IC INBOX | OKADA IZOU

[goei]

@Izou

manslayer

---

ABOUT ME

The strongest, most genius swordsman to ever haunt the streets of Kyoto! That's me! So you better think twice before crossing me, ya hear?

NOTE

As long as you don't get in my way I won't kill you, probably.

Message @manslayer

Comments

[vogelfrei]

[ There is no real reason Izou wouldn't be obsessed with high scores at the arcade, but. Still. ]

Surely outdoing yourself is not that hard a task for a genius.

[ Texting from the cab he grabbed to go there. ]

[goei]

[Ooh lala fancy man taking a cab, Izou walked here.]

I'm a sword genius not a dig dug genius it ain't the same thing

[vogelfrei]

[ He just wants to see you faster-- ]

You can branch out, I believe in you.

[ And at least having the name of the game (what is a Dig Dug???) makes it easy to ask at the front for which machine he has to go to in order to actually find his wayward swordsman. ]

So. How's it going?

[goei]

[The whole arcade is awash in technicolor and neon flashing lights. It specializes in retro arcade cabinets not that Izou knows these are considered antiquated. He's in the midst of a game, tunneling into the brightly colored dirt and dealing with enemies by either crushing them or inflating them like balloons... Retro games always have something deeply weird about their premises.]

Bad. I got these green guys on my ass. What's so urgent ya actually came all the way here ta get me?

[He's not even turning to look at McGillis because these old games do NOT have a pause button.]

[vogelfrei]

[ This is certainly a gaming experience... McGillis leans over Izou's shoulder and watches for a minute. It's not like he's never played video games in his life - Gaelio and him did have some fierce high score competitions every once in a while - but the appeal of this is still pretty lost on him.

Oh, right, Izou asked a question. ]

Dinner.

[ A beat. ]

I'm taking you out, if you'll let me.

[goei]

[If Izou wasn't hypnotized by the allure of glowing pixels, he'd react properly. However his focus holds true (16 yes I rolled for this) and he doesn't fully parse what's being said.]

If yer offerin' food of course I'll say yes. But I already told ya I gotta beat my high score else I can't call this a successful arcade trip.

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis has lost his 'will Izou fluster and totally throw the game' gambit spectacularly and... he's a little disappointed actually. That is a very unfortunate sentiment that he does not like having.

Hm. ]

Yes, of course. I'll be patient and cheer you on appropriately.

[ Said maybe a little flatly. But he will indeed patiently be here, leaning against another arcade machine and watching as Izou attempts to fight his way through... Dig Dug. ]

[goei]

[Various stages of nerdy children and adults flit about, some sparing a lingering gaze on this gigantic handsome man, but no one actually dares approach.

Meanwhile, Izou gets increasingly animated as he gets further into his game and closer to his high score. Maybe it's because he's motivated to perform well in McGillis' presence or because I Caitie want to take pity on him, but finally he shouts in victory before seconds later in defeat.]

That was way too close! If I'd just turned in the other direction that red guy woulda got me right before I topped my last score!

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis does not pay any mind to being stared at for being way too prep to be in this location because now he, too, is absorbed in Dig Dug. If he already has to watch Izou play this, then he's at least going to pay attention and see how Izou is truly doing.

Not that he knows what high score is actually high for that game.

Izou can have some very mild clapping. ]

This was... surprisingly tense. Congratulations on your continued advance.

1/2

[goei]

[Well he didn't make it onto the leaderboard, but this is a surprisingly busy arcade and he's only had video games for a month, so he can be forgiven.]

Hell yeah! Games're supposed ta be fun, but if they're gonna give you a score I figure you got a built in way ta try and improve, yeah?

Now let's-

2/2

[goei]

[It catches up to him, and he flushes red not just as a response to it, but out of embarassment that he didn't even realize what he agreed to.]

Go ta dinner!?

[vogelfrei]

[ Ah. There it is. It's not that Izou was surprisingly casual about being invited out... McGillis instantly looks a little bit more pleased with himself as he pushes off the machine he'd been leaning on. ]

Indeed. But now you'll have to help me out - fancy or casual? Your palace gave indication that you have surprisingly expensive tastes.

[ Personally, he'd actually like to go to something seedy and more private. The gala was enough high society posing for a bit. ]

[goei]

[BUT HOLD ON. WAIT. LISTEN!!!! KISSING IS ONE THING!!! HE'D DO THAT WITH ANYONE HOT HERE IF THEY EXPRESSED INTEREST!!! THIS IS A DATE!!! THAT'S DIFFERENT! THAT'S SPECIAL! FANCY IS AN OPTION??? SOMEONE LIKE MCGILLIS WOULD TAKE SOMEONE LIKE HIM TO A FANCY RESTAURANT AND NOT BE EMBARASSED TO BE SEEN WITH HIM????

BUT... AT THE SAME TIME IT CAN'T BE A JOKE OR A PRANK, MCGILLIS IS TOO UPTIGHT AND SERIOUS FOR THAT!]

I- I mean who doesn't- It's not that- I mean a guy like me doesn't get ta choose fancy things that often!
[Aaaaaaaa]

But- But I ain't dressed right fer a fancy place anyway!
[He's wearing his button up, but instead of his suit jacket he's got on a zip-up hoodie he's bought in Sunset City. It's clearly from some sort of streetwear brand because it's got an elaborate pattern printed on it and one of those cowl hoods when zipped.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis may have teased Izou about being too sentimental about kisses, but in the end it was him who ascribed a bit more meaning to it than Izou ever did. As always, they find themselves hilariously mismatched.

Though right now, McGillis doesn't realize this. ]

Mhm, that's fair. I should have given you advance warning for that.

[ McGillis himself has an incredibly Old Money sense of fashion and would make the menswear guy proud, so he could go to a fancy restaurant literally whatever. ]

I'd prefer something more quiet anyway. You get tired of expensive restaurants if you go to too many - especially of their portion sizes.

[goei]

[McGillis you better not be weird about it whenever Izou gets physically involved with Eli and/or Celeste as is inevitable.]

Yeah, what's the deal with that? You pay more but ya get less food?

[At least talking about how rich people are silly is a distraction.]

[vogelfrei]

[ Eli and Celeste are fine, probably. This is a bridge to cross when they all get to it........ ]

It's about the quality of the ingredients and the length of the preparation. You can taste a difference, but... if I'm honest? Not enough of one to make the whole thing worthwhile.

[ It's really weird to be speaking more honestly about how much of the social spheres he's spent most of his life in is still alien to him.... ]

[goei]

I think that's true about most things. Definitely alcohol, like sure to a certain extent the more expensive stuff is better but at a certain point yer just payin' more fer the sake of payin' more I think.

But at least with restaurants you also get like sophisticated atmosphere and sometimes entertainment. That's part of it too I guess?

[For how rough and tumble he is, he's got a fair amount of thought on this ]

This time of night though, you really just wanna get something that'll fill ya up so you can keep drinkin'!

[That's more in line with what one expects from him.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis is nodding approvingly at this whole assessment, even if that conclusion is certainly very Izou. ]

Well, I don't know about that last bit, but 'filling' is the primary quality I look for in a meal anyway.

[ And he doesn't actually like eating in front of people thanks to it, because the habit of eating way too fast has never quite left him. With Izou, he thinks it'll be fine. He has neither the sensibilities to pick up on that being strange, nor would he lack in understanding even if so. ]

We'll shelf fancy for some other time. Come on.

[ Is there going to be another time? That depends, of course. ]

[goei]

[IS THERE GOING TO BE ANOTHER TIME? This is definitely a thought Izou has. He does spare a cursory thought to that yes of course McGillis would see food pragmatically. It's so easy to forget with how he carries himself that he wasn't always like this.]

Yeah, yeah, lead the way.

[trying to sound cool and nonchalant but he manages to maintain that for all of a few seconds before continuing;]

You're nuts askin' out a guy who tried ta have yer head off, y'know. Takin' me out ta dinner makes it sound like somethin' more romantic than a meeting.

[Because maybe that's all it is!!! Just a practical business meeting!!!]

[vogelfrei]

[ ..... ]

Just what exactly would we be having a meeting about?

[ Dodging the whole insanity accusation for a second here, because he really needs you to walk him through your logic here. ]

[goei]

[DON'T ASK HIM TO JUSTIFY HIS RATIONALIZATIONS]

... I dunno, battle tactics?

[vogelfrei]

[ Battle tactics............ Well, it can't be denied that this is something he would have meetings about, but. ]

If I wanted to discuss that, I'd be inviting more than just you.

[ And he'd use the meeting room at the dorms. ]

No, this is a date.

[goei]

[There's that fluster again.]

Th-then yer even more nuts! I still haven't sworn off killin' you after we're done here, y'know!

[He wasn't really planning on it anymore, but. He could!!!]

[vogelfrei]

I'm perfectly aware of that.

[ McGillis actually does consider it a very real possibility at the end of all this, too. He has no intentions of letting himself be killed by Izou, but he's well-braced for another attempt at it.

So yes, this is probably insane. But McGillis had said as much when they were at the masquerade, and they'd both still gone for it. The ship has sailed on making the right decisions here.

Maybe McGillis would not have gone as far as to use the word 'date' now if it hadn't been for all the ogling happening in Mafuyu's palace though... A petty part of him thinks that if they're already doing all of this, if he's already allowed Izou so much insight into him, then he wants to be the person who is looked at the most. ]

Doesn't it make getting on your good side like this the pragmatic choice?

[goei]

What're you, some sorta femme fatale tryna seduce me so you can kill me first while my guards down?

[USUALLY GETTING ON SOMEONE'S GOOD SIDE DOESN'T INVOLVE ROMANCING THEM, MCGILLIS.]