tampered | Log; Complete

Log; Complete

When; June 23, afternoon
Rating; PG, most likely
Characters; Kotobuki Ran (

number1gal) & Cain Hargreaves (

misterblackbird)
Summary; Ran and Cain cross paths--and each other, more or less. She thinks they have more in common than he thinks, so how about talking it out over something to drink? His treat. Of course. (lol factor at 100.)
Log;
What would a person like her drink?

This had been an unexpected turn of events. He'd seen Ran speaking to his sister over the Network and immediately meant to confront Ran about subversively encouraging his sister to try and get away from him, and now he'd ended up agreeing to go out somewhere with her.

She was really...quite forward.
Interesting.

Cafe Juliet would do, he decided. It was easy to find, popular, she was enough of a newcomer that she'd probably never seen it, and she seemed young--or at least immature--so it would probably appeal to her.

He checked his pockets: six quartz pebbles, two flat stones, and some slips of coloured paper. That ought to be enough.

She was easy to find in a crowd--even in a crowd of City residents she succeeded in standing out in garish colours, with red streaked hair. They must look a pair: he in all black, and she in...everything else.

"Good afternoon, Ran. Shall we?"

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Ran turned and smiled at him. “Of course we can, a GAL never turns down a meal” She wore a pink tube top with white lace on both the bottom and the tom. He skirt was an ultra mini in white and she wore white knee high platform boots and just about 15 pieces of jewelry scattered on her person. “So where did you pick for us to go?”

Fifty days in a city full of people in very strange clothes, with very strange habits, had yet to dull Cain's sense of...propriety.

He found himself concentrating undue attention on the ornaments in Ran's hair. Not as if that sort of deshabille were a totally unfamiliar sight, but to be wearing something like she was in public: she seemed distinctly underdressed.

Undressed might be the word.
Nevermind.
It all seemed a piece, somehow.

"I thought you might like Cafe Juliet. Have you been there yet? It's just off the square here."

He pointed to the bright awnings and umbrellas covering the scattering of tables and chairs that spilled out into the square.

"It's quite nice, if a little busy. They have tea, and coffee, and cakes..."

He decided against offering her his arm and instead hoped she'd follow as he walked.

Ran looked to where Cain had pointed “Oh Uber cute! No I never been in that café before” she walked toward it, assuming that Cain would follow her along.

Standing next to him she felt a little under dressed, but that was fine. He was interesting, and she bet they made a funny looking pair.

“Cain you think I should get a dress that covers more?” She stayed quite a little with a completely serious face. “Yeah right, that’s totally not me, GAL life forever.” Grinning at him she laughed. “So what types of cakes do you like the most Cain?’

"To each his or her own, I suppose," he said. After all, there were people in the City who wore bits of bone masks on their faces, those who carried swords, those in robes, those who perhaps even less than she did.

"I'm not especially fond of sweets," he said. "I never have been."

He watched her fairly bounce along ahead of him.

"You know, I have to wonder where you get you boundless energy."

Ran turned around, holding her arms behind her back and leaning against her heals, thinking. “Well I am not really sure. I guess it is because I am a 15 year old girl who eats a lot and then runs around like mad?” she smiled. “Well I have actually always been this way, it’s just who I am.” she flashed him a peace sign. “And I am sure they will have some tea or coffee that you will like it looks like a very nice place.”

"They have most everything," he laughed, navigating his way through the potted flowers and fluttering tablecloths towards an empty table.

"You're more than a little different from most of the fifteen year-old girls I've met. I'm only seventeen myself, yet we're so different. Your world must be ages apart from mine."

He stopped by a table mostly shaded by a striped umbrella. Pale as he was, he'd rather not risk spending an afternoon in the summer sun. "Will this table do?"

Out of habit he pulled her chair out for her, before beginning to think better of it.

Ran grinned, “Well I am a little different then the other girls in my world. I Am the number one GAL of Shibuya. Shibuya was also myn, I defended it against gangs and other girls trying to claim my town.” he laughed, “I was always busy defending my title.”

“Yeah this is a nice table; I don’t want to look like I was just at a sun-salo. Tan skin is so not what I want to have.” Ran sat down in the chair he had so kindly pulled out for her and smiled at him. “Thank you Cain, you are such a gentle man, like one of the noble lords that you read about in fairy tales.”

"A noble lord in a fairy tale?" He smiled a little and leaned his chin on his hand. Idly he toyed with a leaf that had fallen on the table. "I was a 'noble lord' in my world. I was an earl in my country, if you know that title at all."

He looked over at her. "I hardly ever bother with telling people about it around here--it doesn't seem to matter so much."

"But," he said, tossing the leaf aside, "it sounds like my title was much more secure than yours. If you had...invaders, of a sort, trying to claim your town, that sounds much more like fairy tale armies conquering neighboring kingdoms. 'Shibuya,' you said. Is everyone there like you? You said you had a younger sister--is she like you?"

"If she is...I don't know that she'd need your protection," he mumbled into his hand, before turning to try and catch the attention of one of the waiters.

Ran laughed. “Well I guess that you could say that it was like kingdoms and such, but it was more modern, I guess. I was proud to be number one GAL of Shibuya, I never though if trying to be it for any other place”

She leaned her head back and looked at the say. “An earl? No actually I never read a story about an earl before.” She tried to balance a spoon on her nose and it worked, but then she caught it and looked back at Cain. “But I bet that you had a lot of fun with your title.”

She grinned. “My sister is nothing like me. My sister wants to be like our family. The Kotobuki name is a long line of police officers. My father always wants me to strive to be better person now to be a police woman. Poor Sayo runs around at 13 playing detective games with her boy friend. They are so clueless as to how Shibuya really works, so I need to keep an eye.”

Cain laughed a moment, "Well, I didn't assume it was really kingdoms and the like. There were rivalries among neighborhoods in London, too. ...It was mostly boys who fought there, though." He waved his comment off, "Doesn't matter."

He watched her play with the spoon. She seemed such a free-spirit: if she wanted to balance a spoon on her nose, she would. It made her seem very childlike. And free?

"I suppose I did have fun with it. It earned me a great deal of respect, which meant I could do as I pleased a great deal of the time."

He paused a moment. "I hesitate to say this, but doing as I pleased often meant I ended up 'playing detective' too. I...had more than a few opportunities to practice, and I got rather good at it, but I tended to specialise in a certain type of investigation.

"And, Miss Ran, I don't mean to sound insulting, but if you're something of the 'leader' of your town, what kind of danger could your sister possibly be in? Is she just that oblivious to everyday dangers?" From what little he'd gathered about the place, it didn't sound especially dangerous--no more dangerous than a normal city, and certainly not hiding the sorts of dangerous his sister had seen.

“I beat up the gangs that try to come into Shibuya, but that is what life is like.” she also changed the subject, seeing that it was not something that he wanted to talk about.

She grinned as he said he got perks. “I don’t get anything good from being number one GAL. They take snap shots on the steet so I don’t get any of the money. Also I figure it’s my duty as a GAL to answer questions for free, so in my world I was usualy out of money.”

Ran thought about it. “Well, she bases her detective games around a show. She is fearless about t-ing a person, even if they might be a danger to herself.” she sighed. “with my father being the chief detective and me being in so many magaziens we get a lot of attetion, and attetion dosnt not always being people with good intetions.” she looked at him closly. "I get the feeling that your dangers are more close to home however, which are actualy more dangrious."

Well, that was astute of her. Close to home, yes, but she clearly had no notion of the power those dangers held. He was not about to tell her--a total stranger, and one who'd likely retell his story across the City. Nothing stayed secret in the City for long, but he'd fight for what he could.

He stared back at her, holding the silence between them.

Slowly, cooly, he turned away from her to signal to a passing waitress.

"Perhaps we'd better order. Otherwise they'll make us leave."

Ordering was the magic word for Ran “OMG! I totally forgot how uber hungry I was!” she brightened up to her usual self and smiled at the waitress. “You are so a saver! Ok so just bring me one of all the deserts and I should be set!” She smiled back at Cain as if she had only ordered a normal amount of food, acting as all was normal. “I got so into talking all Mat-girl like” she grinned. “It’s is awesome that you like me know that much about you, don’t worry, It’s between two sibling protectors.” Ran winked at Cain and the poor waitress looked to him as well, hoping to god that this one would not be as insane in his order as the other.

"I suppose it is between two protective siblings."

He looked up at the slightly flustered waitress.

"Just tea for me, please," he said quietly to her, trying to maintain his dignity.

This girl was so brash, and so bold, it was almost unbearable. Ordering everything on the menu, believing she had some understanding of him and his life.

He set his teeth. The sun glared in his eyes and he squinted at the buildings ringing the square.

And the flat stones and coloured slips of paper in his pockets didn't seem like they were going to be quite enough.

Ran smiled at him, but for a moment had nothing to say. She looked to her hands this time. “Cain, no one like you has ever taken me seriously. No clean cut person has ever really sat down with me and listened, or even talked to me as well as they would talk to anyone else. So I just wanted to say thank you.” She looked up and smiled at him. “I’ll go tell the waitress that I will just have a slice of cake.” she got up and started to head in, something was wrong, something about this one was different that she wanted to be .. normal.

He started as she got up so suddenly from the table. The tablecloth was still settling; he frowned to himself for just an instant. Odd turn for her, to go back on her exuberance like that--a trick? She seemed almost penitent, sullen. Well, he was going to give in to it, he'd already decided.

"Wait," he called after her, twisting around in his chair. "Don't bother. Money grows on trees around here--you might as well have what you want."

Carpe diem. Tomorrow the City might be cursed out of its senses. There could be another, worse Cherry Tree Curse. Or his enemies might make their next move. Or he might be killed and wake up cold and living among the dead. Carpe diem.

"I'm not treating you especially different from the way I treat anyone else, you know. It's a shame, then, that you haven't ever met anyone who's really decent until now."

Ran smiled and came back to the table. “hey thanks Cain” she seemed much better now. “its just uber hard for me to talk on and on like that, I am so not used to it.” sipping on some water seemed to bring back her energy even more. “But I got so pumped about the topic I had to give it 110%!” she smiled at him. “I guess what I wore myself out a bit with all my energy.

She looked around them, smiling. “It really is a very nice place here. I hope that I can find more kind people like you Cain while I am here.”

"Hmm, I hope you can too. It's a mixed lot around here. Most of the people here are all right. I suspect there's less...entertainment here than in the place you come from. So many people complain of being bored."

It was almost too hot for tea, he thought, as the waitress brought his cup. He stirred in the milk slowly, his mind chanting words as it the spoon spun. Boredom, tedium, boredom, tedium. He toyed with the silverware another moment and suddenly looked up at her through the strands of dark hair that always fell into his face.

"You aren't really so crass as you make yourself out to be. You've said as much yourself--it's out of rebellion against your family tradition. You're devoted, loyal, concerned about others...encouraging even. It's remarkable--you remind me, just a bit, of my sister."

Ran blinked. “Your sister?” she grinned. “Well then I think I should become friends with your sister. Maybe then you won’t have to put such a short leash on her?”

She winked playfully, and then took a bit out of one of the first tray of cakes the waitress brought out. The waitress explained that she would bring more out after she had finished the ones she had so not to crowd the table.

“oooo” she looked so very happy. This is sooo tasty!!” and then continued to eat the cake… not really doing it in a very proper manner.

"Perhaps," Cain said over the rim of his cup.

Pathetic tea.

"I'm rather particular about who she associates with--you know that already. You aren't the best influence, but I've no particular objection to you speaking to her, if she takes a liking to you. It's really up to her."

He leaned against the back of his chair and smiled ironically.

"But don't fancy yourself some kind of protector of her. My protectiveness is for her own good, believe me."

The words that Cain said barely came through to her, she was so in love with all of the cakes that the lady had brought her. “oooo! this one looks good” she took a bite out of all most all of them, exclaiming just how wonderful they tasted after each bite.

When she had taken one bite out of all of the cakes she smiled at Cain. “I don’t want to be her sisters body guard, I want to be her friend.” she took another bite and slowed down her eating a little. “At home I had a lot of friends, and the entire town knew me, it gets lonely sometimes, I have never lived on my own before” she picked up a rather funny looking cake. “Here Cain, try a bit, its not sweet at all” and grined.

He eyed the cake critically.

She had quite a smile, he thought, and she seemed earnest about just about anything, which was pleasant. Different from most people he'd met. Nothing to hide.

Nothing immediately apparent, at least.

"Thank you, but no," he said quietly. "If you keep introducing yourself to everyone, you'll get to be well-known again. I started out here alone too. It just takes time."

It's just that they may not care, he thought ruefully to himself. Being as he was--and as she was too, it seemed--unfortunately human, one didn't have the same clout or power to offer in making deals or in self-defense. Introduce oneself all one pleases, but it still may not matter.

"I know you want to be her friend, but that's really up to her to decide."

He threw her another smile.

"Just because you remind me of her it doesn't mean you'll get along with her immediately."

Putting the unwanted cake down again she smiled “Well, I don’t just want to be her friend, I hope that we can be friends too you know.”

She picked up a strawberry one that had been really good and started eating all of it. “I know that that you and your sister won’t be the same, and hey we might not be friends at all, but I might as well meet her, right?”

She finished up the strawberry cake and started in on another. “The great thing about pastries is they come in small sizes so you can taste a lot of them” lips going right over the fork after finishing her thought.

"I'm not especially good at making friends," he said.

Almost out of tea.
Not that that would really let him leave her. Politeness dictated. Riff's voice seemed to echo in his head, reminding him how to behave. He set his teeth and pulled it into his usual proud smile.

"I suppose so," he said, hoping she didn't swallow the fork in her enthusiasm. "I always thought they were small so one had to enjoy them more slowly."

Briefly he imagined this girl at one of his aunt's tea parties. His smile broadened a little. Aunt Katina would have a conniption fit watching her wolf down cake like that.

"How do you eat so much so fast? I mean, it's clear you need and use the energy, but...all the same..."

Ran eats up another cake before answering. “Well, my family wasn’t really that rich, plus there were five of us to feed on a public buge. So I learned that when you get food, eat it.”

Starting in on another and looked at him as he smiled bigger. “I guess you didn’t have a shortage of food hu? That must have been nice.”

She looked at the cakes. “I never really saved up my money for food tho, spent that on cloths” she grinned. “Looking good was and is what I am all about.”

"No, I didn't," Cain answered distantly, thinking-but-not about earlier times. Absently, he signaled for the waitress to bring the bill around.

"Well you won't have any of those kinds of problems around here," he said almost brightly. "We're all rich here, so to speak. And I know there are dozens of shops around here--Merry's needed to make the rounds for new clothes...and hats...and gloves...and God knows what all else. It's almost as if the 'deities' are making up for cursing us periodically by making the rest of our lives so easy."

He rummaged in his pockets again for the coloured paper and the bits of quartz.

"I'm sorry I wasn't better conversation for you this afternoon, Miss Ran. I've got some things on my mind, I'm afraid. But I hope you enjoyed yourself.

Ran finished up her last couple of cakes “shopping!? Shopping is my life!! My and merry must go shopping! One can never have enough cloths.”

Her smile drew bigger. Could this slight sound of cheer be him feeling sad that she had so little before? “Yes, I believe that I will have a wonderful time living here. I meet all sorts of people can I don’t have to wonder the streets hungry ever again!”

Stacking the plates up and making and putting everything thing to the side she seemed very cheerful. “Would you mind walk me to my apartment after this Cain? Oh! And where did you get your quarts rocks? I bought a rock tumbler but I was not sure were I could get the gems to put in it”

"If she wants to. I won't promise anything."

He tried counting the plates, just for a bit of fun, and immediately thought better of it. It sounded like this girl came from a decent family, perhaps a little poor, but wandering the streets hungry? That sounded pathetic, like a matchgirl. And yet, she liked going out to shops and buying new clothes...this girl's way of life was more than a bit perplexing to him.

"Certainly I'll walk you back," he said.

He dropped the last of the pebbles onto the table. "What, these? I found them in Xanadu, the park I mean, around the lake. There are some flat ones around there too that I like to use as well."

His chair scraped across the pavingstones. "Shall we go? I've no idea where you live, I'm afraid."

Ran got up as well and stretches. “Ahh! That was so tasty! When I get home I am going to get some running cloths on and see go to the lake for some of those stones.”

Turning to wait he smiled. “I live in building number 7. I hope its cool for you to walk me there.”

"It's not a problem at all. It's not far, and I'd walk you back regardless."

He started back after her--an awkward sort of pair, they were, determined to talk, but determined to keep their distance from each other. At least, he was.

"I hope you find some stones to your liking."

She walked fast, he thought, hurrying along after her. Especially in those boots of hers.

Ran smiled and put her arms behind her back. “I’ll contact you on the network sometime. I think I will have a party some time so I can get to know more people, and I’ll invite you.’

They walked a little further. “Wow! You were right, the apartment is just right there” she turned to him and extended a warm hand, “Thank you for the food Cain, lets be friends, even if it’s just for polite reason.” and grinned. “I can walk from here.”

He smiled a bit. "That would be...entertaining, certainly. I'd like that."

He took her hand with a small bow. "You're very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I suppose, since you're so determined, we could be friends. It was a pleasure to meet you."

Let her call them what she wanted. She seemed harmless enough.

He watched her disappear into the massive building before turning away himself.

"What a...singular person," he muttered to himself as he wandered back towards the Opera House and home.

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