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[experiencepoints]

[IC contact post for Drift Fleet!]

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[experiencepoints]

A couple. There's a nice cafe and a shitty bar. Which one?

[huaaaaagh]

Is that even a choice?

[One of these things is not like the other.]

The cafe.

[experiencepoints]

I, for one, would not mind getting completely smashed right now, but... Cafe it is.

[the bar is always a choice, just usually a very bad one.

She starts walking, at least, and the cafe is in fact very nice, and very close, because the thread is more convenient that way.]

[huaaaaagh]

[He's kind of wondering why she asked if she had a preference - just being polite maybe? - and if he ought to have let her choose, but ugh, his socializing fails again. All he can do is follow. This is what you get for hanging out with a non-drinker.

...He does feel bad, though-]

Um, if you'd rather go there instead...

[experiencepoints]

No. I'm pretty sure I've done enough stupid shit you're not comfortable with today for one day. Or one lifetime.

[She's not even slowing down.]

[huaaaaagh]

[Ugh, okay, so much for that. It's all he can do to keep up with her. (Should've worn the shoes out of the store.) But once they're settled in he'll have to apologize properly.

For now, following quietly like a kicked puppy.]

[experiencepoints]

[no, kirito, why

She's going to go get a cold sweet tea and find a table to sit at, at least.]

[huaaaaagh]

[he gets guilt complexes too okay

He gets an absurdly fancy latte and follows her to the table, fidgeting uncomfortably.]

Look, um... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.

[experiencepoints]

It's not your fault. I...

[... honestly, she seems more interested in holding onto her tea than drinking it.]

It's sort of a sore spot, I guess. Back home, I was getting pressured to marry. It was pretty bad.

[huaaaaagh]

Oh, man.

[That is a pretty damn legit reason to get suspicious about what he'd said.]

I'm so sorry. What happened...?

[experiencepoints]

[She shrugs.]

My parents decided I was never going to live up to their expectations, so they wanted me to hurry up and have a child so they could try again. I got... set up on a date, once. With a guy, of course.

[She's pretty sure Kirito's aware of just how incredibly homosexual she is, so.]

But I hadn't been told it was a date. I thought it was just one of those upper-class socializing and networking things. So... At the end, when he suddenly kissed me out of nowhere, I was... pretty upset.

[huaaaaagh]

...Ugh... now I get why you were suspicious. That's horrible.

[It wasn't so terrible with Asuna, since they'd at least known one another for a long time and she'd happily reciprocated after the shock wore off, but to kiss a stranger out of the blue? Even he's not that fail at social cues.]

i clicked send, dewindowed for a day, and then found out it didn't send, fuck me

[experiencepoints]

Yeah.

... I'm sorry I got suspicious like that. You can see the parallels there, so... The story just hit close to home, in a bad way, you know?

oh i thought you died or something

[huaaaaagh]

I know. I don't blame you, I'm sure I didn't make it sound great.

[In retrospect, it sounds really shitty, actually. If Asuna were here he'd be apologizing to her, too, even though it was more than a year ago.]

If it makes you feel any better, there's a mechanic in that world that gives anyone the right to send someone immediately to prison for behaviour like that. I'm positive that when I kissed her, a menu popped up asking her if she wanted to send me there. Doing that with someone who doesn't want it earns you a much-deserved punishment.

well, that too

[experiencepoints]

[Okay, that has to get a laugh out of her.]

That kind of ruins the moment, doesn't it? But what I wouldn't give for something like that.

[huaaaaagh]

Puts the fear of god in a man. And it made gentlemen of all the awkward nerds I knew.

[He's glad she smiled, though.]

So did you punch him in the face instead?

[experiencepoints]

... I, um.

I may have panicked.

And pushed him away in the middle of a restaurant in front of everyone else.

And then freaked out really bad and blew a Teleport Stone to get out of there and accidentally left him with the bill.

1/2

[huaaaaagh]

[A part of him is internally screaming at such a horrible waste of a teleport stone, because those things are so expensive oh god]

[huaaaaagh]

[On the other hand-]

That's... amazing. Way to get your point across.

[experiencepoints]

[it's okay, kirito, she had the same reaction once she realized what she did.]

... That... is a very positive way of putting it.

[huaaaaagh]

I do feel a little sorry for the guy, but that was too bold. On the same day he met you... his expectations were way too high. Or maybe it was his ego?

[experiencepoints]

[She sighs and runs her hands through her hair.]

I dunno... When I first got that memory back, Roc saw it before I did. And she thought he had been just as set up as I was.

[huaaaaagh]

Hah... maybe that's true. Did you ever see him again?

[experiencepoints]

I don't think so. I can't imagine when I would have... Right after I got home, I sort of...

... Well, I moved in with Yura and didn't leave for a while.

[huaaaaagh]

Yeah, sounds like there was a serious need to get away. I can't think of anyone who would want to stay in a situation like that.