tearmeanewone | rendez-vous + APPOINTMENT POST

[FINALLY. Gai was beginning to think that this whole speed dating thing was never going to end. Not that the other girls he had been paired with weren't nice, but when he already had a date, he didn't really see much point in continuing to hang around-- and frankly, had Elizabeth not said she'd meet him after the whole thing was over, he would've just skipped out right then and there.

As it is, he's out the door almost as soon as the whistle blows to signify the end of the event, glancing around for Elizabeth. Now, where is she...?]

[Surprise! She's almost the second one out of the door. Not that the people she'd met weren't lovely and fun to talk to, but... She and Gai had something of a history forming now. They shared something Elizabeth had thought had only happened to her, and he was gallant and gentlemanly and could keep up with her (even if she didn't catch all of his jokes all the time).]

[And, if she was being honest, she wanted to kiss him again.]

Gai! [She's moving over to him after a quick glance around. Almost automatically, she curls her hand around his elbow.] Do I have to chase anyone off?

[If Gai were being honest, he's never met a girl quite like Elizabeth before. The fact that SHE can keep up with HIM impresses him to no end; not only does she take his teasing in stride, she pokes back, and he likes that. It makes him feel like he doesn't have to worry about holding back around her the way he does with so many other people.

When she slips her hand around his arm, he grins and rests his own hand lightly over hers.]

No, I think most of the girls here were looking for someone a little less dangerous than me. Not that I mind-- they weren't exactly my type either.

Ah, that's too bad. [Elizabeth frowns lightly. Even if she had made a joke about not making any other dates with girls, the point of the thing was to meet people. She thinks it's a bit of a shame Gai didn't meet anyone he found at interesting even in a friendly way.]

I met some interesting people. ...but they might be looking for someone a little more normal than me. [She smiles wryly up at Gai.]

[As she will no doubt learn, Gai isn't really the type of person to make lots of friends of his own volition. He's just fine with not having made any friends out of the speed dating, because hey, he got a date. That's much better.]

Lucky for both of us, then.

Yes... that's true. [She smiles, shy all of a sudden, and steps a little closer maybe. Even though Elizabeth was the one to initiate this, it's just now hitting her that she's going on a date. Her first date. And it was with someone who knew exactly what she was. No pretenses, and he still wanted to spend time with her.]

So, where is this hotspot of drunken singing and barfights?

Back in the village, right off the plaza. I can't promise a bar fight, but I think some drunken singing could be arranged. I'll just order a round of that Romulan Ale for everyone in the bar.

[Mischievous glint in his eye, what mischievous glint in his eye? He is a perfect and proper gentleman and would never do anything so untoward as to try to get all of the other patrons at the bar drunk.]

[Elizabeth laughs and starts walking with Gai in tow towards the village.] Is that anything like absynthe? Because I'm not certain anyone can sing and stay standing with that much alcohol in their system.

Something like that, and I never said anything about them remaining standing while they sang.

[He's also not going to let her try any because he does not want to be responsible for anything terrible that happens as a result. He'd rather their first date not end with him having to carry her home.]

[~~OR SO HE THINKS...~~]

[Elizabeth laughs at the image of a bar covered with people struggling to stand up while singing some tuneless thing.] You're awful, Gai. But I suppose you wouldn't attempt to get an entire bar drunk for any girl? And that I should feel flattered?

[Her mental image wouldn't be far off the mark, actually, so she can go ahead and laugh all she wants.]

Considering I don't make it a habit of getting entire bars drunk in general, yes. But you're hardly the first person to accuse me of being awful.

[Shame and Gai are not two words that belong in the same sentence.]

So the next time I'm in a bar and you walk in, I don't have to get up and leave for fear of being intoxicated? I'm glad to hear it.

But who's been accusing you of being awful? Not seriously I hope.

You're almost making it sound like you don't want to get drunk at a bar with me.

[The second part... he'd rather not address that just yet. There are many people who have indeed called him "awful" in all seriousness, and while it's a fact he doesn't run from, he doesn't feel that this is the point to bring it up yet.]

With you? Of course. As a part of your blast radius? Not exactly. [She smirks, but silently hopes that she isn't going to be too drunk by the end of the night. People had a tendency to forget things when they got too drunk and Elizabeth wants to remember all of this.]

I am known for leaving collateral damage wherever I go. I'll do my best to keep it contained tonight...

[And now it's his turn to smirk.]

... unless you'd rather I didn't.

[She raises an eyebrow at him.] That depends entirely on what kind of collateral damage you're talking about.

What kind do you want?

[Yep, he's being awful with absolutely no shame here. Good thing they're almost at the bar so that he can't make this much worse.]

Well I want to leave the bar on my feet, so anything that's counter to that goal is out. It might be nice if we leave the bar standing as well. And I'd like to be able to come back without people recoiling, too.

Have I ruined your fun yet?

Only part of it. I'll keep us on our feet, but no promises about the rest of the patrons. I will promise no direct injuries... unless any of them decide to pick a fight. Then all bets are off.

[He'll just make sure it isn't too messy if that happens.]

Deal. [She grins.] I don't know, though. You getting into a bar fight seems a little...

[Elizabeth raises an eyebrow and gives Gai the once over. He's pretty lithe...]

[And he raises an eyebrow right back, amused. She's hardly the first person to underestimate his physical capabilities.]

Oh? You don't think I could handle it?

Well, you could handle it better than I could. But I don't think the Vox Populi would be clamoring to recruit you either.

Oh, that's... a resistance group, where I'm from.

[Gai's eyebrows go up the slightest bit more, but not for the reason Elizabeth likely suspects. He'd been planning to raise this subject later, not now, but... it's a logical segue from this conversation, and truthfully, it would be best to get this out in the open sooner rather than later.

If that means she's no longer interested in him, then so be it.]

... I led a resistance group in my own world.

[That's the last thing Elizabeth expected him to say.]

[She stops walking and stares at him, wide-eyed. Before Finkton, Elizabeth would have been entirely swept off her feet. Her own Enjolras, standing right there. But it isn't as romantic as she'd thought, she knows that now. She'd seen people screaming and beating at the bars of a prison, people lined up to be shot, children with guns to their heads--]

What were you fighting for? [She's looking right at Gai, but she's seeing something else.]

Freedom.

[In one sense. The GHQ's hold on Japan had been oppressive, there was no denying that. What they'd done in Roppongi the day after he and Shu had met was proof of that much. Those civilians had been nothing more than pawns to the GHQ, killed to make a point and to get what they wanted.

But he's also spilled more than his share of blood in the conflict and he knows it, even if not all of it was by his own hands.

And he thinks of the face of a child, mortally wounded and yet telling Gai that he was glad Gai had survived.]

And the future of my world.

rendez-vous + APPOINTMENT POST

[Action, June 22]

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