accepts the ice cream smoothie and blinks at him at the apology. For someone who rarely gives genuine apologies, real or not, he's not half bad at them.<br /><br />Usagi sighs and shrugs as she takes a sip. A nice, long one. (Maybe she's letting him squirm for being a butt. Reveeeeeeeenge!)<br /><br />"It's okay. I just...I mean what I say. People trying to tell me I mean something else just..." She shrugs.<br /><br />"It counts for a lot, I think."<br /><br />She sighs again and sips some more on her shake. "I don't know. As a society, America is more open about love and dating and all that."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi quirks an eye up at Usagi. "No, trust me. Her response when I asked for help was essentially to buy a skyplane and write out a love letter in the sky while shouting it down at her through a megaphone. I think that might even work for some people but..." he laughs a bit. "I'm pretty sure at that point Ami would've become the deific personification of embarassment."<br /><br />Takashi sighs again. "See? You're playing with your phone and that makes me want to text her but the time isn't right. And the first time I texted her she got mad at me." he says, gritting his teeth. "Man, if I was only intentionally trying to upset people, that'd be fine. I'm apparently good at it even when I'm n-" he catches himself. "I'm good at making mistakes loudly, I guess." he says, a hand coming to scratch behind his neck. Takashi would never go out of his way to upset people on purpose. Especially not Homura. Or Mamoru.<br /><br />"I mean, I even made nice with Mamoru for her. Shook his hand. That wasn't easy, you know." he says, a half smirk. He's about half joking, half honest, and entirely nervous (wether because of Ami, because he's opening up, or because he doesn't want to see Usagi go Five Alarm Crying again... well, it's probably a little of all three.)

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi blinks for a moment. "Are you talking about Hannah-chan? Yeaaaaah... That is very much ''not'' the way to Ami-chan's heart."<br /><br />She turns up her nose a little and justifies herself. "Well, I ''did'' stop crying when he texted me."<br /><br />She taps her chin in thought for a moment. "Well, I make a lot of mistakes loudly, too. But I think its mostly the delivery. Like, I'm convinced the only reason you talk to me is because you don't want Ami-chan thinking you're purposefully snubbing her 'dumb' friend. Right?" Her eyes are steady on his for a moment. "I'm not, you know. In some ways, I'm smarter than you are."<br /><br />Then she's back to humming.<br /><br />And she doesn't cry. Instead, she giggles. "I don't think it was easy for him, either."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi smiles. "See, I'm not so clueless as to try to mistake what White-san would want someone to do for her with something Ami would appreciate." he says, nodding. "So at least you kinda understand what I mean about wishing I was talking to her right now. Only you -have- that, at least?"<br /><br />"That's not true at all." Takashi says in regards to 'the reason he talks to her'. Though he doesn't say that with the tone of someone who's offended at the insinuation - just calmly saying it's not true. "Both times we've talked I haven't felt the need to create distance. I mean, you're not Mak- AHEM. I mean, I don't think you're smarter than me, though. Now, you're pushing it." he says, wagging a finger and trying to distract from his almost-comment.<br /><br />"You might have some emotional strength in different ways than I do, though. I'm pretty good at people, you've just never seen me try." he adds, finger tilting side to side along with a half-smirk.<br /><br />"No, I think the feeling was... and is... rather mutual. Exceptional circumstances aside."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi giggles. Yes, Hannah was a bit more...direct than most -- everyone -- she knew. And she nods. "I do ''now.'' I may not know exactly how you're feeling, but I can very much sympathize."<br /><br />Usagi straightens a bit in surprise. Well! "For once, I'm happy to be wrong!" She gives a happy hum and sips on her milkshake. "I tend to have that effect on people." She does, of course, catch his almost slip. While she's not ''happy'' someone thinks Mako-chan's not smart, he at least had the decency to stop himself from saying it. So, she mostly lets it slide. "She usually does better in school than I do."<br /><br />Then she gasps! "I am, too! And not just in that way! Like, I bet you couldn't name all the characters in Fruits Basket or Inuyasha! So neener!" She's fighting a grin, though. And she tilts her nose up a bit. "Oh yeah? Prove it." She's smirking a bit now, too.<br /><br />Usagi gives a very diplomatic nod. "True, however...your death had an effect on him, so I know he doesn't dislike you so much he wishes you dead?" That's something, right?

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi nods. "Well, I'll take sympathy, right now. But don't tell anyone - especially White-san. Or else she'll sympathize the air right out of me with a bear hug." With Hannah one-handed or not, Takashi's not a particular bulky-looking boy outside of either his Barrier Jacket or Knight's Armor.<br /><br />"I admit, I am a bit perplexed as to why I enjoy your company." he says, perhaps a bit too honest for his own good. But he's been consistently a bit too honest with Usagi, so why stop? "You do better at..." how to put it... 'not making me want to punch you' is not correct. "...interacting with me." he finally settles. "Than Kino-san, I mean."<br /><br />"That's not so much intellect as memorization." he says, wagging a finger. "Though... in some measures I will grant you probably have more intellect than I do. Now.... I will argue my intelligence is probably more applicable in more functional situations." This is one of those things that passes for Takashi's sort of half-digging half-humor, and the big words probably don't help. "But if knowing all the characters in Fruits Basket ever helps you save the world, let me know. That'll at least be worth looking into as a phenomenon."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi shivers at the idea of a Hannah-hug. (Not for herself, she loves those! They pop her spine and everything!) "Don't worry, I won't!"<br /><br />She tilts her nose at his admission. "It's because I'm awesome." However, she grows contemplative as he talks about Mako-chan. "People are sometimes...I don't know. When she first transferred, people were afraid of her because of silly rumors! But she's really one of the sweetest people I know. Same with Ami-chan and Rei-chan and Minako-chan." Her eyes grow a little sad at the last, but she forces herself to perk up. "And Mamo-chan! I think its just...if they're not hiding, I can ''see'' them."<br /><br />Her eyes spin around because Big Words, but she at least gets the ''basic gist'' of what he's saying. "Well, I suppose if the myths behind the Zodiac ever comes up..." Then she tilts her nose again, not to be undone! "And from Inuyasha, I know it's stupid to fire an arrow at a magic crystal. Although, I must admit, when the crystal had a voice in the anime..." She sighs, dreamily.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi can, perhaps better than most people, appreciate Usagi's comment that she's awesome - it reminds him of someone... and what they might say...<br /><br />"I'm not afraid of her." he corrects, emphatically. "I just don't understand her. That's very different. I don't think I've met the other two. And Mamoru punched me." He's never going to let that one go. At least not until he punches him back.<br /><br />Takashi leans over, waving a hand in front of Usagi's face as she goes on about crystals. "You know, speaking of, I saw a flash of yours." he says, carefully poking around that issue. "When you decided you weren't fond of my shadowpuppets." He says, wiggling his fingers (though no Dark Energy comes to play this time.)

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I know. But people were afraid of her because they didn't understand her. Same with Ami-chan, they were just a bit more...mean? Cold?" She shrugs. "And Mamo-chan was brainwashed. If I was mad at him for what he did then, he'd...well, actually, I wouldn't have been mad for long. Hmmm."<br /><br />Usagi's eyes grow large and wide with feigned innocence. "What? Flash? Me? Must have been...um...my camera phone..."<br /><br />Oh gosh, laaaaaame.<br /><br />"Crystals are very fashionable! I don't hop around Tokyo as a Magical Girl, that's ridiculous, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi curls his hand into a fist. "I understand some part of... people being cold to you." he says, and then the kind of feelings he has towards Mamoru are a different sort of anger and hate. Not so much hurt, as rivalry and distaste, and the difference is clear (and may in fact put his opinion of Mamoru in a slightly better light.) "Well, I'll add that to my goals list 'don't get brainwashed'." he says.<br /><br />But then Usagi's trying to squirm out of it. "You know, it's really not hard to put that together given the fact that I know who your boyfriend and friends are. Magic's funny like that. The door's shut and nobody can tell who you are in one place or another... until they can. Really, I'm pretty sure your hair probably pushes the bounds of what it can cover." he says, leaning forward and whispering, at least having the courtesy to not share with the room. "Besides, if you weren't Sailor Moon, it'd be very awkward to have Mamoru cheating on you with her."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi nods. "It's...not fun. I mean, I..." She sighs. "I was...lucky? I." She was born with her previous life's wish granted: to be part of ''his'' world, to belong to ''his'' people. But at this moment, that's not exactly something she can say out loud, right?<br /><br />And then she squeaks! And flaps her arms! "He would never! For all you know, we could be in a polygon relationship! And take part in menageries!"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi might be thinking about the crystal, and the power. He might be thinking about her relationship. He might be thinking that she probably still has both parents, or at least one, to care for her. Whatever the case, though, it's almost painfully clear the way he says. "You really were lucky, you know?" as he looks out the window.<br /><br />But then her antics drag him out of whatever thought he was trapped in. "Hey, secret's safe with me." he says, calmly. Wether he means 'you're Sailor Moon' or 'you're involved in a harem with Sailor Moon' isn't made immediately clear, because he finds it too funny. But it's true. If anyone else in Eclipse knew Usagi Tsukino was Sailor Moon, well... they might try to use that. And he likes being the only one with leverage. "But you know, make sure you stay safe."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi just blinks when he calls her lucky. For a moment, she's not able to answer. She ''knows'' this to be true, and has an odd sort of survivor's guilt for it. "I know..."<br /><br />And then, well, it's pretty obvious. She nods. "I am." To ''both'' implications.<br /><br />She bites her lip. "Of all of us, I was the one ''born'' with my wish granted."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi returns to looking out the window. "I was born with someone else's wish granted. But there were consequences." he says, quietly. "One of the only things I want is to make sure that I don't make that wish... given in vain." he says.<br /><br />"I think that's the other reason I love Ami." he says, not really looking at Usagi, and his cheeks pinken only a little bit - he's much more comfortable throwing that word around than he ought to be, and far more than Ami would even be hearing it. "Because I think not only is she beautiful and talented, but she can help me attain things I couldn't without her. That's why she's so important to me. But it's probably very selfish to say that, mmm?"

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>This is something that Usagi knows nothing about. She tilts her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"<br /><br />Her eyes widen only slightly at his declaration of love and her cheeks pinken just a little. "It's...sometimes okay to be selfish. If you're not using her, if its just an added bonus, there's nothing wrong with that." She trails off for a moment, and suddenly her milkshake looks very interesting. "If she weren't a help in it, would you still love her?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi knows the expected answer to Usagi's hypothetical, socially, is an emphatic Yes. But Takashi also can't take a question like that and not legitimately analyze it. So he does. "Well, if she wasn't a help in it because she was less intelligent than she is... then she'd be a different girl." Takashi begins. "Being less intelligent than she is would have all sorts of knock-on effects that might change her drastically. And so I couldn't say yes. But I don't that's the question you're asking. You're assuming all other things being equal - or really, you're asking if I only say I love her because she's useful."<br /><br />Takashi turns to meet Usagi. "But if I didn't need her help - if I had it all figured out for myself - I'd still love her." he says, crossing his arms, as though this was a very firm point and he'd considered it a lot. "It's the person I care for, not the things she can do for me."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>At first, Usagi's confused because what he's talking about isn't what she meant. But soon it actually does make sense.<br /><br />And her eyes soften at the end. "See? That's it there. Yes, good."<br /><br />Another worry! "But, hypocritically, if she didn't ''want'' to help with...whatever it is."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi thinks on it. "I'm not sure why she wouldn't want to help me. Not if she loves me. Shouldn't she want to see me succeed like I want to see her succeed?" he asks, the tone of his voice quizzical and honest. "And it's hypothetically." he adds, belatedly.

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yeah, that. I think that normally, the answer would be yes. But you have to remember, our lives ''aren't'' normal. For instance, if what you need her help for goes against her moral fiber, would you then still expect her to help you? Because, yes, love ''is'' helping those you love, but it's ''also'' about respecting who that person is at the core, right?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>On the one hand, the question is strange to Takashi - how could something go against ones 'moral fiber' and what is that, really? There's a reason the booth is so quiet while he thinks. <br /><br />But on the other hand, he knows that other people seem to have reservations against... some things. After all, he's thusfar been smart enough to not invite her to help him out in his work in an Eclipse Lab. "I'd hope she'd trust me enough to believe in what I'm doing but... if not, it is what it is. It doesn't change who she is to me, though."

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>She nods and sips her ice cream smoothie. She's more or less satisfied, but she really doesn't want to ask him the other question. 'Do you love her enough to let her go if that's what she wanted?'<br /><br />"Good!" She takes a chili cheese fry and pops it in her mouth before making faces as she swallows. She feigns death, sliding down onto the bench, hand in the air. "Death...by...cold...fries!"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Usagi's reaction is all he needs to see to know he's done with the fries, and so he pushes the plate a little closer to her. "All yours, eater of cold fries." he adds, before turning away. "Oh. I guess time went by a lot faster since you got here." he says, looking at his watch. "...which... thank you for sitting down and talking to me. Even if you only did it because I'm dating your friend." he says, smiling and giving her a bit of a bow, referencing her previous comment about why he put up with her.<br /><br />"You know, I'm really not as bad as some people think I am." Takashi adds, getting his stuff together to leave. He knows that's not a lie - he's actually worse than most people think he is.

:'''{{#var:58|Usagi Tsukino| (58)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>She rolls her eyes and chucks a fry at him.<br /><br />Then she nods. "I know you're not. I'm a good judge of character, you know."<br /><br />Smugly, she slurps up the remainder of her smoothie.
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