maskormenacelogs | Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world

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Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world

WHO: Kaneda

rassera and Euphemia

whitequeens
WHERE: Around Nonah
WHEN: Backdated to September 27th
WHAT: Kaneda asked Euphie out on a date and she actually said yes. I'm surprised too.
WARNINGS: Actually Kaneda'll be well behaved aside from Kaneda-isms

Kaneda always wondered how a girl like Euphemia ended up in Maurita Falls. It certainly wasn't the safest of all the cities that housed imPorts. He would know, he frequented the more...shady parts of the town on a regular basis. But leave it to the government to stick her there, right? It's not like they were ever reliable on those things.

Not that it mattered. It was right on his way home from his 'night job', after all. Granted, underground fighting isn't something you should really be doing just before your date, but he'd required minimum bruises, most of them not even noticable unless you looked at his neck and chest, both mostly covered by his shirt and jacket. A light day, if you asked him.

But whatever, he had plans, and that was enough to leave early.

His bike zips down the streets at a relatively eay pace as he makes his way up to the housing Euphemia was currently living at. He didn't really dress too much up for his part, but he didn't really want to share details with the house, and he certainly had never dressed up before.

That whole concept was new to him.

Stepping off his bike, he keeps it in park this time, choosing not to snap it back to where it usually went. After all, he was ready to just grab her and go for a nice drive.

Slow's not usually his style, but he can appreciate it for a girl, certainly. He makes his way up to the door and knocks firmly with his knuckles, shoving his hands back into his pockets as he turns to wait with his back against the house.

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This was not what Euphemia had expected. None of this had been. To go back to her world, to the opening day of the SAZ, only to have it end in (apparent) catastrophe, the memory of Zero-- of Lelouch-- raising his gun and the hammer's blow to her chest. Lying in the hospital bed with Suzaku at her side, feeling the world grow cold around her and then go dark entirely.

And then to be asked on a date. By a rough-and-tumble young Japanese boy who had every right to hate her and her family because of what she'd told him.

She's dressed far more subdued now than she had before; a plain ruffled blouse and knee-length floral skirt, with her hair pulled back in a single ponytail. She suspects Kaneda will want to take her out on his motorcycle again, and she wants to be ready for that (and not look like a disheveled mess at the end this time).

When the knock comes at the door, she's there after only a few moments, pulling it open; her face-- eyes that look tired more than optimistic for perhaps the first time-- turning into a small smile when she notes who it is. (Though, who else would it be?) "Kaneda... thank you so much for asking me."

It's amazing what you can bypass for a pretty girl. Granted, he'd never dated an 'American' girl before, let alone ROYALTY, let alone from a family that tried to take away everything his country was...

But she was the one who wanted to change that, right? To make her family leave Japan alone. That was different.

...His neck tilts as the door opens.

He has to admit, the look for her is flattering, and his eyes brighten a little at the somewhat sporty look she's gotten. He didn't have any intention of speeding through this time--he knew how to play up the part of a date--but he can't say he minds the effort that went into it. Her tired eyes match his, some pretty...obvious black bags under his eyes despite the smile he's giving.

"Eh, don't mention it. Looks like you need this as much as I do."

After all, brooding in your room can only do so much, right? He holds out his hand for hers, cocking that confident smile he wore so naturally.

"Shall we?"

She looks at that hand for a few heartbeats before her tired smile grows slightly wider, and she gently reaches up to put her slim hand in his. Immediately, her smile grows even brighter, and she giggles slightly. "Your hand's really warm."

"Where would you like to go? I've never really explored the..." she trails off, because she does notice the black bags under his eyes, and her smile dims a hair. "Kaneda, you look exhausted! Have you been sleeping properly?"

Now that smile was comforting to see, it suited her so much better than that tired appearance she was holding up earlier. He doesn't notice just how slender her fingers are in his, which were more calloused, worn, and chapped. She wasn't wrong about them being warm--a side effect of Kaneda was that he was a built in heating blanket.

But he's about to answer her, though--Nonah was what he knew best, so he had plenty of places to take her, and even more if she wasn't familiar. But her question catches him off guard, eyes widening and trying to play it off.

"Heyyy, no need to worry about that!" It's said quickly, as if to reassure her before she can worry further. After all, what good was a date if she was fretting? Granted he was exhausted, but honestly, if he weren't on this date, he'd be still off searching for Tetsuo. The ways you get your relaxation...

"Pulling some tough hours at my side job, is all."

Edited 2015-10-04 01:56 (UTC)

Euphie's expression relaxes a bit, slightly mollified by his explanation, but she doesn't look entirely convinced. "If you're sure," she says quietly, "but you really must take care of yourself! Your health is important," she chides, but in the next instant it seems all but forgotten.

"I'm sorry, I interrupted you!" she says, stepping forward out of her apartment and closing the door behind her. "Where is it you wanted to go?"

"You worry too much, princess." Not that he really minded the attention. She had this thing about her--innocent appearance, but he could definitely see that fire underneath. He'd seen it when she healed his injuries.

Sensitivity always hooked him in the end, but that fire made it interesting.

His bike's there waiting for him, the scuffs from the accident already buffed and repaired. Don't worry, Euphie, he's planning on going a decent speed this time. Not exactly the speed limit or traffic laws, but no one's perfect.

"Nonah. I know a few places to go to get some air."

Nothing too heavy, thankfully.

And he'll offer to let her sit down at the back first, and adjust himself as necessary.

"Nonah?" she says, looking mildly surprised by the suggestion. "Isn't that... a bit of a drive?" He'd parked his bike when they'd gotten back to the porter the last time, she remembers. Surely motorcycles aren't allowed inside... and then it hits her. "Ah! You can store it away, I remember now! So we'll be heading to the porter, then."

She follows him down to his bike, eyeing it with only a little trepidation, and sits on the back, sidesaddle like before; she is still wearing another skirt, after all.

"I'm ready!"

"You got it!" There's no way he could make the drive, not without stopping to recharge his battery every two hours.

As she sits down, he takes his in front of her, adjusting as he puts his feet up on that rest. He'll give her a moment to get situated as he gets his nav computer working, turning on all the systems as life hums into the bike.

Everything was so second nature. Hell, he's not even paying attention to it as he types, just pushing buttons as he goes to move his bike out of park.

"You ever been there?"

She shakes her head, not that he can really see her from where she sites behind him; she rests her feet against the frame of the bike as she had before. "No, never! I've been to De Chima, Heropa and here in Maurtia Falls, but never to Nonah."

There's a small pause as she leans forward, once more grabbing onto him (gently, at first). "What's in Nonah that you like?"

He leans back a little into that hold, the physical contact actually feeling pretty nice right now compared to the fight ring he'd just come from. "You've -never- been there?" Well that solved that. Nonah was his 'home' city here, and he knew it best out of them all. Including places where one could just stop and appreciate the scenery.

He turns his head to smile at her, engine springing to life.

"Here, you'll see when we get there."

With a turn of the handlebar, the bike takes off, although not quite at the same death-defying speed he had their previous meet up. This time it's actually...enjoyable for all parties!

"No, I don't think so, not that I can recall." Behind him, her expression dims slightly. "Um, at least, I'm fairly sure. It's possible I don't remember some things entirely since I've... since I've been home and back, but--"

Whatever she's going to say dies in the roar of the engine as Kaneda's bike kicks into gear, and Euphemia quickly squeezes his waist almost on reflex, only to find that he's not driving nearly as ludicrously fast as he had last time.

Wow, she's almost not worried about it at all this time. What a pleasant change of pace!

"Hey, no thinking like that! We're out to have fun, right?" His back presses reflexively into that touch, as if trying to console her even slightly. After all, the point of the date was to relax after that whole ordeal.

Even with the lower speed, it doesn't take as long to get to the Porter, having to only go through a few stoplights (without actually waiting for them, of course) and make a few turns.

Once they arrive, he parks it, turning to look at her.

"You ready?"

If she says anything, it gets lost in the roar of the engine and the sudden rush of wind. But Kaneda's right, she thinks. She can't dwell on it. What does it change? They're out to have fun, right?

This is a much more manageable speed, with the downside for Kaneda that Euphie doesn't cling to him nearly as tightly as she did the last time. She still gets pretty close in a few times, though.

Thanks to her hair up in a ponytail, she's also much more put-together when the bike pulls to a stop. She hops off, her knees only slightly wobbly, and favors him with a smile that's almost not shaky at all. "Yes, I'm ready! Is it always so exciting?"

She may be pushing the cheer a little bit.

When she hops off, he's quick to follow, snapping his fingers to send the bike back into that weird hammerspace he keeps it in. Really, it was much nicer seeing her out and about like this, than the thought of her cooped up in Maurita Falls.

But her response gets a smirk out of him, tossing that messy hair out of his eyes. "Every day!" Honestly, that's how he always tried to live on the streets. No one to tell you what to do or where to do it or WHEN to do it...you were your own person. And when you set your own limits and rules, everything was exciting.

Because with it comes the power to set no limit.

He holds out his arm, to let her loop around if if she wants as he steps into the Porter building. He didn't like the place--it was too government for his tastes, but it got him to where he wanted to go--and fast.

Euphemia jumps slightly at the sudden pop of air rushing to fill the void left behind by Kaneda unsummoning his motorcycle. She's not getting used to that any time soon. When he offers him her arm, she looks at it with an unsure expression on her face before stepping forward and looping her own arm around the crook of his elbow. There may be a slight tinge of pink to her cheeks.

"Why do you like driving so fast?" It's an innocent question as they walk into the building, towards the porter. But she is rather curious.

He smiles when he feels her arm hook around his, not really acting any further on it other than being something to hold onto as they walk through the Porter.

The question, though, definitely makes him think. Why did he like going so fast? Well, the answer was really pretty obvious. "Why? There's things people, the government want you to do, want you to follow. Saying 'screw you' to that and setting your own limits...that's freedom."

He laughs, stopping just before the Porter. "Guess the same reason I like breathing. Makes me feel alive, you know?"

He steps through, and into the Nonah Porter they arrive. It's a stark contrast from the eerily quiet, but somehow populated city of Maurita Falls. There were sounds of cars, lights, engines...the works. Nonah, the most industrial of all cities, was alive at all times of the day, but nighttime was when Kaneda loved it most.

It was alive.

It's interesting, Euphie can't help but think. Kaneda is a rebel through-and-through, defying authority at every stretch of the way. He's so very different from someone like Suzaku, who desperately wanted to make change happen while working inside the system. Rebellion against reform. "You really do value your freedom," she says quietly, a small smile on her face. "Is it truly so rare where you come from?"

She almost doesn't even feel a twinge of sadness at the comment about breathing and being alive, but it's there anyway. Not that she's not good at hiding it.

When they exit the Porter building into Nonah, her purple eyes go wide with excitement. "Ah! Everything's so bright!"

He can't help but smile at her reaction, forgetting her question for a moment as he follows her gaze. It was true--Nonah was a bright city. The most industrial of the main Porter Cities, and the one that was most lively, especially at night. It was noisy...alive, and Kaneda seems to react to it as well, his muscles tensing in almost...excitement.

"Pretty great, huh?"

He starts to walk again, letting her take in the sites as they hit the sidewalk. Figuring out just how to answer that question. "It's the hardest thing a guy can hold onto in that place."

The city is bustling, clad in neon and noisy. It's so very different from the serene gardens of the imperial palace in Pendragon where she'd grown up, different even from the endless labyrinthine corridors of the Tokyo Settlement in Area Eleven (sorry, Kaneda-- in Japan). She clings to his arm just a little tighter, looking over at him (a little bit down, even... but has he gotten taller?) and asks another question:

"Why?"

While it's a whole new world to Euphie, it couldn't have been more at home for Kaneda. Well, of the four cities, Nonah was probably the most physically like home. It was lively, and that alone was enough for him. The lights, the way the cars whipped past during rush hour, the cool of the evening air as he steps out onto the sidewalk...it's home without being home.

He notices her grip that arm tighter, and he leans more into it, looking up (YOU NOTICED) ever so slightly at her.

"There's always someone wanting to take it from you."

He knows she's seen it in action.

Sorry, Kaneda. She's still taller than you for a little while longer.

What she says, though, seems to have her silent in thought. "It's true that there are some people who want to exploit others," she acknowledges, "but isn't it also true that there are things that protect people that technically restrict your freedom? Like... laws, and other things."

"Do you dislike those, too?"

It's Kaneda's turn to go silent, as she asks that. Sure, the laws were meant for that reason, and maybe they did try to protect people, but he'd already learned early on that the world itself didn't care about him. So why should he care about it?

"I hate the people who make them."

It comes out toxic, practically dripping with poison.

"They just want me to behave. They don't care about safety."

Her hands grow tighter on his arm, briefly, as he says that. She's known the ones who make the laws. She's been one, to an extent. "I don't think that's necessarily true," she says quietly. "I think there are plenty of people who honestly want to make things safer and happier for everyone."

"If you put yourself in their shoes, what would you do? How do you help the greatest number of people with the wisest laws?"

"Why should I?" He says it almost automatically, not really meaning to cut her so short. But his shoulders square, the hestiance now a thing of the past. Because this was something he knew, something that had been so drilled in his head from Day one when he was put in that orphanage.

"You wouldn't see it, would you...they'd probably only show how good of a job they do..." It's said softly, shaking his head.

"And not the beatings, or the riot guards, or the smoke grenades shot at you. To them? They only protect you if you're worth it to them."

Which...Kaneda wasn't.

"You wouldn't try to help people?" there's no judgment in her voice, even at the way he snaps at her. "I don't believe that. I think, if you were given power, you'd try to use it for good... don't you?"

She slightly relaxes her hold on his hand as they walk. "I'm sorry that your home seems so... difficult," she says after some thought. "And I'm sorry if I've turned the conversation weighty."

Well, she's got him there, and it shows in the way his face falters. Good? Maybe that was a stretch...he certainly wouldn't place himself as a boyscout. "I'd do a better job than the people who got it." He smiles, tilting his head. "I look out for the people important to me. -That's- what I care about."

His calloused hands reach, up brushing gently along hers.

"Hey, what'd I tell you about feeling down? The night's still young, yeah?"

If Kaneda was upset by anything she said, he certainly doesn't show it.

"I'm not feeling down, Kaneda," she assures him with a smile that remains, somehow, completely sincere. "Don't you think we can talk about serious matters without becoming upset? We're both mature, aren't we?"

Well, she is, anyway. Sort of.

"Where to next?"

The jury's still out on the one you've got your arm wrapped around, Euphie. But he smiles, flipping his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, just not what a guy should shove onto his date, you know? Usually it's thinks like your eyes or your hair!"

But at that question, he leads her up a flight of stairs, making sure to go slightly ahead to help her.

"You'll see. I've been wandering the streets here to know the best spots."

"If you want to talk about my eyes or my hair, it's only fair that I get to talk about yours too," Euphie responds, her tone lilting and teasing, as they walk up the stairs.

"You keep telling me it'll be someplace great, but you haven't told me where it is we're going to!"

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Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world

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