You'll 'think about them'? Man, you sure drive a hard bargain.
Anyway, sounds good to me. See you in a bit.
[He's not really doing much but lounging around in his room anyhow, so he could probably go early if he wanted to... but he won't. That said, he'll be at there on time because he at least has the courtesy to not make Aerith wait for him.]
[ Looks like Aerith was of the same mind to be there right on the dot too, because she waves as she approaches. She's dressed up for this just a little bit, but it's clear that Aerith has made an effort not to go over the top here either. ]
Yep!
[ And with that, she immediately latches onto Aaron's arm. This is a date, after all, so he shouldn't be too surprised. ]
The scenery isn't exactly the nicest in this town, but a little walk before drinks shouldn't do us any harm. Have you scoped out any good restaurants or bars to take other girls to yet?
[Aaron's not particularly dressed up for this one, although considering he usually walks around in a dress shirt, it's probably still enough to look sharp, even if this time he's discarded his outer jacket. He does take a moment to take in Aerith's outfit, though obviously that soon comes to an end when she latches on his arm. And considering it is an actual date this time, he's definitely not thrown off by it like before.]
Who do you take me for? Course I have.
[He flashes a cocky grin at her before he jerks his head in the direction of the street.]
Anyway, you feeling anything in particular? Since I picked last time, I'll hear you out.
[ That just makes her laugh as she thinks about Aaron trying to pick up one of the irritable citizens around town.
...She'd love to see that. ]
Ever had omurice? I was thinking about a place I went to that served it.
[ There's a reason for it too, and before Aaron can ask: ]
Tenn took me there. [ A pause. ] Before he fell into a coma, that is. Might as well make use of his efforts, right? I bet he'd like more of us to know about that place.
[ As she says this, though, it seems like she has some kind of realization. ]
That's... actually pretty depressing, isn't it? You can veto my idea. I won't mind.
[Aaron never really spoke to Tenn before, so her bringing him up out of the blue would probably feel awkward to anyone else. If the context was any less somber, he probably would’ve also even tossed out a teasing remark for that. But it’s plenty apparent that she has a number of things running through her mind, and so, despite Aerith deciding to backtrack on the suggestion, he just shrugs lightly and carries on with his usual conversational tone. ]
That place a restaurant, then? Can’t say I mind trying something new, but you’re gonna have to sell me on it. What’d you like about it?
Here she was, thinking she was going to get a nice story about a place Aaron liked to visit back home. It's a good thing the two of them like doing things like this for fun, because she has a feeling other girls would leave for that comment purely out of jealousy.
Aerith simply gives him a nudge in the side with her elbow. ]
Well... I don't know about any stacked waitresses, but the service was pretty good.
He seems completely unfazed by the nudge, but Aerith's comment does mean that the establishment hits two and a half(?) out of three important points, which means that it is Acceptable. Although honestly speaking, he had already made up his mind about going as long as Aerith was still up to it, so hearing all this really is just a bonus.]
Good enough for me. Plus, if they're serving an Eastern-style dish like that, they gotta have some of their spirits too.
[ It means they won't have to search for a place that has a good atmosphere and drinks, especially when a good atmosphere is hard to come by in this city right now. ]
[With that decided, now it's just about getting to the park. Still, they are getting closer, so it should be coming into sight within a few minutes or so.]
Sure, but that'll depend on what you're into. You looking for something that'll knock you on your ass, or something easier to drink?
[ She doesn't want Aaron to see her completely drunk off her ass. Maybe when they're better friends, but there will be plenty of opportunities for it then. ]
What kind of drinks do you like, though?
[ The restaurant is just down the street now, and from the looks of it, it isn't too terribly busy. Good. ]
[Okay, he sort of expected that if only just because the point of this outing was to enjoy some good company and not just get smashed...! Also because they're not exactly going to a bar anyway, so the most he was anticipating was getting a little buzzed.]
I'd say I'm more of a baijiu kinda guy, but I'll probably try anything at least once as long as it's good. Oh, I'm not into any of the real sugary stuff either.
You're a bit of a tough guy. I would've been shocked if you liked sugary drinks.
[ She grins, leading him into the restaurant. It's just as cozy as she described and there's a sign in front that says they can sit wherever they like, so Aerith pulls him towards a booth near a window. ]
[As they enter, he does take a glance around to take in the atmosphere and decor, but he follows readily when Aerith picks out one of the booths, seating himself across from her. He slides one of the menus over to his side of the table, but he doesn't quite look at it just yet.]
Bet the chief back home would take you off guard, then. Dude always tries to play it cool and acts like he's chaperoning a bunch of kids, but the moment you put something sweet in front of him, suddenly he's the kid in the candy shop.
[ Aaron, please!! She's a sweet, innocent lady. You can't say stuff like that in front of her!
Well. She doesn't seem that bothered, actually. ]
But he can drive a motorcycle. He can even use his sword while he's on it. [ That's not a euphemism. ] We had a whole chase through the city once and he fought off soldiers trying to pursue us. I've never seen anyone actually swing a huge sword while driving like that before. It was kinda cool.
[Aerith not kicking up a fuss about his language is why she's cool in his books!!
There's a whistle at that, because he would've been impressed about the motorcycle alone, to say nothing of everything else.]
Daaaamn, that sounds sick as hell. If a buncha soldiers so much as got a scratch on the chief's baby, he'd be collapsing in tears instead.
[Okay, that's definitely an exaggeration, but still!! Anyway, he's going to wave over a server so they can put in their orders before continuing their conversation.]
This of yours... he a just friend friend, or something else?
He's just a friend. [ She smiles, just a little. There's more to it, as there always is. ] I was starting to like him, actually. He kinda reminded me of my old boyfriend, but that wasn't the reason why I liked him. He's sweeet and thoughtful and really knows how to throw a punch.
[ But she used the past tense, there, and she's well aware of it. ]
I don't know how I feel about him now, though. Things change when you go somewhere new like this, y'know?
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We’ll walk around a bit and then go get drinks. If that sounds good to you, let’s meet at the entrance to the dorms in half an hour!
Oh, and if you’ve got any ideas for other things we could do, I promise to think about them. :)
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Anyway, sounds good to me. See you in a bit.
[He's not really doing much but lounging around in his room anyhow, so he could probably go early if he wanted to... but he won't. That said, he'll be at there on time because he at least has the courtesy to not make Aerith wait for him.]
You ready to go?
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Yep!
[ And with that, she immediately latches onto Aaron's arm. This is a date, after all, so he shouldn't be too surprised. ]
The scenery isn't exactly the nicest in this town, but a little walk before drinks shouldn't do us any harm. Have you scoped out any good restaurants or bars to take other girls to yet?
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Who do you take me for? Course I have.
[He flashes a cocky grin at her before he jerks his head in the direction of the street.]
Anyway, you feeling anything in particular? Since I picked last time, I'll hear you out.
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...She'd love to see that. ]
Ever had omurice? I was thinking about a place I went to that served it.
[ There's a reason for it too, and before Aaron can ask: ]
Tenn took me there. [ A pause. ] Before he fell into a coma, that is. Might as well make use of his efforts, right? I bet he'd like more of us to know about that place.
[ As she says this, though, it seems like she has some kind of realization. ]
That's... actually pretty depressing, isn't it? You can veto my idea. I won't mind.
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That place a restaurant, then? Can’t say I mind trying something new, but you’re gonna have to sell me on it. What’d you like about it?
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It's a hole in the wall sorta place, so it's pretty comforting.
[ For her, at least. ]
You ever had warm food and kinda feel like you're just... comfortable and at home? That's what I liked.
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Sounds similar to a bistro I frequented back home. Good food, good vibes, and one stacked waitress. So if it's anything like that, I'm down.
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Here she was, thinking she was going to get a nice story about a place Aaron liked to visit back home. It's a good thing the two of them like doing things like this for fun, because she has a feeling other girls would leave for that comment purely out of jealousy.
Aerith simply gives him a nudge in the side with her elbow. ]
Well... I don't know about any stacked waitresses, but the service was pretty good.
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He seems completely unfazed by the nudge, but Aerith's comment does mean that the establishment hits two and a half(?) out of three important points, which means that it is Acceptable. Although honestly speaking, he had already made up his mind about going as long as Aerith was still up to it, so hearing all this really is just a bonus.]
Good enough for me. Plus, if they're serving an Eastern-style dish like that, they gotta have some of their spirits too.
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[ It means they won't have to search for a place that has a good atmosphere and drinks, especially when a good atmosphere is hard to come by in this city right now. ]
You'll have to recommend drinks to me, though.
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Sure, but that'll depend on what you're into. You looking for something that'll knock you on your ass, or something easier to drink?
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[ She doesn't want Aaron to see her completely drunk off her ass. Maybe when they're better friends, but there will be plenty of opportunities for it then. ]
What kind of drinks do you like, though?
[ The restaurant is just down the street now, and from the looks of it, it isn't too terribly busy. Good. ]
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I'd say I'm more of a baijiu kinda guy, but I'll probably try anything at least once as long as it's good. Oh, I'm not into any of the real sugary stuff either.
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[ Except not really. ]
You're a bit of a tough guy. I would've been shocked if you liked sugary drinks.
[ She grins, leading him into the restaurant. It's just as cozy as she described and there's a sign in front that says they can sit wherever they like, so Aerith pulls him towards a booth near a window. ]
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Bet the chief back home would take you off guard, then. Dude always tries to play it cool and acts like he's chaperoning a bunch of kids, but the moment you put something sweet in front of him, suddenly he's the kid in the candy shop.
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That's pretty cute, if you ask me. Like seeing the soft side of a real tough guy.
[ More or less. ]
I have a friend like that too. He tries to act cool and like he's above it all, but the moment you tease him he gets all flustered.
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[Because trolling Van might as well be a national pastime at the rate that he gets flustered by the people around him.]
Does your guy also get a hard-on for motor vehicles too?
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[ Aaron, please!! She's a sweet, innocent lady. You can't say stuff like that in front of her!
Well. She doesn't seem that bothered, actually. ]
But he can drive a motorcycle. He can even use his sword while he's on it. [ That's not a euphemism. ] We had a whole chase through the city once and he fought off soldiers trying to pursue us. I've never seen anyone actually swing a huge sword while driving like that before. It was kinda cool.
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There's a whistle at that, because he would've been impressed about the motorcycle alone, to say nothing of everything else.]
Daaaamn, that sounds sick as hell. If a buncha soldiers so much as got a scratch on the chief's baby, he'd be collapsing in tears instead.
[Okay, that's definitely an exaggeration, but still!! Anyway, he's going to wave over a server so they can put in their orders before continuing their conversation.]
This of yours... he a just friend friend, or something else?
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[ Damn, Aaron... is she that obvious? ]
He's just a friend. [ She smiles, just a little. There's more to it, as there always is. ] I was starting to like him, actually. He kinda reminded me of my old boyfriend, but that wasn't the reason why I liked him. He's sweeet and thoughtful and really knows how to throw a punch.
[ But she used the past tense, there, and she's well aware of it. ]
I don't know how I feel about him now, though. Things change when you go somewhere new like this, y'know?