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Taking a (Figurative) Swim [Yukiko/V-day]
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 1, 2020 19:19:38 GMT
Despite the presence of time dilation between the two worlds within which most Chosen lived, Terminus and the real world did share a fair few characteristics with each other at certain times of the day. It’s just that the traffic was of a different sort rather than just humans and/or cars. Of course, today was a touch more congested than it usually had been, and this was on account of the month. Valentines. Just as big of a deal in this world as it was in the other. There was a blind raffle for finding a date just in case, and out of sheer boredom (or something, he really could not recall how it was he wound up within the raffle, it might have involved a clam), Hisato Aizawa found himself…in the midst of this traffic. Not like he didn’t have a destination in mind, though. Wandering aimlessly in these parts was practically a death sentence when you had humanoids and big creatures alike! The destination in question was the Terminus Aquarium, which was apparently a rather reputable establishment in one of the fancier parts of the city. If one could even call the city that lay at the heart of the Digital World fancy. It was a pretty extravagant looking building either way, boasting at least 4 floors, a rooftop exhibit(? At least that’s what the Digimoji appeared to read) and a rather nice looking exterior. Seriously, it was made of glass! So, he and the date, whoever that may be, were told to just meet up at the aquarium and do whatever from there. It was very hands off and kind of lackadaisical, but it seemed like a nice way to spend the day. Question is, who was the date? Would they even show up? There wasn’t a mass of people near the entrance to the aquarium, so Hisato decided to wait near a stand displaying a map of the place. Should be relatively easy to find, right? Sakurin
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Post by Sakurin on Feb 3, 2020 12:27:59 GMT
Poor Yukiko Armstrong had once again been pulled into the thrill of Valentine's Day. After her date with Dante two years ago had not borne fruit, her partner Mizu had once again signed her up for a blind date. "A girl as nice as you absolutely deserves a lover!", had been her justification. Whether she was ok with this or not, Mizu had one again not considered. Regardless, she was now in this mess, and she was too nice to disappoint whoever was unlucky enough to be assigned to her. At least the venue had been most agreeable: The Terminus Aquarium, the finest aquatic establishment this side of Whitewater. Fittingly, the sign to recognise her blind date partner would be a Taiyaki in their hands. So, clutching her fish-shaped pastry, she looked around. Hm, the guy near the map had one, too, maybe he was the one? She approached, stood next to him and kind of...loomed. She was too shy to say even one word, hoping he would notice her first.
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 3, 2020 14:17:10 GMT
It was rather interesting how two differing entities pulled these two into the proverbial battlefield that you could probably consider Valentines to be. Honestly, again, Hisato had no idea how he ended up in this. A clam might have been involved? It was but a blur in his head. He had been glancing around the area from the map he was at, while glancing down at the taiyaki he held in his hands.
Interesting pastry, sure, but who else could he see that was holding this? That was what was being used to recognize partners, right...? It took a few moments, sure, but he did sight another person holding the pastry, a girl who was...a fair amount taller than he was coming to stand next to him. Actually, heck, this lady was the definition of buff. Wow.
And yet she didn't even say a word. Hisato wasn't going to question this just yet. It seemed like his date had found him, so...If there was any time to break the ice? That time was now. "Uh...h-hi. Hope you had a nice trip on the way here. Y-You look really nice today!" He told Yukiko with a small smile on his face. Yep, he certainly noticed her first! "M-My name's Aizawa Hisato, it's nice to meet you, miss...?"
Surname and first name. He was hoping he didn't butcher this already. Either way, this'd be a nice time for Yukiko to introduce herself!
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Post by Sakurin on Feb 3, 2020 21:54:13 GMT
At the very least, this really was her date for the day. Yukiko went completely red from embarrassment, being so much taller and wider shouldered than the man she was to spend the day with. Still, she tried to put on her best smile. It was crooked, her lips trembled, but it was very sincere. "Ah, th-th-thank you, n-n-n-nice to meet you, Mr. Hisato. I am Yukiko, Yukiko Armstrong. G-g-g-guess we will s-s-s-spend the time together, huh?" Despite the fact that this woman could probably snap Hisato like a twig, she radiated awkwardness, and harmlessness, as she tried in vain to look less tall. They had that in common, at least. Perhaps two socially awkward nerds could make a better whole than a nerd and a non-nerd.
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 3, 2020 23:42:53 GMT
It was a little hard to believe that Hisato's date was...well, someone as tall and well built as Ms. Armstrong here, but it made more sense when one considered the fact that the circumstances that got them into this was a blind dating service, after all. Nonetheless, Hisato was able to see pretty plainly that...Yukiko Armstrong was just as nervous about this as he was. If not, even more so.
...Empathy. That felt rare. She seemed so genuine, too...So, Hisato returned that best smile with a bigger one of his own. "Guess we will! I'll...uh. I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about this, but I'm actually looking forward to seeing how the day goes." He was trying his best not to stutter, but he did slip up here and there.
Right, they should actually go inside, shouldn't they? Hisato offered a hand to the woman, with a "S-Shall we?" and if she accepted that? He'd go and lead the tall woman further in, towards where the ticket stand was, at least further in from that map.
It was manned by one thing, and one thing only.
A single Otamamon, tapping away at a monitor as bits were deposited in front of them by customers going in through a rather swift line. They hummed a chipper tune to themselves as they worked! "Oh, hi!" Otamamon chirped at the two once their turn came. "How can I help you?"
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Post by Sakurin on Feb 5, 2020 15:00:40 GMT
The fact that her date was as nervous as her was somehow strangely calming for Yukiko. If they were both awkward nerds, then neither of them was an awkward nerd. They were just two people with similar dispositions, having a good time. "Y-y-y-yeah, I am n-n-n-nervous, too...uuuh, y-y-y-yeah, let's go inside!" Unlike Hisato, Yukiko could not keep from stuttering. The knot in her stomach was twisting with every second she was here, but it'd not be fair towards Hisato, who probably felt the same, to just run. They would make the best out of it! So, they approached the ticket hut. And in there was an Otamamon, selling the tickets. This tadpole was quite adorable, Yukiko couldn't really suppress an "awwww"...which immidiately made her put her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "Uh, h-h-h-hhi, t-t-tt-wo tickets, p-p-p-please..."
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 5, 2020 16:19:15 GMT
...Yeah. Hisato could definitely empathize with Yukiko, here. The fact of the matter here was that the two of them probably had the exact same inclinations here (that being run away), yet opted not to do that for the sake of fairness towards the other. To Hisato, running off and leaving someone who was as visibly nervous as Yukiko alone here would not only be a disservice to her, but also downright mean.
He didn't want to do that.
He was about to ask for the tickets from the Otamamon, but Yukiko had beaten him to the punch. With an 'awwww' too. That...was adorable. He didn't really have much of a way of vocalizing it but holy crap that was cute.
Otamamon regarded them with the happiest smile on the planet! "Okay! That'll beeee...Only a thousand bits! It's normally twice that, but I'm in a really good mood! And it's also the second month of the year. So couples get a discount!"
There was a brief bout of silence from Hisato, before he nodded. "O-Okay?" ...Somehow, this felt far more embarrassing than it should, but you know what? If it'd save them bits, then yeah. He'd pay that. 1000 for two people was pretty much a steal! Putting the bits down on the table, the Otamamon then swiped them up, deposited them into the register before tapping away at his little monitor.
He then procured two matching bracelets, before offering them out. One sized for each human. Perfectly, to boot. Hisato glanced to Yukiko, and then the bracelet. He took his and...clasped it on. "Okay, so!" Otamamon began. "The gates scan these to let people in without making the big noises. We, uh...We're really just using this to make sure exhibits don't get too crowded on their own. Anyways! I hope you two have a nice day!"
Well, they resolved to go inside, didn't they? Hisato waited for Yuki to take her bracelet, before he'd lead her past the gates and into the aquarium proper. "That was...uh..." He muttered. Okay, now -he- was stuttering endlessly. Please help.
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Post by Sakurin on Feb 5, 2020 18:29:24 GMT
Young Ms. Armstrong took a few deep breaths. Maybe things would not be so bad. ...well, then the Otamamon called them a "couple". When the word sunk in, she audibly squeaked and ended up hiding her face behind her hands. It took her a short bit to realize she had to take the band to get in. She quickly took it, and ran for the door, to get away from this embarrassing situation. Hopefully, inside the aquarium, things would be less embarrassing. In such a state, she could obviously not help Hisato with -his- embarrassment, so for a while, both awkward nerds just fell silent.
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 5, 2020 21:40:32 GMT
Maybe Otamamon had a bit more of an effect on the two than he had hoped. Oh, well. He could really only hope that the two awkward individuals had a fun time within the aquarium proper. "Hmm, did I jump the gun...?" The tiny frog muttered to himself.
Hisato meanwhile followed Yuki right to the door, where they'd be able to get inside the aquarium itself and (hopefully) away from any awkward moments incurred by an Otamamon who...honestly probably didn't even know better? Hisato had no clue.
Either way, it was pretty clear that Hisato's own embarrassment could take a hike for the moment. Yukiko's was -way- more concerning at this moment in time. At the same time...He didn't know Yukiko all that well. What...could be done here?
...! Easy! He reached up to pat the taller girl on the shoulder. "H-Hey, you doing alright?" That plus a simple question. He...really wasn't sure what he could be doing here to help the poor girl...
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Post by Sakurin on Feb 11, 2020 12:52:18 GMT
The huge girl let out a little squeak as Hisato patted her shoulder. She didn't expect this, and had been already super tense. She had to take a few deep breaths before she managed an awkward smile. "Ah, y-y-y-yeah, I am f-f-f-fine, really!" It was not very convincing, but no force in the universe could calm her down when she was this on edge! ...except, of course, the allure of sea life. As they wandered into the aquarium, they spotted the first tank: a bright coral reef, to greet the visitors to the facility. Yuki's eyes sparkled as she rushed to the tank to marvel at the colourful reef fish rushing about. "W-w-w-wow, it's so pretty..."
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 14, 2020 8:33:25 GMT
Yeah, Hisato didn't really believe Yukiko was fine at the moment, but a small part of him did hold hope that she would be fine in time. Right? ...That's what usually got him through stuff like this. He could only hope the same for the taller girl.
It did seem like something of the sorts would come when they stepped into the aquarium proper. The allure of sea life could do a lot to make someone feel more at ease. What Hisato learned in the next few moments was simple. Yukiko seemed to like marine life. Fish. Probably more! So...
Maybe this was a nice place to head to after all. Hisato rushed after Yukiko, not out of concern, but to keep up with her! This was a new sight for him as well, after all! There were a number of fish to spot within the bright coral reef, and the reef itself was...stunning, to put it lightly. Not as stunning as that sparkle in Yuki's eyes, though! It would be quite disingenuous to say Hisato didn't take note of that and got lost in that for a moment. "It...It is." Hisato uttered. "...There's so many fish, too."
It genuinely seemed like going to an aquarium in the real world. That being said, he was silently hoping Yuki didn't catch him staring for at least a second. Sheesh!
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Post by Sakurin on Feb 21, 2020 14:13:04 GMT
Yuki could not notice Hisato's stares, as she was too focussed on the fish. Watching them swim about, it brought a big, silly smile to the girl's face. "Look at all these reef fish. There's clownfish, and dories, and parrot fish and...whoa, look at that moray!" She pointed at a big, striped eel-like fish looking out from a hole in the coral rock. It opened and closed its mouth multiple times to pump water through its gills, a motion which Yuki imitated. She giggled...then coughed heavily as she suddenly became aware that she was being watched from all sides. She promptly blushed heavily again. "Uuuuuh, w-w-w-wanna m-m-m-move on?" It was like this girl became a different person and then went back.
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Feb 27, 2020 6:36:07 GMT
Hisato never considered himself the most perceptive guy in the room but even he could see pretty clearly that the mere presence of the aquatic life within the aquarium had brought something out from within Yukiko, and it was clearly a love for the sea.
With that being said, it was kind of cute to see the big girl like this. And then she just...went back to how she was prior. It was almost instantaneous in his eyes. "Sure. Wanna look at some more fish? I-I think there's another tank or two up ahead..."
...Yeah, he had no clue how he was supposed to do this. So, in dire times like this, it was probably best to wing it and hope for the best. He offered a hand to Yukiko, and if she took it? He'd continue to lead her around. "You're pretty smart, you know that? I could only name...half those fish back there." Okay. This attempt at small talk...felt like it was going better than the last.
"Sooo...do you like fish? Marine life in general, I mean." One couldn't blame Hisato for wanting to know more about his date, right?
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Post by Sakurin on Mar 5, 2020 16:36:52 GMT
Yukiko looked down at the hand being offered to her. She felt it would be rude not to take it, so she reached for it, getting led along. "I d-d-d-don't know that many fish yet, I am s-s-still learning...aa-a-and I am not that smart, my friend Ayumi is so much smarter than me..." She took a deep breath. This was already more social interaction with a stranger than she was used to! "I d-d-d-do like them, th-th-they are v-v-vv-ery interesting, th-th-th-the ocean is s-s-s-so full of wonder...it's so deep, and vast, I j-j-j-just like it, a-a-a-and anything that lives in it!" Her enthusiasm was still there, unflinching!
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Post by Hisato and Bad Company on Mar 18, 2020 7:20:15 GMT
...Would it be bad for Hisato to say he had no idea who Ayumi was? Maybe. Might as well not. "Still learning?" He repeated. "Well, if you're still learning, I'm curious to see how you'll be when you learn even more." Hisato did his best to give the girl a reassuring smile. Of which he had no idea the potentiality of that being a success.
...Why was he trying so hard to make this date work? He didn't know this person...But something about her was interesting enough to keep his attention. Never mind the fact this was a blind date. God, this was...way more than he was even expecting in the first place.
Hisato had to keep going, though. He really did. It'd be cruel to just ditch this girl, and he didn't want to do that. Plus, to Yukiko's already immense credit? He had taken note of her enthusiasm and he wanted to see how far it reached. "Mmhmm! It's a very broad field of study. Broad enough that we're still learning stuff about the life in the ocean. I think it's pretty interesting to read about, too. Not too sure what it's like to actually work around them, though."
Maybe Yuki could shed some insight on that? Hisato was peering around for any noteworthy exhibits they could go take a look at, though he was trying to find something specific. More marine life. C'mon.
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