Ching Tai, 6PM

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

Ranma gets to the restaurant early, a full half an hour early. He stays outside and waits patiently, leaned against the wall. He tries not to think too much but he keeps ruminating on a few things no matter how hard he tries to ignore them. He wasn't going to the screw this up. Forget Jude. He's getting tired of caring so much about other people's feelings. As bad as he felt to be doing something like this to Jude, who was really a nice guy in general. But why did Jude deserve Setsuna anymore than he did? If Setsuna let this happen then it's not really entirely is fault. Jude could only be partly mad at him.

But he also had Chad in the back of his mind. Chad was... really not such a bad guy. But he was in love with Setsuna. That was final.

((ooc: For Setsuna, but open for all chinese food cravings))

Comments

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Setsuna showed up just a little past six-thirty, the time she said she'd be able to make her, her ponytail still a little damp from her post fencing club shower. //"Sorry I'm a bit late, Ranma,"// she said when she saw him outside the restaurant. //"You haven't have to wait for too long, have you?"//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//Naw. I just got here. How was fencing today?//

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

//"Oh, it was amazing. I didn't tell you yesterday that Peter wanted me to do a demonstration for the group, did I? It went very well assumingly."// The pleasantness came entirely from her excitement over having been able to do it; she hadn't even started making herself consciously aware of practising the assignment for spying yet.

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//Awesome. Peter totally picked the right person ta ask.// Cute smile yes it issss.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

//"Heh, thanks,"// Setsuna lowered her head a bit, blushing nervously at the rather unexpected compliment...and the cute smile. Business, Setsuna. This is all just business and Ranma doing something nice because even he sometimes might feel the need to do something like covering dinner for a friend every once in a while. That was all.

//"So? Should we head inside, then, get some food, talk about the situation?"//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//Sure, after you.// He waits for her to go in first.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Setsuna nodded, and moved into the restaurant. Once at their table, she started glancing over the menu, not so much reading the options as she was thinking as she shifted slightly in her chair, remembering the lesson from earlier. Pleasantness and friendly conversation, with a little bit of harmless flirting. She really did have to practise it now, with Ranma, because she knew she wouldn't be able to try it with someone she didn't know very well. With Ranma, if anything was misinterpreted, she knew they could reason (or argue) things back out in the end. Hmmm, think about Hikaru and the ease of his conversation in class. What sort of things did he bring up for idle, friendly banter?

//"So, this'll be interesting,"// she commented lightly with a smile. //"I've heard Chinese food in America is a lot different from what they actually serve back home...I mean, I don't even see cat on the menu."//

Ugh. That was horrible. Setsuna, you know you shouldn't even try to make jokes.

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

Ranma would have laughed, really, if the word "cat" didn't make him shudder a bit violently. //Don't say cat please...// He looks over the menu, fairly embarassed by his fears of cats. Stupid dad...

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Setsuna winced, hiding a bit behind the menu. //"Eep. Sorry. Forgot."//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//'s good that ya did. 's embarassing.// He picks something and folds the menu again, placing it on the table.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Setsuna used the guise of not quite being sure what she wants yet to avoid agreeing, then made her selection. All that taken care of, she waited a moment for some tea to arrive, and poured herself a cup.

//"So,"// she leaned one arm on the table, a movement to show she meant business, because this was business, so not a date, and she took an idle sip. "//You mentioned that Yue called you this weekend? What did she have to say?"//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//She found out the pressure point s'called "Full Body Cat's Tounge." Another reason fer me ta hate cats. She also said she fould on the cure. 's'somethin' called a Phoenix Pill... It makes your body resistant to heat.// He pours himself tea too and orders his meal when the waiter arrives.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Setsuna nodded. //"Yes, that's quite the same as what she told me in her email, only her method of saying it was much more...elaborate...And she also mentioned, I take it, that the Library Exploration Club will be looking into where to find it? I plan to also see if Yuuko might know anything."//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//Chad said he'd ask his friend too.// Ranma stupidly lets slip his name without thinking. Don't mention homecoming Setsuna...

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

"Mmm." Setsuna nodded as she took a long sip of her tea. //"That's good. Three potential places for finding one. That increases our odds significantly."//

She carefully settled the teacup back on its saucer, turned the handle slightly. She was retraining herself from asking about what happened at homecoming. Her curiousity was killing her, but it certainly didn't fall into the category of pleasant conversation that she was working on.

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//Yeah. I hope we find one... 'm really tired of this. People act so different to me.// Especially Chad... He... wouldn't have kissed him if he was a boy at the time right...?

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Her head tilted over her teacup. //"Do they? Do I act differently?"//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//Yes. Don't ya know when you're doin' it?// He's a bit hurt thinking about it. He tries not to show it. But he does.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeep. She hadn't meant to make Ranma upset. Ugh, this was just another case of how badly she handled people.

//"I try not to act differently, Ranma, I really do,"// she gushed, shaking her head a bit and leaning over the table sincerely. //"I...I'm sorry if I don't do a very good job of it..."//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//S'okay... I jus' really want ta change back soon...// If she sees me as a boy this will probably work better...

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Setsuna nodded firmly. //"And you will. Soon. With so many people working on it, how could we not find something, you know?"//

But there was a worried frown on her face as she looked across the table at him. She'd better alter the conversation a little.

//"In the meantime, have you been working at all on your tolerance to heat? You know, just in case...?"//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//It jus' ain't possible... It hurts like... a pain I never felt before.//

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

A poet Ranma was not. Setsuna's frown deepened. //"That bad?"//

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

//'ve gotten more broken bones and black eyes than I can count. And this is worse...!//

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Okay, that was a very, very good point. Ranma could take a hit.

//"We'll find one, don't worry. I mean, you said even Chad was going to help? How is that going to work?"//