Hazumi Tsukikage... (Kira)

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"God-damnit, keep your hands to yourself or I'm going to break your fingers, Rocco...."

"Hey, you said I could help you with your fitting in order for shopping advice..."

"Yes. Help with the fitting, not help finding out if I'm circumcised or not...."

"Don't be a prude..."

"Rocco! There are hedonists who look prudish compared to you!"

"...I know. Ain't it great?"

Almost able to hold back his own laughter at the wide, smug grin that his friend immediately donned upon his last remark, Taiku nearly collapsed as he stood with the hakama half-tied and his own kimono loose over his shoulders....Needless to say, he was not shy about himself by any means, but when it came to having Rocco in the same...Well, the same area code as him, he would be quite content wearing a chastity belt to protect himself...

Still, he was a damned good guy, and he knew his clothes better than anyone he knew. On top of it all, they both knew how far the other would take things and that there was always a cut-off point, so he tolerated it for the sake of some of the most amusing scenarios of his life....

"Come on, I can finish this myself, but YOU need to be going, remember? I'm not the only person you've got to be playing life-size Ken and Barbie on tonight..."

"...I guess so, you left the box in my room right?"

"Mmhm, and there's another one inside it that you need to make sure she gets as well..."

"Oh?"

"Just something I figured would go with the kimono..."

Nodding, Rocco gave a quick sigh as he turned and left the room, raising a hand over his shoulder as he left in a short wave, leaving Taiku to finish getting dressed. Turning slightly and adjusting his hakama as he stepped away, partially thankful that the Italian had left to go and offer his own 'interesting' brand of service elsewhere. Refastening his kimono, he picked up the stereo control on the counter-top in front of him, skipping the tracks to another disc before flicking it away onto the bed at his side with a smirk, the heavier music picking up a little...

With his main clothing sorted and his kimono smoothed out, he slid open his wardrobe and pulled out the long, black suit bag he had been given by the dressmakers a few days prior, thankful that in the process of ordering Kiras kimono he had decided to get his haori refitted. The burnt red of the outer material was particularly striking for its shade in comparison to the neutral black and white of his hakama and kimono respectively, and as he pulled it out of the bag lightly, slipping into it, his head spun round at an almost idle wolf-call...

"Looking good, I forgot you looked good dressed up like a native...."

"Heh, I guess so...."

"Listen, I know that it's been messy, this whole thing, but this is what's right for you, so I'm on your side...."

"...Thank you, Rene..."

-Rocco's Perspective-

The near-flourescent yellow Mustang screamed through the streets as Rocco kept his foot to the floor along the highways, occasionally glancing at the sheet of paper he'd scrawled down the directions to the dorms on with a raised eyebrow...Surely it couldn't be that hard to find them, after all, it was a cluster of tower buildings...

Pulling into the main section of the Marina district, he brought the car to a sudden stop as he looked out in front of him....Lots of tower buildings...

'Aw, shit....'

-Twenty minutes later*-

Sighing as he finally found the right door, after spending something close to, well, ALL of the last twenty minutes looking for the damned thing, he knocked with a slight exasperation present on his face. Silently cursing the fact that Kazuki had not given him the exact door number and that he had been so caught up in catching a grope to not notice it....

'He's laughing now, but when I buy 'She-Man, and the Masturbators of the Universe**' on his credit card, he'll be struggling to find excuses for that one....'

Smirking to himself, the door opened and he found himself looking down with an almost evil grin at the young woman...

"Hey, kiddo..."

"Uh....Hi? Might I ask what you're doing here, Rocco?"

"Oh, I'm here to help you get dressed..."

"...I AM dressed, as you can clearly see. Clothes and everything...."

"I assure you, you're not quite dressed yet...Taiku asked me to bring this for you, and since he figured you might not be too well-accustomed to them, I should give you a hand..."

"Uh....Okay..?" Her voice meek at the idea of what exactly was in the box, for one thing....

"You're meeting him in three hours, it'll take at least an hour of that to drain a pitcher of margarita, and another ninety minutes to get you dressed....Let's get started and stop wasting time..."

"Uhm....Sure...."***



A/N:

* - Marina district isn't that big, and the student campus is pretty large in its own right. Rocco's a ditz, when it comes to directions at least. Just to clarify.

** - I neither know nor care if such a movie exists in the world, nor do I want to know if it does. She-Man just sounded hilarious in my head, and the rest...Well, I'm a perv sometimes too, y'know.

*** - Allowed the control, besides, I see Kira having fun with Rocco in her reply, and after the previous comment above, I should remind you all of his swing....?

[Kira Karyuudo, Hikari]

[( Right, this is what the kimono looks like. The obi and ribbon design are alllll mine. img208.imageshack.us/img208/5623/kimo6largent9.jpg )]


'There better not be something leather and crotchless in that box...' Kira thought, raising an eyebrow with her dry wit. Of course...Taiku wasn't like that...wasn't he? And then something dawned on her. 'Waitaminute... He's going to dress me?!'

Quirking her head to the side, Kira slowly stepped back to let him in, rather weary of this whole...dressing business.

She was, as she had already stated, dressed...though apparently she wasn't dressed right. Closing the door behind Rocco, she glanced down. Her gaze first came across the end of a sage scarf tied about her neck, and then the deep green shirt with a top button undone, and finally her black skirt...and then down to her feet, which would have been covered in ballet-flats...a rather comfortable, stylish shoe. Shrugging, she moved passed Rocco into her room, gesturing him along. She still had no clue what was in the box...

"Kira, this small space isn't going to be enough room... It'll have to be out in the living room." Rocco said as he paused at the doorway.

Blinking and looking back over her shoulder with a perplexed expression, she slowly turned. "I don't remember if my roommate is around or not...but okay..."

Furrowing her brow, she followed him to the small room that had more free floor space than her own. The TV was in the corner, and she sighed before shifting the couch back against the wall, the small coffee table following after. Stretching with a sigh, Kira's curiosity peaked and she turned to Rocco, who, with a grin, slipped the lid from the box with a flourish.

And what she saw had her eyes wide and a gasp escape her mouth.

"Oh god..."

Setting the box upon the now displaced coffee table, Rocco set aside the smaller box from within and eased out the silk material. Gradually, the expanse of deep blue - so much so it was nearly purple - became visible, with the lilac-coloured flowers and dark waves the backdrop for several beautiful white flying cranes.

"My man really knows how to throw a curve ball, hm?" Rocco asked with a wink, draping the material over one arm. The inner shell was laid in the box as well, underneath the kimono. Tilting his head, Rocco gestured to it. "You might as well take that and slip into it."

The colour coming rushing back into her slightly pale cheeks, Kira nodded, the burn of the blush staining her cheeks an even brighter pink. Slipping forwards, she gently took the shell out of the box, at the same time spying the obi beneath it. Long and formal, she knew that it was to be wrapped twice around her waist...and was thankful that Rocco was here... Slipping silently into the room then shutting and locking the door, she slowly started to shed her skirt and shirt, before untying the scarf and setting it upon her dresser. Slowly, she picked up the silk fabric she'd laid out on her bed and slipped into it. Blinking in confusion a moment, realizing she had no tie for this portion.

"Weeeeeell, that's just swell, Kira. Nicely done." She muttered, slowly edging towards the door. She didn't want to go out there like this...she really didn't. But, judging by the way she'd heard nothing from Rocco...he wasn't going to bring it in any time soon.

Turning the doorknob with a click as it unlocked, she clutched the edges of the robe around herself and proceeded to nearly tip-toe into the same room.

Only to find Rocco sitting on the couch with a smirk on his face, a darker sash settled on his lap.

Said smirk only widened. "Missing something, are we..?"

A hot blush appeared upon her cheeks suddenly, and she nearly squeaked at the comment before straightening slightly. There was a bit of venom there, just on the outside of that teasing tone. "Yes, how kind of you to bring it to me, Rocco."

"Just doin' my duty. I was asked to dress you, not babysit you."

"Oh? We've graduated from that already, huh? In that case, maybe you should be over here tying that belt around me, unless you'd rather a full-frontal show..?" With the blush fading, Kira's witty side came out, and she started to relax a bit. It would be easier, at least, if she was focusing on dealing out the wit Rocco did...instead of the fact that she was standing there in nothing more than a bit of silk fabric.

"Whoa, easy there, kiddo. Ain't nothin' you got I'd wanna see."

With a raised eyebrow at the comment, Kira held out her hand, drawing her index finger up in a come-hither motion. "Belt?"

"Only if you tell me where your blender is..." And at her puzzled look, he sighed. "For margaritas, ya dipshit."

As he got up, Kira merely grinned. She'd gotten used to the arrangement of the cupboards rather quickly, and merely nodded. Breathing a sigh of relief after he finished tying the small belt around her back, she stepped into the small kitchen to rummage in one of the corner cupboards, withdrawing the blender ensemble.

"I don't know how good it'll be, but here."

"Does it chop ice?" And grinned as she nodded. "Then it's perfect."

\/\/\/\/ An Hour Later \/\/\/\/

Kira found she had a taste for margaritas. Quite an exceptional one at that...considering Rocco had rimmed her glass with sugar instead of salt.

Taking both glasses out to the sink, considering they'd gone through Rocco's pitcher, Kira sighed. He'd had more than she did, but that was perfectly fine with her. It would do her - or Rocco, for that matter - no good to have her staggering about as soon as she stepped out of the car.

"Right... Shall we get all this done now..?" She questioned, coming back into the living room to finger the silk material, wondering just how much Taiku had paid for all this. Shaking her head, she lifted the material gently, as though afraid to rip it, and slipped it over her shoulders.

The end of the robe dragged at least a foot on the floor, but that was another reason why this generally required more than one person to do the job. Rocco stood, lifting the obi from teh box. It was a cream colour, making the silver-embroidered butterflies shimmer when it hit the right angle of light. After folding and tucking the excess material from the kimono up underneath the semi-tied obi, Rocco then proceeded to go about tightening the obi, showing his flair for the work by creating a butterfly bow behind her back.

More tugging and adjusting, and finally he blew out a breath. "I know you're already aware of it, that Kazuki puts up his curt facade, Kira... And the thing is, that no matter how much you know, you still don't know the whole story. As it stands, nobody knows, save for him, Rene, and myself... He's been through more than you can imagine."

Kira nodded, adjusting to the weight and the obi, which was cinched rather tightly around her midsection. Rocco turned, only to pace back up to her with an obi-jime, which he proceeded to wrap and secure above the obi. The dark purple served as a contrast to the cream colour, and complimented the kimono well.

"Rocco... Do you think I could bother you for one more favour?" She questioned, brushing her fingers lightly over the material as she tilted her head.

"Depends what it is." He murmured, the beginnings of a smirk playing at his lips before he added with a wink. "And remember, I don't swing your way."

Returning the smirk, Kira shrugged. "Well, even though I know you'd rather dig your hands into Kazuki's hair, would you help me with mine? I feel a bit like a servant dressing up in her mistress' clothing leaving it down..."

He gave a sigh, an exaggerated one of mock-defeat. "Well, sure, but you might want to open that little box, there's apparently something extra to go with that fancy ensemble."

Blinking, Kira nodded absently, taking smaller steps towards the coffee table before bending lightly and picking the box up. Opening it, she slowly withdrew a fan. It was nearly the same shade of purple as her kimono, yet had a gentle wave of yellow with softer shades of purple around it, as well as a fair sprinkle of sakura petals and flowers, one small patch on the purple portion, and the petals drifting near one end of the yellow pattern. Nestled beneath that was a ribbon matching the obi. Raising an eyebrow, she turned to Rocco, the lighter silk material a pleasant sensation between her fingertips as she slipped the fan closed and tucked it between the obi and kimono.

"Looks like your job got even easier for the hairstyle, Rocco." She teased, earning a smirk and shrug in response.

After putting her long hair into a pony tail with the ribbon seemingly holding her hair in place, Kira rummaged in her top drawer, finally withdrawing a small drawstring bag. It was black with silver stitching, and put some money as well as her I.D. and key card inside before tucking it into her kimono sleeve.

'Handy, those things...' She thought, coming out of her room with a slight smirk directed at Rocco. "I might be in this fancy getup, but I don't think I want to sacrifice my choice of footwear in any case."

So saying, she stepped into the same shoes she was going to wear anyway, and stepped out the door, following Rocco down to the vehicle. With a wry smirk, she took his offered hand as she slipped in, carefully gathering the material so she didn't get it dirty of creased. With a sigh, she slipped the seatbelt on and relaxed in the seat...intent on enjoying the ride to her dinner date.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: Yeah, the posts are gonna be shorter from here on out, gives Tanya and I some leeway and the like. For continuity sake, Rocco will be first and arriving at the restaurant.

ic:

The Mustang, whilst still pulling an impressive speed through the streets, moved somewhat more carefully than before as he bore in mind his passenger. She was much calmer than she had been earlier, seeming like she might have had a panic attack from being partly nude around a gay man...He would have to tell Rene about that later, just for the comedic value of it....Regardless, this was clearly no simple dinner for Kazuki, he hadn't gone to the lengths he had without scattering himself as if he were going in ten different directions at once...

"We're here, kiddo. Y'ready?"

Glancing to his side with a slow, calm smile he waited for her nod before turning and stepping out of the car, walking around to her side and holding her door open so that she might step out without her kimono dragging across the ground.

-Taiku's Perspective-

He had arrived and parked only a few minutes before the powerful engine picked up from down the street, and when the car pulled up he had to blink a moment at the sight when Kira stepped out....She looked, well, she looked beautiful....There was no other way to word it without being cliche or corny, and he was eternally thankful for the area around them. The restaurant was a fair way aways from any of the major buildings and traffic paths, it was quiet and peaceful, a nice place all in all.

'Hopefully she'll like it too, at least it seems the kimono didn't go down too badly...'

Smirking at the thought a moment as she walked towards him, he gave a thankful nod over her shoulder to Rocco before the Italian man slipped into his car again and pulled away. His eyes coming back to Kira as she approached, he took a moment of silence just to look at her, smiling in complete silence....

"You look absolutely beautiful, Kira. I'm hoping Rocco didn't mess with you too much....?", smiling as he stepped aside slowly, freeing up the path for her to join him inside the building....

[Kira Karyuudo, Hikari]

Nodding at Rocco's question, Kira took a deep breath before he'd opened the door on her side, offering a smile of thanks as she got out and onto the sidewalk. Thinking better of it, she quickly slipped an arm around him in a light squeeze, leaning up and giving him a quick peck on his cheek.

"No need to gag, Rocco." She quipped with a wink, seeing his smart expression, "It's not like a little kiss on the cheek is going to kill you, even if it is from me."

Turning and making her way towards Taiku, she caught the nod he'd directed at Rocco, but paid no mind to it, keeping her steps somewhat smaller than she normally would. It almost gave the appearance she was floating along the ground, even if it wasn't true. A light blush slid over her cheeks at his comment, before it slowly faded.

"Nothing I couldn't throw back at him..." She responded, turning slightly as he lead the way into the building. Falling back on the more familiar name, Kira looked over at him. "Kazuki... I can't say I expected something like this," Gesturing to the kimono by raising her arm, "And I can't imagine how much it cost you, but...thank you."

Looking up at the sign above the doorway, written in both kanji and romanji form, Kira sighed softly. 'Hazumi Tsukikage, huh? Nice name...'

"Irasshai!"

Started out of her thoughts by the greeting, Kira blinked several times. She should have guessed it would be something like this, and speaking in the native tongue to boot. Kazuki had things under control, apparently with a reservation, for he merely spoke his name.

With a cheerful nod, they were lead through a section of the restaurant, other patrons just visible through the portion of souji door that was left open. Soon enough, the waitress opened a door, the rice-paper screen sliding back across the wood. So inclined, Kira slipped out of her shoes and put them to the side before stepping up and onto the tatami mats. Slipping around the small table, she knelt down, tucking the edge of the kimono underneath her legs.

"Domo arigatou..." She murmured to the waitress, inclining forwards slightly.

Sitting back up, she took a moment to look at the room. Opposite from where she had entered, the wall was painted to look like a garden, and from the small water fountain near the entrance, the hollow clap of the bamboo hitting a rock as the water tumbled out before raising up to receive more water sounded. Authentic. Peaceful. And perfect, by all means.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: Considering I'm not quite as active in searching out terms and phrases as Tanya is, the spatterings of Japanese (in Romanji) I'll use in this thread will be translated at the bottom of the page, unless it's a sentence in which case I'll simply italicise it and leave you to assume that the conversation is in Japanese, which will be the primary language in this thread from here on out. ^^

ic:

He could only smile as she returned to the usage of his old name, a slow sigh that left his lips as he heard her remark on the kimono, both on its presence and the slight concern for expense....A hand would be raised, a simple wave-off of her concern as he glanced at her before stepping up into the main foyer of the restaurant, speaking what would be the last English he would speak for the evening. Of course, Kira was not to know that yet, but he was mildly amused at the prospect of catching her off-guard with it. He was aware she was almost pure Japanese from her parents, despite the less than desirable time they had met, that much had remained in his mind, and he was virtually certain that she would have a grasp for their native language...

"I assure you, you needn't worry about the kimono. It's a gift, and the cost shouldn't be important, right. Besides, if you thought this was something unexpected, I can guarantee you, there's one or two more curveballs coming along, just so you're aware, koishii...."

The light protrusion of his tongue at the last word would serve to emphasise the hint of humour he was placing on using such a term towards her, and as they were welcomed by the head waitress he simply lowered his head in a light bow before replying with his name. At her quick moment to mentally check for the name, she smiled and nodded to him before leading the two through the restaurant. His eyes shifted once or twice to the shadows of other diners in the small booths that they passed, the idle sounds of native Japanese chatter an almost nostalgic sound to the young man...

"Here you go, sir."

"Gozaimasu..."

Nodding briefly as Kira stepped through the door, he lingered a moment and bowed slowly to the lady who had escorted them, giving her a brief smile before stepping inside himself, slipping out of his footwear and striding in slowly, his palms set atop his thighs dually stopping his hakama from dragging across the tatami underfoot and allowing him to kneel on the opposite side of the table from Kira without snagging the fabric...

Giving her a wry, knowing smile, he chuckled briefly at her puzzlement to his expression before he spoke, this time a much more defined and formal accent adorning his lips....

"Perhaps I should have informed you beforehand that this restaurant is frequented almost entirely by Japanese speaking locals, it's a small piece of home for those of us who are....Far from home, I suppose. I'm hoping your Japanese is good, otherwise I very well may feel like a fool..."

The slightly nervous grin on his lips was a simple defence, nothing more or less, and whilst her eyes took in the rest of the restaurants little details, the near-perfect replica to the way it would have been decorated back in Hokkaido, he took a slow, deep sigh and folded his hands lightly across his lap, returning a brief smile at her response before picking up the menu that was set down in front of his place at the table, his eyes glancing over the kanji in front of him. He personally had no need for the romanji or English translations provided, and it took under a minute for him to make his decisions. It was, however, but a few minutes until another young woman approached their table and stepped into the small boothed area, kneeling at the side of their table with a quick and proper bow, taking a moment to procure a small pad and a calligraphic pen from the sleeve of her kimono...

"Good evening, are you both ready to order...?"

His eyes flicking across to Kira, the silent question clear to both of them as she returned a simple nod and a smile, he brought his attention back to the waitress, tilting his head forward slowly as he spoke...

"Hai..."

"For yourself, sir?"

"Ohitashi, please. Also just an assortment of sushi for the main meal..."

"Anything to drink?"

"Green tea will be fine, thank you..."

Nodding at his order, she scrawled down the first half of the order before turning to Kira, giving a light smile and another bow, simply meeting with the expected formalities of the culture, before repeating the question to her, the pen readied in her hand...

"And for you, miss?"

[Kira Karyuudo, Hikari]

'Koishii, huh...?' Kira thought, raising an eyebrow with the slightest of wry smirks upon her face. At least she caught the tone of his voice, but it completely overshadowed the mention of more 'curveballs'.

After they'd settled onto their plush cushions, Kazuki spoke, earning himself a slow smile. He'd pulled one on her, no doubt, and finally the comment he'd made before stepping inside came rushing back. "Clever. I'll give you that..." She responded in kind, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "As you can see, I'm fluent enough... I have my mother to thank for that. I've never been to Japan, though, so I suppose I'm seeing something similar, hm?"

It was a rhetorical question, he'd answered it before she had even replied, but asked it anyway. Opening the menu, she frowned lightly a moment. Kanji was a slightly different story, though she could decipher a bit of it, there was no need with the romanji and English beneath. Browsing over the sushi menu first, she found something interesting, and would more than likely suit her tastes for a starting dish. Smoked salmon, cucumber, avocado and flying fish roe... The main menu wasn't all that easy to decide on something, but in the end Japanese hotpot with king crab legs, clams, shrimps, lobster tail, fish and assorted vegetables won her over.

The appearance of the waitress had her inclining forwards again politely, with a bow as she turned to her to take her order after Kazuki's. "The Alaska Roll to start, please, and Gyokai Nabe for the main dish, please..."

"And to drink for you, miss?"

"Green tea, and water, if you please..." With a smile in return, Kira watched silently as she left the room.

"Your choice in colour for your haori is interesting, Kazuki... Where did you find someone to do such work..?" She questioned. Of course, she meant the haori, but also - as she gestured - her kimono.

Not long after his reply, the green tea and water was brought in. One pot and two cups for the tea, set to the middle of the table, her own glass of water set more towards her. Shifting forwards, she took the handle of the pot lightly within her hands. Shifting one on top of the lid, she inclined forwards, tipping the pot to pour his cup first, repeating the same movements to fill her own cup before setting the pot back upon the table. Picking her own up, she took a slow sip, carefully and quickly moving the steaming liquid in her mouth to get a taste of it, swallowing slowly afterwards. 'Hoooot...' She winced mentally, slowly taking a shorter sip, swallowing quicker than she had the first time before setting the cup down lightly.

Lightly gesturing to his cup, she smiled slightly. "Please, enjoy..." And offered a slightly smug smirk at his raised eyebrow. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting her to pour, or, for that matter, to be so quick to adapt to the dinner situation.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

Watching with close attention at her grasp of the language with the order she placed with the waitress, he allowed a light, simple smirk to escape his lips as the young woman left their table with a quick bow, rising from her kneeling position and scurrying off sharply to place the order. His eyebrow raised at Kiras comment on the haori he wore, glancing down at the sleeves with a slow shrug, smiling a little. It was unusual for the garment to be coloured as such, but he had decided to avoid standard conformity with one thing at least.

"I was surprised to find that none of the stores with 'authentic' clothing had either a fair selection or a fitters, needless to say I very nearly considered changing this date to something else, but I somehow struck lucky with a small dressmakers outside of the main shopping district. A nice old lady, she managed to do all of this work in about a week, so effectively she saved my ass...."

He gave a quiet laugh at the remark before he slipped his haori off as the tea was brought to the table, folding the sleeves over the centre of the garment and neatly setting it beside him. With his haori no longer obstructing it, the sheen of the kimono underneath was all the more evident, the pure white material striking and accented with three visible stitched patches of Kanji; one on each of the lapels near his collarbones in Kiras line of sight, and a slightly larger one on the back, with the kanji 'クレーン'.

"Arigatou..."

Tilting his head forward as the tea was set in front of them, he watched a moment as the waitress left before turning back to take the pot and pour their tea, pausing when he realised that Kira was already in the process of doing so, raising an eyebrow at her clear adept ability. So, she clearly had a few of her own tricks up her sleeve, but he could only smile at it, watching as she finished before taking up her own with a mixture of amusement and curiosity, almost verging on disappearing into his own head again before she ushered him on to take his cup...

"Aa."

Smirking, he leaned forward a moment, taking up his tea in the base of his hand, the other curled around it slowly to hold it steady before raising it to his lips and taking a long and slow sip, allowing the hot brew to cool as it poured into his mouth...Closing his eyes, he sighed with a small, content smile at the familiar taste before setting down the small ceramic cup with a careful incline forward, setting his palms atop his legs once again...

"It would seem, Kira, that you have a few of your own tricks up your sleeve..."

His smile was calm and polite as he spoke, and it took mere moments for the starting meal to arrive and be set down in front of them. The smell from his own was excellent, he noted, and with a quick resetting of the plate in front of him he thanked the waitress...Taking his chopsticks in hand, expertly adjusting them, he glanced up with a raised eyebrow at Kira with a sharp smirk...This was easy enough for him, he was reasonably sure it'd be the same for her.

"Itadakimasu, Kira-chan..."

Leaning forward, he began to eat slowly, picking lightly at the food in front of him...

[Kira Karyuudo, Hikari]

While Kira merely nodded at Kazuki's explanation, her mind clicked away at the new fact presented about her kimono. 'The old lady doing this within a week? Hand made, obviously, or at least more than likely by hand, considering she had a week, but even so...that's a lot of cutting and stitching, and I'm not going to even touch on the obi...' She could almost shudder if she allowed herself to think of what the price must have been, but tore herself away from the subject as movement caught her eye.

The pristine white of his kimono top was almost startling, and for a moment, Kira fancied it almost glimmered as she shifted and settled once again after folding and setting aside the haori. The characters were the second thing she caught, having looked closer. It was the same on both sides. Puzzling over it a moment, Kira slowly blinked. 'K-kijuuki?!' Startled, she blinked. '...crane, huh?' With an eyebrow raised, she just about looked down at her kimono to catch sight of the cranes imprinted on the fabric.

'That's a bit of a swallow...'

Picking her cup up and cradling it lightly, Kira quietly mulled over the possible implications as she took a sip of the tea, catching Kazuki's comment before smiling lightly. "Of course..." She replied simply. "Wouldn't want you to be bored..."

The food arrived. The tempting aromas of Kazuki's had her tilting her head just slightly. Setting her cup back upon the table, she raised an eyebrow at the sharp smirk, the chopsticks in his hand obviously the reason. Tilting her head, she returned the smirk, picking up her own lightly and shuffling them slightly to adjust her grip with one hand, glancing down at the sushi arranged decoratively on the plate. There were three small saucers arranged upon the flat plate as well, in the bottom corner. The green wasabi paste, pink pickled ginger, and the dark brown soya sauce on the last.

Looking up at Kazuki as he spoke, she nodded lightly. "Hai, itadakimasu, Kazuki-kun..."

There were eight small rolls upon the plate. Kira lightly picked up the first, slowly placing it in her mouth to taste the separate flavours. The seaweed wrap and rice wine vinegar were the stronger flavours, with the avocado and smoked salmon nudging itself in there, the cucumber being refreshing, and the roe an interesting touch. Roe, or fish eggs was, needless to say, an acquired taste. Kira enjoyed it well enough.

Picking up the next, Kira set her eyes upon the wasabi. She couldn't help it, she adored spicy foods immensely. Pressing the sushi roll lightly against the green paste before taking it away, she set it on its side upon the plate, picking up a piece of the ginger and setting it upon the roll, finally dipping it into the soya sauce before carefully raising it, cupping her other hand beneath the morsel just in case something decided to drip out. She took a moment to savour the combined flavours. The heat of the wasabi, the sour taste of the ginger, and the tang of the soya sauce. 'Delicious.'

"So, how is your appetizer, Kazuki..?" She questioned, awaiting her response a moment as she dabbed another piece of sushi against the wasabi, pickled ginger already in place. She didn't bring it up yet, but after his response, waited several moments before tugging thoughtfully on her kimono.

"I have to wonder about the symbolism of the kanji for crane upon your kimono, and the cranes upon my kimono, though..."

It was a softly quipped remark, and the curiosity was brimming in her voice. With a raised eyebrow, she picked the sushi up and plopped it in her mouth, chewing slowly as the wasabi hit her taste buds and she swore she could have melted at it. It was just so. damned. good. Lightly sliding her tongue across her lips, Kira sighed softly, idly toying with another piece before tilting her head and picking up the piece, offering it to him with a smirk.

"Care to try? Wasabi? Ginger? Soya sauce? None of the above?" She teased, though the offer was genuine. If he accepted, she would undoubtedly put whatever he wanted on, to his specification, and place it on his plate. She wouldn't want him to pick the piece out of her chopsticks, as it was seen as an extremely rude gesture...

[Kazuki Akimoto]

With the first bite of his food swallowed, he gave a single, slow nod at her reciprocation of his statement...The expression on her face as she took the first few morsels of food telling as he watched her savour the taste...Traditional cuisine to them was a rare treat to find in North America, at least to find it properly done, outside of a particular district here and there. The ingredients used weren't the right ones, perhaps, or they were poor variants...He knew from inquiry that Hazumi Tsukikage imported everything they used. As a result, they produced some of the most authentic Japanese food one could get outside of Asia.

His own food was excellent, and he was enjoying it well enough to let his eyes wander from time to time, but he found himself slightly captivated by the manner she possessed. The meticulous nature with which she laced her sushi with the accompaniments was surprisingly amusing, yet fascinating all at once...Even he wouldn't go to such lengths to do it, and to top it all off, she seemed to love wasabi...

'That makes things interesting...Adds a little spice, so to speak...'

"Wonderful, would you care to try some...?", he smiled as he made the offer. Her nod leading him to pluck a few of the small leaves from the plate and set them down on a side-dish to the left of him, offering the plate with a slow push of his palm as he tilted his head down to her. Returning to taking a few more bites of his food, he had just finished swallowing a mouthful when she commented on the matching symbolism on both their kimonos...It was a fair point, but one he didn't even have the answer to himself.

"The kanji chosen for my kimono was a decision made solely by the people who created it. They asked if I had any preference, and I simply asked them to pick what they felt would be most suitable for me. The cranes upon yours, however, were my choice. I felt they represented beauty and grace well enough to deserve to be worn by you..."

He spoke with a light, calm smirk, tilting his head as she raised the small morsel of food for him...Grinning lightly, he nodded a moment, "Wasabi, a fair bit of it, and Soy sauce, I do not care for the ginger, thank you...".

Picking up another small plate beside him, he raised it in both his hands to allow her to set down the small bite atop it, his eyes fixed on her as she moved back, settling down once again. Using his chopsticks to separate it into two smaller pieces, he picked one and added a little more wasabi to it, savouring the powerful spice with a soft sigh and rolling his head across his shoulders, stretching out the stiff joint a moment. The second piece he ate as it had been set on his plate without adding anything to it, giving a light smirk at her before he swallowed, sticking his tongue out with a childish snicker.

Before long their appetisers were finished, and as he set down his chopsticks, wiping across them with a small napkin set to the side to remove any traces of food from them, he decided to take a moments opportunity to crack a joke, shrugging lightly as if in mock-defeat.

"Y'know, if you'd rather, next date we can just go for burgers and a movie....?"

Smiling softly at her, he watched as their plates were quickly ushered away to only be replaced with their main meals a few moments later...Looking down at his own, he held his palm against the small dish with the pickled ginger before she could set it down, politely declining before she gave a quick bow and left the room. Reaching forward, he plucked up the pot of tea, refilling hers to warm the liquid still left in her cup before doing the same for his own, setting the pot back down with a tilts of his head toward her...Taking up his own, he would wait patiently for Kira to raise her own and join him in enjoying some tea.

After, setting his cup down, he would glance over the varied pieces of sushi before him, pausing on a slightly greyer fish and smiling, plucking it up and dipping it deeply into the wasabi before taking a small bite. Tuna was among his favourite by far, the rich texture of the fish a suitable addition to the spice...

"This is excellent, Kira. I trust your own is too...?"

He spoke with a smile, glancing up as he took a moment to pause between bites, sipping his tea to break the taste of the spice from his tongue before awaiting her reply.

[Kira Karyuudo, Hikari]

She nodded at his offer as she tended to the piece of sushi as he said, setting it on the offered plate in his hands. To his comment upon her kimono, she could only nod, even if he sounded a bit hesitant on the answer. Watching with mild amusement as he dabbed more wasabi on the piece of sushi, Kira raised an eyebrow the slightest bit. Shaking her head with a grin, she picked up the plate that held some of the spinach on it, picking up one of the leaves to put it into her mouth, chewing slowly and thoughtfully to allow the flavours to manifest in her mouth. It was good, really good.

She returned the gesture with her own tongue sticking out before chuckling softly, shaking her head. After that, they were content to finish their appetisers in silence, each savouring the taste of their own, and the sample of the other's.

By the time Kira was done her sushi, there was no more of the green wasabi paste upon the side dish, and the ginger was gone as well. The only bit that remained was a few drops of the soya sauce in the third dish. Setting her chopsticks down upon the rest, she stacked the trio of plates neatly before putting the small stack upon the square plate, shifting the whole thing to the side and picking up her tea for another sip. She wasn't surprised to find it had cooled to be merely lukewarm, and made a note to top their glasses when the main meal came.

His mild joke had a smile appearing on her face. "Movie sounds good, if anything... And I'm sure I could stomach the burgers..."

Her tone was teasing, even as she said she could stomach the burgers. And have no problem with it.

"I must admit, this was definitely...unique, for a first date... Not that I have much experience with it. Last time I was taken out on any sort of date was with Maverik back in Varron..." At the end, she shrugged casually. They were still a tightly-knit group, all in all, and Kira had no regrets with that nice dinner...

The sliding door opened abruptly, their plates taken, and more put down. Before the smaller, cast-iron pot was set down in front of her, they placed a small heating device upon the table, a bowl of rice on the side. It was only a minute's wait until the already hot broth was bubbling and boiling again, finishing cooking the assortment of seafood, fish, and vegetables.

Kira blinked as Kazuki poured the tea, an eyebrow lifting before she shook her head, smiling. Taking the hint, she picked her cup up and took a sip. The smell from the small pot in front of her was mouth-watering. Setting her cup down, she picked up the spare bowl and her chopsticks, carefully picking out a piece of the crab meat and other bits and pieces of fish and vegetables, setting them in the bowl before exchanging the chopsticks for a shallow spoon. With it, some of the broth was transferred into the bowl as well, and she finally picked up her chopsticks again, first taking a small sip of the steaming liquid.

It was more flavourful than she expected, but was pleased. She wasn't one for bland broth of any kind. A few seconds later had her munching on a piece of salmon, by the taste. The broth had seeped into the fish, accenting its own flavour. She let out a content sigh as she relaxed in place.

"Yes, it's delicious... You're welcome to try some if it suits your fancy..." She responded, happily digging into the pot for a slice of carrot. Her rice wasn't neglected either.

'Mmmm... I think I know where I'll be coming should I have a craving for seafood... I assume we can do take-out...'

"Ne, Kazuki? You've been here before, obviously... Does the Hazumi Tsukikage allow take-out orders, or is it dine-in only? Some restaurants like this would prefer their customers to eat-in, obviously..."

It was a question to keep some sort of conversation, even though she was perfectly comfortable with the silence, it didn't mean he was... Even so, their meal was finished in due time, and the dishes cleared away.

"Excuse me... Would it be possible to have a small bottle of sake and two cups?" Kira smiled as she asked, and received a nod in return.

A few minutes later found a small bowl with the rest of her meal that she couldn't eat being placed upon the table, as well as a small carafe of sake and two small porcelain cups on the side. Neatly picking up a cup and the bottle, she poured Kazuki's glass, setting it neatly in front of him. Unlike the tea, however, she offered the bottle to him, as well as her own cup. It was polite to pour one another a drink.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"I...merely wished to share something special to me with you, I only hope that you will have enjoyed yourself by the end of the night..."

The burner under her dish had brought her food back to a strong simmer, and the scent of the seafood was exceptionally enticing. He was tempted a moment to garner the waitresses attention in having her prepare a small dish of that for him to take home with him, but left it alone for the moment. It would be no trouble to contact them tomorrow. Picking lightly at his sushi as they exchanged calm conversation, he gave a small nod as his eyes skimmed for a bowl to transfer a small portion of the broth over...There wasn't one, and he struck upon a mild panic. One of his largest concerns was a silly tradition his grandfather had instilled in him, that it was considered in bad taste to eat or drink from the same dish as another.

Raising a palm with a light smile, he spoke calmly as he changed his mind...At least, that was the impression he put across as he plucked another wedge of the sushi rice up, letting it sit between his chopsticks a moment as he spoke.

"Actually, I'll be fine for the time being. I'm sure the flavour is far stronger than the sushi here, and I wouldn't want to ruin the taste by having that broth on my tongue for the rest of the meal..."

Breathing a massive internal sigh of relief as he raised his cup to his lips, taking a slow sip, he sat in silence a moment or two, eating calmly before she questioned the prospect of the restaurant dealing a take-out service. Smiling with a raised eyebrow, he set down the tea and stretched out his arms with a loose growl, his muscles tightened from sitting in one place so long.

"They don't, as a whole, but there are circumstances that can change that...For one, obviously, extra payment can sway their mind. Being on good terms with the chef and owner is a godsend as well, I'd imagine. It works wonders for me..."

Smirking faintly at the comment, he was aware she might pick it as arrogance or egotism, but he would willingly accept that one in the circumstances. The restaurant was almost entirely a dine-in establishment, but there were occasions where he had been able to arrange take-out orders for himself, Rene and Rocco. As he had said, it did help when the owner happened to be mildly friendly with him as well, the two apparently coming from similar areas in Hokkaido. As such, the older man had considered it fate that the two should come across one anothers paths...He was polite enough to him, talking and sharing a cup or two of sake once in a while, and in return he was able to persuade them to allow him to take out food on occasion.

Shrugging his shoulders lightly at her own remark, he simply smiled between bites. "It DOES help, though..."

The rest of the meal passed by with similar soft conversation, neither really pressing on anything more than calm chatter, and as the meal finished they were approached by a waitress who removed their dishes. Before he had the chance to request it, Kira had already spoken up and asked for them to bring some sake. Faintly snickering at the fact the young woman had requested it before him, he waited in silence before the bottle and cups were set down in front of him. Assuming she was aware of the nature of pouring sake, he watched with a barely raised eyebrow as she poured one and set it in front of him.

'Well, she's got the right idea, if nothing else...'

Tilting his head forward in a slow bow, he leaned forward to take the bottle from her, setting it down a moment before taking her hands, setting them around her cup with a short gaze, smiling gently. Taking up the bottle again, he poured her glass full as he set the bottle down once more, picking his own cup and holding it with slightly outstretched arms, the same smile latching onto her as his eyes fixed upon hers. Bringing the cup back to his lips, drinking the small measure of the rice wine with a single tip of his head, he sighed deeply at the scent on his lips and breath, closing his eyes in contentment.

"Will there be anything else for you both...?"

His head craned to the side as the waitress gave a light smile, seeming slightly apologetic for interrupting, but otherwise looking towards him as she awaited his response.

"We may have some more sake, but I would like to ensure the bill is settled, if I may."

She simply nodded, and with a twist of his wrist in the sleeve of his hakama, he procured a single credit card and handed it to her with a nod. As in the past, they would simply hold the card until he approached to fulfil the payment, bringing whatever he would request of them until he and the young lady he was with were satisfied with their dining.

"Arigatou, Taiku-san..."

As she left with the card, he watched her leave with a moments attention, turning back to the table with a small shift of his knees and glancing at his cup once again. With a light nudge of the tokkuri towards her, he took up his cup once again. Smirking a moment afterward, he would hope she had realised what he had intended her to catch on by pouring her cup for her as she held it, raising his own very slightly towards her...

"May I...?"

[Kira Karyuudo, Hikari]

She could only shake her head with relative amusement at his comment on the take-out, raising an eyebrow with a smile at him. Shrugging her shoulders, the amused expression fixed firmly upon her face, Kira replied. "I have no doubt that it works, Kazuki."

It was relaxing, and Kira didn't feel pressured by it at all, despite the formal setting and fancy dress. Still, with the culture of her family before her, Kira felt a twinge every so often. She knew quite a bit, but considering she hadn't actually lived in Japan, she didn't have all the knowledge she should have. Added to it, she had only "drank" sake once before, having a sip of her mother's at one point when she was much younger. She couldn't be expected to remember everything about something she had only experienced - though even that term was not the best to use.

Immediately realizing her mistake as he pressed her hands gently over the cup, her cheeks bloomed into a shade of pink. Her eyes, while at first lowered, rose up to meet his as a slightly discomfited smile appeared onto her lips, gradually easing into a more relaxed one. Still, she eased back slightly, casually copying his movements before taking a slow sip, letting the alcohol linger in her mouth a moment before swallowing and exhaling lightly.

Though she wasn't very experienced with drinking - despite the two sessions they had shared back in Varron - she did find the taste to be a slightly acquired one, but the second taste was better than the first. With her cup being empty and Kira on the last swallow, the door slid open to reveal the waitress.

The interruption was brief, and the hand-off of the credit card was done with a familiar ease. Taking the hint offered to her, she picked up the bottle and obliged him, pouring the cup neatly before setting it down, offering her own cup lightly between her fingers.

"Only if I may..?" She questioned lightly, a light lilt to her voice, though there was a very thin veil of apology behind her eyes, it was overrun by the light tone she used.

The drinks passed with perhaps a chuckle or two, and more light conversation. Soon enough, they slipped out of the booth, slipping their shoes on in companionable silence before moving to the front desk, Kazuki quickly scrawling his signature upon the two slips of paper before they walked out with murmurs of good-bye and thanks.

Stepping out onto the darkened streets, Kira took a slow breath, seeming to adjust and realize she was in San Francisco.

"That place is very special... I don't suppose there are more that happen to be this authentic..?" She murmured quietly to Kazuki as they began a slow stroll to where-ever he had parked. Smoothing her hands against the front of the silk kimono, Kira found a habit she had yet to pick up that she was actually doing. Still, the fabric did feel wonderful, and she tipped her chin up to catch the faint breeze that wafted down the street, the tips of her bangs catching in the wind lightly.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: Short.

ic:

Tilting his head forward slowly, a gentle smile emerging from his lips, he tilted the tokkuri slowly, refilling her cup and setting it down once again, retaking his own cup and raising it slowly, tipping it back to drain the contents in a steady, long sip.

~Shortly afterward~

Stepping outside, the cool air relaxing through the haori, he turned as his palm rested gently against the small of her back, a light nod in response to her question before he spoke, retaining the language used for the evening again...

"It's one of the only places like it I've ever found outside of Japan. Everywhere else fails to capture the essence of home, either by trying too hard or just not trying at all...It's saddening, I guess."

They would not have to walk far, however. His car had been parked behind the restaurant, and in a matter of minutes they would arrive at it. Opening the passenger side door for her, he waited for her to settle before taking the few steps around to the drivers door.. Sighing a moment before stepping into the car, he took a quick glance skyward and looked up at the slightly visible moon. It was full and bright early, and for some reason he let a quick smile escape him before he sat in the car, bringing the engine to life.

~A short spell later~

The car came to a slow stop outside of the student housing complex as he turned to her with a smile...

"Thank you for joining me tonight..."

"It was my pleasure."

Leaning over, he pressed a light kiss against her cheek before smiling as she opened the car door, returning the peck and bidding him goodnight. Nodding faintly, he watched her as she approached the building, pulling the car away slowly once she disappeared from sight...It had been an interesting evening, and he mildly relished in the concept of what he had in store for the next time he would invite her out. Smirking, the car turned the corner, slipping into the traffic.

End Of Thread