xavier_institute_logs | two soccer nuts walk into a bar and say ow

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two soccer nuts walk into a bar and say ow

WHO: Tenma and Shindou
WHAT: Totally platonic date
WHERE: all over the place
WHEN: February 15th
WARNING(S): Disappointingly bromantic

Two hundred dollars. Two hundred whole dollars. If Shindou had asked, Tenma would have hung out with him for free.

But two hundred dollars.

When he signed himself up for the auction, he was a little scared but excited to see who would bid on him.

Two hundred dollars slammed on the table.

Tenma sighed as he placed his rejected outfits back into the closet. He didn't have any formal clothes, or any clue what he could wear on a date, even if his "date" was his own senpai. He didn't dare call anyone still in Japan, a certain someone would never let him hear the end of it. He had to recall his relative's boyfriend's visits for ideas, but even then that man had just hung out, sometimes lounging around the Kogarashi apartments in a t-shirt and boxers. Tenma settled for a nice graphic tee, which would be hidden by his coat anyway. Slipping into comfortable, but not completely beat up shoes, he swung around to Shindou's room and knocked.

Two hundred dollars.

He was really going to have to make this one a date.

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[In Shindou's defense, winning Tenma's auction had been mostly an accident. It'd been a surprise when he'd seen his friend's name on the list of students to be sold off, and maybe he should have asked if he had someone in mind he was hoping to win him? But, still, it'd seemed like perfectly fair game to run the bidding up a little on your friends!

All for a good cause, right? And, if it meant that Tenma didn't end up dragged off on a date by someone who bid on a lark or who couldn't bring themselves to ask him out through the normal channels...

Well, Shindou could live with that. He'd just expected the auction to go on a bit longer...though maybe he'd come out of the gate a little too strong?]

Tenma?

[Shindou's been expecting that knock at his door, so when it comes he steps right over to pull it open. He's in the middle of getting a tie on, collar up and blue-striped cloth knotting in his hands. (Shut up, he always tends to get a little dressy when he goes out. It's a habit, alright?)]

I'm almost ready, just let me get this and my jacket. Sorry, I'm running behind...

[Tenma stiffens a little. This was going to be a tie affair?! He didn't even have a tie... His tee suddenly made him feel naked in comparison.]

I--It's no problem!

[He fidgets, wondering if he had enough time to make a run back to his room to get his (wrinkled) button up on instead]

Edited 2015-02-26 04:35 (UTC)

[If Tenma's underdressed, Shindou really doesn't seem to notice. He turns back to a mirror hanging on the wall between his dorm's two beds, straightens and tightens his tie, and then slips into a pair of black leather shoes.

Then he reaches for his coat and moves towards the door.]

So, did you want to go into the city today? Or we can stay closer to the school. Whichever you want.

[It's your $200 date, Tenma, let him spoil you.]

[Shindou stop looking so fancy, people are definitely going to get the wrong idea]

L-Let's go to the city. There's more to do there.

Alright, great. I'll find a ride for us --

[That prompts him to pull his phone out and begin typing something, flipping to a taxi service app. Since his eyes are focused on that as they head out, he'll just idly reach over and rest a hand against Tenma's forearm, so his kouhai doesn't flit off without him following.

Don't worry, there's no chance of anyone misinterpreting that either. Surely not.]

Where should we go first? So I can plan out where they should drop us.

[He does--did that all the time with Aoi and Shinsuke, what's there to misinterpret?]

It's too bad you don't have a limo here too.

[He laughs a little, hoping Shindou will understand a joke. He knows it's a joke, right? Right??]

L--Let's go out for lunch first. I'm hungry.

[Tenma, why would you do this to yourself.]

Hm? I don't know if we could get one to come all the way out here soon enough...

[Of course it doesn't even occur to him that Tenma might be joking. For most of his youth, a limo was just the Shindou family car, for crying out loud. And it does suit the whole faux-date thing better, doesn't it?

So he backtracks, presses a few more buttons, and then...]

Oh, it's no problem, actually. They should be out front for us in about fifteen minutes.

Ha--haha.. I was kidding. About the limo... [HE DIDN'T THINK SHINDOU WOULD BE THIS SOCIALLY INEPT]

S--So do you already have a place picked out? I haven't really explored much of the city, so I'm not familiar with any place.

[Hey, don't judge, this is literally his first date! He just wants to make sure it goes off without a hitch -- even if it is just an excuse to spend some quality time with his captain/kouhai.

Shindou only grins when Tenma corrects him, then, and it's not even particularly sheepish.]

Really? It'll be more comfortable than a taxi would have, though.

[And now that it's en route he can give Tenma his arm back, clapping his hands together as he thinks itinerary.]

Not off the top of my head? We can find something before we can into the city, though. That shouldn't be a problem.

It--it'll attract too much attention here! [not that the kind of thing wouldn't attract even more attention in Japan..] I'm used to buses, so a taxi is plenty comfortable... [He wonders if that would be shocking to Shindou now.]

Okay. I'll search for something on Yelp!

I don't think anyone will mind, once we get into the city.

[He shrugs. A limo can't be all that obtrusive in a place that has Spider-Man and who knows how many other superbeings swinging around it on a day-to-day basis, right...?]

A nice coffee shop, maybe? It doesn't have to be anything too elaborate. Somewhere we can get in out of the cold for a while, before we start looking for what else we can do.

[Besides, cafés are totally romantic, right?]

Still... Someone might think we're celebrities!

[His view of the world is still narrow, but at least his logic thinks celebrities are probably more mobbable than super heroes like Spidey. He laughs though, because he can't see himself as either]

That's a good idea. We can even grab some hot chocolate while we decide.

[they're only romantic if you share a drink.]

Edited 2015-03-05 23:12 (UTC)

[That can still be arranged!]

Most people won't assume that just because they see a limousine, Tenma. I mean, I didn't do anything special to get one just now...

[Still, Tenma's insistence is pretty adorable, and he taps at his shoulder before pointing him down a corner in the hallway. They don't really need to hurry, but this way is faster.]

Ah, do you prefer hot chocolate? I really like coffee better, but I'm sure wherever we end up going will have both...

[In fact, he's going to flip out his phone and start Googling the best cafes in the city. Now they are pretty much the prototypical Millennials on a date. Who says mutants are so different?]

[Rich people are terrifying]

E--Eh? You just got one right now?

[He's becoming increasingly nervous, he's not ready to become the 1% ~~even though he technically already is one thanks to his mutation~~]

I like sweets better. Coffee is too bitter for me, even if you put in a lot of milk and sugar.

[He knows that sounds childish, but why make yourself suffer?]

[That just draws an idle, little shrug and a small chuckle.]

I guess it is kind of an acquired taste...oh, here, how about this one?

[They're coming up towards the front entrance of the school, now, heading out towards the long drive-way their ride should be pulling up at in a few spare minutes. Shindou leans close to draw Tenma's attention over to his phone.

Since the midfielder's not big on the coffee side of things, he'll try to win him over with pictures of pastries, instead.]

It's over in the East Village, so we could grab lunch there and check out some of the rest of the neighborhood? Maybe get dinner on the way back..

[He'd be worried by what that chuckle meant if he wasn't so distracted by pastries. His one weakness.]

Those look delicious...! Is that a cream horn? I love those.

[His hair just naturally curls up like one, it's weird]

That sounds like a good idea!

Maybe? They look good, anyway...

[He'd pause to pat himself on the back about his incredibly adept fake-date planning skills at this point, but outside there's a long, black limousine slowly pulling up along the driveway.]

That's probably us, come on.

[He waves Tenma to follow as he buttons his coat and heads out the door, over towards their ride. Leaning in one of the passenger doors, he'll take a moment just to confirm that they're the right passengers with the older guy driving them...who, of course, looks super excited that he came all the way out to Crazy Mutant School just to ferry around two random, Japanese kids instead of, like, Wolverine.]

Thanks for picking us up! We just need to head into the city, if that's alright? Here's the address...

[Tenma just freezes in place at the sight of that black limousine. He. Was. Joking. Looking at how nonchalant Shindou is about this makes him even more nervous. Is Shindou-senpai joking too? He's taking it way too faaaaar]

Shi--Shindou-senpai... This is...

[But he can't bring himself to say it. Shindou is just too pleased, and it's probably more in his comfort zone than a regular taxi would be. Right? Right??]

A--amazing...

[It's too late. Tenma's just going to have to deal with being chauffeured around the whole day like he's some kind of movie starlet.

And, while Shindou looks perhaps just a tiny bit amused by the fluster this provokes, he doesn't seem to think it's much of a big deal once he convinces the driver that they're for real and moves back for the passenger door. Inside, it's all black leather and stretch seating, with dials along the car roof for every little feature of their ride. There's a small television screen set up near the front partition, and even a mini-bar with freshly stocked ice.

They should probably just stick with the bottled water packed in with it, though.]

Come on - [He says, while sliding into a seat.] It's not that short a trip into the city; this will be so much more comfortable than being packed into a taxi.

Edited 2015-03-08 19:39 (UTC)

[Tenma bounces a little on those cushy leather seats, like a child. Or Tom Cruise.]

Or a bus.

[Now that he's IN the limo, it seems like a great idea. Overall, he's quiet as he's looking around the car and out the window. His face is not quite as stuck against the window. Yet.]

Edited 2015-03-09 06:36 (UTC)

Mn. This way we can just spend today relaxing...

[Shindou has no sense of adventure when it comes to navigating public transportation. He'll take kicking back like he is now, nestling back into his seat and fondly watching Tenma, to standing out in the cold at a bus stop any day.

No, literally, it's a good thing he doesn't commute to school or this is how he'd always show up.]

So, we'll get lunch at the café, and we can look around some of the shops... is there anything else you wanted to do while we're out?

[When the question is popped, Tenma stops bouncing, and looks thoughtfully at the ceiling.]

Soccer?

[That was the automatic answer]

I mean, well... I haven't really thought about what people do on dates.

[He has to laugh at that. There's just no helping it, even if he tries to cover it up some by raising a hand over his mouth. Tenma is too predictable in all the best ways.]

We can play some after we get back, if it's not too late! I don't know if we'd be able to find somewhere in the city, like this...

[Also he's really not dressed for it, but like that's going to stop them.]

No, that's fine. It's not like it's that kind of date, anyway.

[That is, the kind of date where it's a date.]

[He pouts a little in chagrin. He was totally serious!]

We might find a place in the park to play. [TOTALLY SERIOUS]

But you paid a lot of money for this! [which was probably pocket change to Shindou but w/e] We have to make it a real date!

[He's laughing because he didn't even have to ask if Tenma was serious!]

We didn't bring a ball or anything with us, though... [One last snicker, okay? And then a fond smile over at his kouhai.]

Mn, like how? I don't know what people do differently for this sort of thing either, you know.

[Had he been in possession of another power, he would have had that covered, but alas.]

Oh, right...

[He racks his brain trying to think. Curse you Kazuya-Nii!]

There has to be a difference between dates and just hanging out...

Sure, but...I think it's more about who you're with than what you're doing, Tenma.

[A sheepish smile there.]

This is fine the way it is, though. We haven't gotten to hang out enough lately.

We really haven't, have we...

[Tenma deflates a little, but perks up again]

But break is coming up soon! We can hang out some more then too.

[And that sparks a rare instance of Shindou perking up, too. By now, they're out of the North Salem suburbs and getting closer to what's more recognizably NYC, and he turns a small grin between the cityscape outside the tinted windows and his friend.]

You're staying over at the school for that week, then?

[He shouldn't sound so unabashedly hopeful about Tenma not going home, but...no classes? Maybe even a reduced training schedule, if any of his teammates decide to cut out over the break? That all sounds so welcome, right now.]

That would be great.

[he nods, feeling Shindou's swell of happiness]

I am. Everyone has their exams that week, so it's not a good time to visit.

[though he's honestly surprised his senpai was staying as well]

Your parents didn't already buy plane tickets?

Oh, they're...coming to visit here, instead. My birthday's not that far from the break, so we decided we'd do that, this year.

[He's maybe been just a little bit paranoid about leaving the school, what with how often people seem to try to kill them all over vacation. That, and with how obvious it is that his family would rather he not be attending still...

He's going to try to sound upbeat about it, though. Visits are good, right...?]

It's easier for everyone that way, really.

Yeah. We can show them around too.

[He's looking rather pleased]

I hope you don't rent a limo again for them.

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two soccer nuts walk into a bar and say ow

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