thenearshore | 34 - Love is in the Air

34 - Love is in the Air

Who: Everyone!
What: An enterprising pair of shinki is trying to spread love throughout the Far Shore with exciting blind dates.
When: February 14
Where: Hot romantic spots throughout Tokyo
Summary: Blind dates on Valentine's Day? Sounds like fun (or possibly a disaster, but everyone needs some good disaster stories.) That's not all that's going on, though. Ayakashi are looking to chow down on the negative emotions that a romantic holiday can generate, and those who aren't busy with their own dates might be sucked into helping out followers who need help to make the day go well.

The Dates

Blind Date Matchups

Date One: The Romantic Brunch.
Couples will find themselves with reservations (and pre-paid coupons for the prix fixe menu) at a swanky French restaurant with a wide balcony overlooking the lake in a central Tokyo park. They can dine on dainty pastries, sweet milk coffees, bowls of grapes and hothouse strawberries, and a selection of fancy chocolates and petit-fours-- plus, some of the trees in the park are blooming in holiday-appropriate red and white!

Date Two: The Aquarium.
Couples scheduled for this date have tickets to a rooftop aquarium in Ikebukuro: brightly colored fish, animals including penguins, seals and pelicans, a small petting zoo and plenty of shadowy, secluded nooks to cuddle in make for a fun lunchtime date. The tickets even include admission to the one o'clock penguin and seal show!

Date Three: The Amusement Park.
This date sends couples to spend the evening enjoying themselves at a seaside amusement park. Ride the roller coasters! Take selfies with the costumed attendants! Share an overpriced ice cream cone while you watch the fireworks after sunset, then wind up the night with a ride on the colorfully lit Ferris wheel with a romantic view of the Tokyo skyline.

Ayakashi Menace

dove

shadow

teddy bear

need

Praying for Love

Wild Card

In Summary:

Enjoy your dates
Fight some ayakashi
Make sure to answer prayers for a good Valentine's Day
Have fun~

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[And here the boyfriend is, at last. But you can't blame him for any delays, Chikusa. You had him walk through an aquarium! It's full of cool distractions! He's been having a hard time not marveling at the various fish and tanks that catch his eye.

But, finally, he does arrive, trotting up to Chikusa to peer into the water with eager interest.] Are you catching fish, Kakipi?

[Ken, you don't catch fish in an aquarium. But then again, the concept of petting sea creatures has never really occurred to him, so he can't immediately conceive of any other reason there'd be an open tank where Chikusa's stuck his hand in the water.]

Apparently that's not allowed in an aquarium... Ken, come here.

[He's already loosely tugging on Ken's sleeve, encouraging him to sit on the seats all around the rim of the pool, and fully expects him to go along with it. It's not like there's any reason not to. From there, he'll guide his hand by the wrist into the cool water- a doable temperature inside the comfortable air of the aquarium.]

[The rays seem to be pretty friendly. One is already coming over to investigate curiously.]

[ Minako has not forgotten the promise to be introduced to Chikusa's boyfriend. If it wasn't for the fact that her biggest goal here today was making sure everyone is having a great time, then that'd surely be her biggest goal instead - meet Chikusa's boyfriend. It's just that important for her, okay! How can she be friends with someone and never meet their significant other?

But with Minako being Minako, of course she has horrible timing. The moment she spots Chikusa with another boy, she's steamwaltzing right over, cute fish petting moments (accidentally) be damned. ]

Chikusa! [ She's beaming. She honestly looks on the verge of radiating light and sparkles, her smile is that wide. And said way-too-enthusiastic gaze turns to Ken only a moment later-- ] Is this your boyfriend?

[Ken is watching the ray approach his hand curiously when the voice rings out, and his head snaps up in surprise. If Chikusa weren't still holding his wrist, he'd probably have pulled his hand out, but it stays where it is.

He blinks at the approaching girl - someone Chikusa knows, obviously, but Ken hasn't met her before - before glancing to his partner, then back at the girl. In fact, he's hardly ever had his relationship with Chikusa acknowledged by somebody else - Gojyo's needled him about it, and Hakkai is certainly aware, although he's never really commented on it much to Ken. But this is just about the first time anyone's openly, loudly acknowledged Ken as being Chikusa's boyfriend...and the person doing it is a cute girl.

Ken turns quickly, unmistakably red. It's just as well the question is directed at Chikusa, because Ken's momentarily tongue-tied. This is embarrassing! And how did she know they're boyfriends, anyway? Did Chikusa talk to her about him?

And then the ray nuzzles Ken's hand, after Ken's entirely forgotten about it, and Ken lets out a startled, borderline canine and thoroughly undignified yelp.]

[Well, there goes that moment, and Chikusa dully looks up with complete willful ignorance to the way Ken startles at being called out so blatantly. After all, while his partner certainly couldn't have expected Minako to come barreling in like the world's glitteriest wrecking ball... Well. Chikusa told her he would introduce her. (He guesses.) For most of the day, he's been kind of expecting this. Maybe not at this exact moment, but... whatever.]

[His head bobs in a- well, it falls forward as if remembering gravity's call, and takes a second longer then necessary to rise up, and that's almost a nod, maybe, in some alternate universe.]

Mm. Right. He's-

[All proper introductions get caught off as a yelp breaks through his words, and Chikusa pauses for a moment. For most people, being so close to dog yelping would probably hurt their ears. Chikusa merely pauses as if tryig to remember if he's left the stove on before he turns his head slowly to look at the other boy.]

...Afraid of fish. Apparently.

[Which rays definitely are, despite not looking anything at all like the commonly known fish. Although Ken looking that red and frazzled is kind of hilarious. Maybe cute? He can't tell sometimes, honestly. He likes being around Ken almost all the time, after all.]

I told you he got dumb around cute girls...

[Good news, Ken: he's still been shittalking you even when introducing you as his boyfriend. That's some sort of good news, right?]

[ The contrast between Ken getting all startled and his face growing red and on the other hand Chikusa barely reacting at all is so adorable. To Minako it is, anyway, since she just happily giggles despite both of their reactions being perhaps slightly.. unconventional. It's not as if Minako is the most normal person in the universe, after all, she has no grounds to judge them on.

Besides, she also likes the knowledge that yes, she is indeed a cute girl! Thanks, you two.

Minako smiles at them happily. ]

It's fine, it's fine! I know my presence is incredibly overwhelming. [ It fits Minako's usual style of bragging (she means overwhelming in a good way since she's just that amazing!), but she at least makes clear that it's a joke by winking at Chikusa.

It's then that she turns back to Ken. Sorry, boy, you're not escaping from meeting Minako this easily. ]

Nice to meet you! I'm Minako, one of Chikusa's friends! I was so excited to meet you today.

[Ken turns an even deeper red - all the way to the tips of his ears - and scowls at Chikusa.] I'm not afraid of fish, shitty kappa! I just didn't know it was gonna touch me right then! [He pauses for a moment.] ...it was squishier than I thought it was gonna be, byon. [It certainly didn't feel bony, the way Ken is accustomed to fish being.

Then he looks back at Minako, hunching his shoulders a bit in a defensively embarrassed sort of way.] Kakipi didn't tell me about you... [After a pause, he decides a bit more might be required.] ...but he hardly ever tells me anything unless he has to, byon.

[What do you mean that's a joke? Minako is overwhelming, says Chikusa, who is overwhelmed by any considerably friendly or energetic person. For now, however, that's only mental commentary. Instead, he just blinks at her, and then at Ken.]

I didn't think you'd be interested.... [Perhaps a fair assumption-] And talking a lot is tiring on top of more tiring stuff. [Oh, there it is, the truth.]

[Well, it has been a lot of work, honestly, even with Minako helping him out. Besides, if he told Ken, then maybe his own soon-to-come gesture wouldn't be as much of a surprise.]

So... What do you think?

[...Is this to Minako or Ken? Hard to say.]

[ Kakipi.. Is that.. Is that some sort of cute lovers' nickname?! Oh no, this is truly getting to be too much for Minako's easily swayed heart. This is pretty much seventh heaven for someone as obsessed with love as she is, and she just has to clutch her cheeks with her hands to try and contain herself.

It only works halfway. She still squeals. ]

I think it's great! You guys are great! [ With Minako being Minako, she considers every question to be aimed at her.. ] I totally approve!

[ She leans a little closer to Chikusa then while looking at Ken-- ]

He seems adorable! [ She gives a thumbs up. ] Nice taste!

[ Apparently Minako has zero problems with saying that within an already embarrassed Ken's earshot. And while being fully aware he can hear it. It even shows she's aware of it since she immediately continues with something that's clearly aimed at him rather than at Chikusa-- ]

Let's get along well from now on too, okay?

[ There's no escaping friendship now, Ken!! You're the boyfriend of her friend, so clearly now you must be her friend too. ]

[Since Minako answers the question, Ken assumes that said question must have been directed at her. Questions about thinking are rarely aimed at him, after all, and with good reason.

When he's called adorable, he turns brick red, even as he tries to huff and play off his embarrassment. It completely fails to work.]

How come you're friends with Kakipi, anyway? [This is preying on his mind.] He doesn't like doing anything that takes effort, so how'd he make a friend?

...Hey.

[Is the response delayed because that's Chikusa's life story, or because he got briefly distracted by the intense shade of red which has covered Ken's face? Yes. Still, he blinks at that accusation.]

...I mean it's not wrong... [Let it not be said that he's objecting to the truth here.] But people around here are really...

[Nosy people? Bossy people? Chikusa trails off for a second, trying to figure out the exact words to describe the kind of weirdly energetic and people-people that the Far Shore never seems to be lacking of.]

[One would think that 'friendly' would be an easy word to think of, but that's not the kind of life Chikusa has lead. It might only take a second for him to think of the right description, but that's probably more than a second for Minako to barrel in... and probably demonstrate exactly how this friendship happened.]

[If it can be called a friendship, anyway. Chikusa hasn't bothered to fight it yet so far.]

Isn't it obvious? [ Minako smiles widely. ] I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends with someone like me?

[ A pretty biased answer right there, but Minako seems to be saying it full of confidence, as if it's just a true fact in life.. Totally ignoring the half finished explanation that Chikusa himself is trying to give. ]

Either way, he was having a big problem, so I selflessly jumped in to help him! And now we're here doing this together, and now we're friends too!

[ The Minako-filtered version of events, apparently. ]

Kakipi was having a problem? With what? [Ken looks over at Chikusa, with the questioning, vaguely anticipatory look of someone who's both curious and hoping for good dirt. If it's something he can laugh at Chikusa about, he definitely will.

But then something Minako said catches on his ear, and he glances back at her with a touch of puzzlement.] What're you doing together?

[OKAY, NOPE, TIME TO CHANGE THIS CONVERSATION'S COURSE]

...Ken. I got you chocolate. [Chikusa makes sure to establish eye contact with Minako.] Since we are supposed to be on a date...

[Hopefully both blondes get distracted by that simple set of sentences, for two entirely different reasons. If not, Chikusa isn't sure what else to do, besides... he doesn't know, throw a starfish at Minako?]

[ There's definitely at least one blonde here distracted by it. She was about to just answer Ken's question without hesitation since she's just that straightforward, but if there's anything that can change Minako's mind once it's set on something, it's love.

Or displays of love, in this case. That also works. Her face lights up instantly and she gasps loudly and shamelessly. It's the kind of reaction you'd expect her to give if the chocolate was for her, but nope, even seeing Chikusa give it to his boyfriend is already that exciting to her. ]

[Ken perks up immediately, all thoughts of juicy gossip on Chikusa forgotten.] Oh, yeah - ! [And he begins digging inside his own coat, which may be...a slightly different reaction than the pawing for his own treats that Chikusa probably expected.

This is explained when he pulls out a small box - with slightly squashed edges, from being jammed into a pocket not big enough for it and presumably without any particular effort made for careful handling since - and offers it to Chikusa. It's also chocolates, in a heart-shaped box; not quite a sampler size, but not exactly a deluxe tray, either. (This can be explained as 'it's hard to sneak a large tray of chocolates out of a store in your coat'.) Ken could easily have bought the chocolates, if he'd thought to ask Hakkai for money or even grab some of it that Hakkai keeps lying around the temple for various expenses, but he hadn't thought of it before he went out today, had completely forgotten what day it was, and thus had simply improvised when realization and impulse had hit.

With a furtive, acutely embarrassed glance at Minako as he realizes she's watching this, Ken shoves the box into Chikusa's hands, with a mumble.] I got you some too, byon.

[As feral and unwashed and stupid and annoying as your boyfriend might be, Chikusa, he genuinely loves you. And this kind of awkward, sweet gesture probably - hopefully - makes up for a lot of the drawbacks to dating Ken.]

[All according to plan. With... an unexpected bonus, even. Because, yeah, he definitely was expecting simple pawing, not reciprocation. Actually, not even reciprocation- Ken clearly got this before he could have had any idea that Chikusa had something for him.]

[So it doesn't matter that the box is mildly squished, or that the chocolates within could be in who knows what sort of shape. (Chikusa has eaten worse anyway.) The reaction is still the same while he adjusts the awkward shove of the box so that he doesn't drop it in turn, and stares down. The reaction time is... a little slow, as most things are with Chikusa, where he merely stares down at the box while his brain works through those feelings. Finally, however... A faint blush begins to work over his face, and his sucks in slightly on his mouth as if he doesn't know what to do with it.]

[Because he really doesn't. It's been a while since he's smiled.]

[There's no denying that he's pleased, however, especially with a reaction as rare as this for someone who shamelessly made out with his boyfriend on camera. After a moment, of just minutely rubbing one thumb along the surface of the box, he leans down to reach into the space beneath the bench. His ever present bag is there, and it only takes him a moment to pull out a fairly large tupperware container. It's packed to the brim with dozens of little round chocolates, their surfaces mostly smooth now after days of practice. There's no leaking of their delicious cherry liquid centers.]

Here.

[It's not the most romantic thing to say, which might be a disappointment to their starry-eyed spectator, but Chikusa is still looking down to his own box of chocolates.]

[ Yeah, just don't mind Minako over here, guys. She'll gladly watch all of this from the sidelines. In fact, she's trying really hard to make it seem like she's not there - she's even put her hands over her mouth at this point in case a squeal does escape her - but it's kind of hard to do that when you're practically radiating enthusiasm.

Can you blame her for being so over the moon with this scene though? They're so cute. They're both so cute. They got each other's Valentine's gifts, and Ken looks so cutely embarrassed, and Chikusa is blushing a bit, and it's too much!! Absolutely too much! ]

[Ken perks up immediately when he's presented with his own chocolates; it's a lot, and they seem to be handmade rather than bought, but Ken doesn't really process the inequality of their respective efforts. Gifts among the Kokuyo gang are always an occasion of significance, and none of them have ever had the luxury of being picky; questions of the comparative time and effort that have gone into gifts are all located squarely within the gift horse's mouth, where it would never occur to any of them to look.

Besides, Chikusa's way better at making food than Ken. It's a reasonable assumption to make that even if Ken managed to make chocolates that appeared, on the surface, to be edible, Chikusa would be wary of trusting his digestive system to them.

Ken scrabbles with the tupperware lid, prying it off and promptly popping two chocolates into his mouth at once. He's not expecting the cherry centers, and in his surprise and sputtering cough at the sudden liquid his lips manage to leak a little red. Sorry, Minako, but this boy will never, ever be classy. ~~Chikusa could potentially still turn it back to romantic by using a thumb or (salacious!) his lips to help clean Ken up, but it's still a salvage operation.~~]

[It's true that Chikusa would be perhaps a little wary of anything handmade from Ken... However, his boyfriend had made that stew for his birthday. He'd try it, in the end. Sure, he'd test it on a hapless stranger or someone he doesn't care about, first, just in case it's really bad... but he'd eat it in the end. Ken really is good at more than he gives himself credit for; Roy had been right on that one.]

[The real problem would be keeping the food on the kitchen counter instead of immediately into his mouth.]

[...But, you know, in a different way than the cough, and Chikusa finally rouses from his lovestruck stupor. Faintly, he makes that usual not-exactly-a-laugh which even Ken has only rarely heard before.]

Nice, Ken...

[Truly his gross dog manners will come out no matter when or where. Still, Chikusa does lean in. He's not salacious, exactly... It's just, much like Ken's manners, he also doesn't care about the time or place. All he cares about is how much he's still riding that high from the unexpected gift, and how Ken looks right now. So there's definitely a kiss, although it might not do the proper job of getting rid of that cherry liquid... Especially since it doesn't last long, with Chikusa pulling away to glance up at Minako.]

I'll be taking him to the park after this... So I'll leave the rest of the things with you. Alright?

[Like he totally didn't just makeout with his boyfriend just now. Sorry, Minako. Or not sorry?]

[ Excuse her, are you two just totally going to ignore the fact you just kissed right in front of Minako's salad?

Not that it's a bad thing. In fact, she's not even jealous, as some people might expect. Instead she's just dying over here because oh god, Chikusa and his boyfriend are so cute. It's not like Minako cares about acting in a classy way (she is the biggest culprit when it comes to not doing that, after all), so from how she sees it, this is just Chikusa's adorable puppy boyfriend bringing out the emotions in Chikusa's usually more calm heart and it's perfect.

It's definitely developing into more elaborate fantasies in her head right at this very moment. She's shipping it. Only slowly realising Chikusa asked something from her makes her snap out of it, looking really bewildered for a second before nodding. ]

Oh-- Yes, yes! Don't worry, I'll take care of it all!

[ She puts a hand on Chikusa and Ken's backs, shoving them a bit closer together. ]

You two just go off and have a fun time together, okay? [ She's definitely eyebrow waggling at that. ]

[Ken blinks bemusedly at Minako when she shoves him and Chikusa together - he doesn't quite understand how much she's invested in their relationship, and even if he did know he wouldn't be able to fathom why - but, from a practical standpoint, he doesn't really need to care. He's being told to go off with Chikusa and have fun, which suits him perfectly.

Especially after that kiss. He's definitely still a little red, no doubt to Minako's unending delight. The renewed awareness of Minako has him a little too bashful to make out with Chikusa properly in front of her...but that just means he's going to wait until the first moment they're alone to pounce on his boyfriend.]

C'moooon, Kakipi. [The way Ken drags out the word isn't quite a whine - it's more a sound of impatience, as is the way he's plucking at Chikusa's sleeve. He wants to go to the park!]

[In contrast, Chikusa has been around Minako's pushy and overly invested self for a while now, so he's not particularly surprised. There's just that usual dull and apathetic acceptance, even as he snorts a little bit at the noises Ken is making.]

Impatient...

[But he guesses that answers the question on if Ken had been interested in staying around the aquarium more. Maybe some other time, since Ken has clearly shown at least a little bit of interest. For now, Chikusa follows the tugging on his sleeve to get upright with only a pause so that he can slide his bag over his shoulder again. Minako has it covered, so it should be fine, probably. All he cares about is taking Ken's hand and shuffling off to the next destination.]

[He's thought about it carefully, after all, and with help from Ginia some time ago. The park has a laser tag building. Him and Ken might not be gun experts (although Chikusa knows the basics, just because he's had to with the kind of prey they used to go after together), but the idea itself should be fun. At any rate, aren't he and Ken already used to going after other people in dimly lit areas....?]

[They are going to wreck the competition. And Minako can gush over all the couples to her heart's content. And Ken can work out his energy. And, eventually, Chikusa can faceplant into their blanket nest.]

[It's a decent day for all of them, he guesses.]

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34 - Love is in the Air

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we can probably end it here!