paixaorpg | We Need to Talk

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We Need to Talk

Character(s): Osaka, Zidane, and Iroh
Content: Osaka and Zidane go on their third/second/last date.
Setting: The Golden Turtle [L5-6]
Time: Week 28, lunchtime
Warnings: Zidane already has a girlfriend.

Osaka arrived at the tea shop a little late, but none the worse for the wear. She still didn't have any clothes to wear except the ones she'd arrived in, but she'd washed those up a little while ago and they looked nice at least. Maybe she was a little underdressed for a tea shop, but it'd be all right, probably. Anyway, she didn't have a yukata or anything, and even if she did, she never did get the hang of doing those up...

Upon finding the place, she walked on in, looking around for either Zidane or the proprietor, whom she'd unofficially dubbed "Master." It seemed like an appropriate title for him. He was the master of the place, after all, and super wise, too, so that made it, like, twice as appropriate, right?

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Iroh had been in the back, sleeping off a few cups of a chamomile oolong blend he had made earlier in the day. He felt fairly secure in the shop's safety if only because of the Mayor's strict hold on everything including the dress code. It was a long deserved sleep. Fortunately, he woke himself with the sounds of his own snoring just before Osaka had come into the shop. The bell over the door prompted him to quicken his awakening routine and attend to the newest customer.

The rotund proprietor came around the corner of the back office and saw Osaka standing in the threshold of the shop. "Miss Osaka, is it?" he said, still rubbing his eyes a bit.

Osaka wasn't the only one that was late; Zidane spent some extra time getting to the place working out what he was going to say to the poor girl. But she'd take it alright, wouldn't she? She did kind of seem like the sort not to hold a grudge...

Still. He felt like he was in so much trouble.

Hopefully this "Master" guy wouldn't make things worse for him.

So, here's Zidane showing up, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly and gesturing with a half wave. "Hey."

Osaka waved to Iroh, smiling sweetly. "Hi, Master!" she said. "Hey, is Zidane here yet?"

... Of course, just then, someone else walked in. Osaka turned to look, and lo and behold, there he was! "Oh! That answers that question. Never mind," she added, to Iroh. Then, to Zidane, "How's it goin'?"

Iroh smiled as he rubbed his forehead and aptly reminded Osaka, "You do not need to call me a Master. With the reputation of the other Masters, I would prefer staying out a possible misunderstanding."

The other half of the young couple finally arrived and Iroh was pleased to see Osaka elated by her boyfriend's appearance. He was always a fan of young love, especially when it came to finding squeezes for his nephew Zuko. Somehow, though, he could not quite see Osaka and Zuko making a good couple. It would likely end in hurt feelings or Zuko going into exile again.

He came around the counter and greeted them both with a bow. "I assume you are Zidane?" he asked politely.

Well, this could possibly end up in hurt feelings, too. Although from what he's gathered from Osaka's personality, he thinks that she'll just get over it quickly. Kind of like when they first met. Whoops. He knew that was going to come back to bite him...

"Yep. That's me, Zidane Tribal." He gives the old man a small wave and Osaka a smile. "I'm... you know." He makes an awkward gesture that tells absolutely nothing about how he is, and turns his focus to Iroh. "Tea shop, huh? Nice to have some new around Paixao. There was once this ramen shop... owners vanished though."

Zidane didn't know much about tea. He turns to Osaka. "So uh, a table and some tea, yeah?"

Osaka nodded eagerly, if not energetically. "Yeah! Tea," she exclaimed, following him to whatever table he got. Ramen sounded good, though. Actually, she could go for some ramen. She didn't even know they had it. Most of the places 'round here were more into Western food. They were lucky that Maste- ... wait, no, he said not to call him that. What was his real name? General something, right?

Iroh listened to Zidane and then scratched at his beard when pondering what Zidane mentioned. "A ramen shop as well? I would enjoy a hearty bowl of noodles at this moment. Perhaps I will need to feed my customers as well!" he thought, imagining himself flinging noodles while teapots screeched at him and boiled over. "Then again, I will leave the ramen to the masters so they can leave the tea to me."

Iroh held his hand open to the young couple and smiled. "You can pick any table in the shop, and I will be right back with a special brew I picked for you."

Iroh was gone. This was his chance! To get this over with without someone listening in!

Zidane could feel himself sweating all the way to finding his table, awkwardly lowering himself into a chair. She was a sweet girl, and either way someone was going to kill him no matter what he did - whether it be Wolf or Dagger.

He would rather get mutilated by Wolf. Better to lose a friend than the love of his life, right? Jeez, he couldn't help who he was. These things just happened to him.

Dammit.

"Hey, so, Osaka - if that ramen shop is still open, how about we go sometime? As... friends." ...That was a good start, right?

Who was he kidding, this was Osaka.

Yeah, no, the subtlety was totally lost on her. "Sure, that'd be fun," she replied, smiling brightly. "I dunno what kind I'd get. Shio... shoyu... oh! Hey, d'you think they have dessert ramen? I heard about that once. Sounds weird, huh?"

Iroh hummed quietly to himself in the back while he allowed the lovebirds to have the privacy they deserved. He thought they made a good enough couple: a monkey boy and a space cadet. He was going to say Zidane reminded him of his nephew Zuko, but he had been hoping to break that habit sooner than later.

Of course. Subtlety fails. Well, it was a tiny hope.

He smacks a hand over his face and sighs, leaning against the tabletop.

"Osaka, I'm really sorry about all this, but I can't be your boyfriend. You met Dagger? She's from my world, and I'm kinda with her already." Okay, not "kinda" but if he can still manage to be a little gentle on her with the bluntness, he'll try.

There was a long silence. Osaka stared at him for the duration, uncomprehending, as if her brain needed to process each word of the revelation individually. Which... really wasn't too far from the truth.

Not her boyfriend? Dagger? She remembered Dagger, sort of. She'd said they were friends, right? But now, they were boyfriend girlfriend friends, not just regular friends... Had Zidane actually been cheating on his girlfriend? Did it count as cheating if your girlfriend was in another world or wherever?

But the real problem occurred to her at last, and her heretofore blank expression gave way to a frown of real dismay.

"Oh....."

There was no getting around it. Her eyes drifted sideways...

"...... Does that mean I hafta cut my hair...?"

Cricket.

Zidane blinks at her.

Her... hair?

Yeah, he's not following your train of thought, Osaka.

"Why... would you have to cut your hair?"

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We Need to Talk

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GAAAH DAMN YOU NOTIFS :(

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