Private If you build it...

[Jin]

The Izekaya was only slightly cooler inside than the humid Okinawan countryside. He could smell the salty sea breeze from his seat as the fans whipped air around the smattering of patrons, and he sagged in the seat he'd chosen. The proprietress hurried over when he polished off his glass of Shochu. He smiled faintly up at the woman before she faded back into obscurity. He didn't know anyone here, and across the surface of the island, there were all of a handful of people he did. The only one of them he was truly familiar with was among the last people he'd reach out to right now.

That didn't make the situation any less tense. They barely spoke English, and the broken words they did manage were just enough to keep his glass full and his wallet rapidly diminishing. He let out a sigh and glanced toward one of the Okinawans seated adjacent. "I knew this was a bad idea," he muttered. The man turned to look at him with obvious lack of understanding in his gaze, but still offered a congenial smile and a nod.

Theo exhaled sharply. "Lets all go to Japan to meet this guy's girlfriend who he's been dating for like a month," he said sarcastically. "Great plan. Nothing can possibly go wrong, right?" He looked into the drink, which had a flavor that was far and away superior to the American swill people managed to guzzle back home. "That guy is a force of nature," he said, recalling Olivier, "and that girl ain't cut out for a storm like that. When something like that blows through a place like this, everyone takes cover and ties everything down to ride it out. It can't last."

He shook his head.

"Not that I'm an expert on romance," he said. The man looked at him again, smiled, and lifted his glass. Theo returned the gesture. "Nah, I'm dead weight when it comes to that stuff," he admitted. It wasn't like the guy could understand him. "But even I can tell when something is awkward and someone's fight or flight response gets triggered," his voice became lower as he recalled the response Nao had when they arrived on her doorstep.

"I wonder how that's going to turn out..."

@Toko @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

[ TOKO ]

When you're done, if you need to unwind, drinks are on me​

​

The man sent his troubled friend his location before pushing open the door to the little bar. The dimly lit building would've made Ari strain his eyes if he had bothered to focus his eyes in the slightest. The vague shapes of chairs and people were all that the man needed to navigate the tightly constructed interior. The man hardly brushed against another as he made his way towards the counter, tapping the wood as he found a seat.

"Not that I'm an expert on romance," a familiar voice beside Ari said, drawing his curious gaze. "Nah, I'm dead weight when it comes to that stuff."

Well, it was good to see that the man was at least aware. "That's a bit of an understatement," Ari said to the man, before raising two fingers. "Ni biru." And that was about the extent of the Japanese that Ari knew.

Aristotle's head hung low as it swiveled towards the other man. With no reason to hide his typical 'resting bitch face', the man's blank, 'fuck off before I stab you vibe' was out in full force. "Dead weight at least serves as an anchor. You're just batshit insane."

The bartender slid two coasters towards the men before putting the two beers down in front of the men. "Everyone liked your cooking, by the way," Ari informed Theo before picking up his beer and taking a sip. "You lookin' for your out already? Or ya planning on stickin' around a while?"

@Jin | @Toko

 

[Toko]

[ Yu-chan (Ari) ]

When you're done, if you need to unwind, drinks are on me

... I'll be there in a bit.​

​

A sigh escaped her lips after the message was sent, the woman currently not interesting in returning to her home after the way her night had unfolded. The conversation had been a heavy one to have, especially so shortly after what had technically been their first monthversary (at least that's what Olivier had called it), but one that Nao felt she couldn't push back any further.

The location Ari had sent her was not too far from where she currently was and, after some careful consideration, the woman decided it was a better option than the desolate park bench she was currently hanging out at. If anything she knew Yugam wouldn't press too much on the matter, and she had always enjoyed the hemomancer's company—both in-game as well as out of it.

It took about fifteen minutes before the woman made it to the izakaya in question, carefully calling out a greeting as she passed through the entrance of the place. From the bar and kitchen area the staff answered back, a scripted response of the same ol' song and dance, before her brown eyes fell on a familiar figure not too far on the bar.

"Hey Ari—oh! Jin's here too."

A greeting had been given to the young dark-haired man that Nao recognized, before she had finally noticed the figure sitting at the other side of Aristoteles once she'd come closer to the pair. A faint wave was given in his direction (taking a hot second to remember his real name first) before she took the empty seat on the opposite of Ari.

"Nice to see you again... Theo, right?" A lot had happened in a very short amount of time, she could only hope that the name Nao remembered was indeed the correct one for the other man. "Thank you for the food you prepared the other day, it was really delicious."

@Jin | @Yugam

 

[Jin]

"Pff." He scornfully blew off the words Ari uttered with a dismissive wave. "Crazy people continue to do things even when they've learned their lesson," he countered. "I find that type of dedication tedious and wasteful. I have better things to waste my energy on."

Ari then mentioned that everyone liked what he'd cooked, and Theo managed to not look him in the eye or give any kind of response at all, other than a non-committal grunt. He wasn't used to people being appreciative, except for perhaps his mother. Most other people expected things from him. He got tired of people being fruitlessly and falsely kind as they sought his help.

Theo had learned to prefer directness and frank talk to pleasantries. At least they weren't lying to him when they told him exactly what they wanted. Those people were easy to read.

It was the ones who pretended to be genuine while holding knives behind their backs that he disliked.

Then, Nao entered and mentioned- "Oh, Jin's here too,"

"You can call me Jin, if that's easier," he told her. "That's how we met, after all, this misbegotten trip notwithstanding, that's all I'd ever have been to you." He spoke a bit too earnestly, then hesitated for a moment. "Not that Okinawa isn't beautiful, or that it's not cool to actually meet someone and all that. On the contrary, I'm thankful for the experience..."

His voice trailed off for a moment. She too thanked him for the food, and he supposed he would indulge her just a bit. This was her world, not his. Their cultures were different. "Not at all," he said, "I appreciate your hospitality, especially on such short notice. It was the least I could do. I apologize for the intrusion, and hope it hasn't put you out too severely."

When the second beer that Ari had ordered came, Theo gladly took it and gulped down a healthy portion.

"Honestly, people get a little too excited and forget that there's a fine line between what's real and what isn't," he muttered. "I appreciate that line," he added. "I want it to stay intact. I want to keep my real life out of my experience... there."

He glanced up at Nao.

"I don't mean any offense by it."

@Toko @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"Crazy people continue to do things even when they've learned their lesson..." Theo countered, giving Ari a short dismissive gesture. The man cocked his head to the side for a moment as he picked up his beer. "Can't really argue with you there," the man admitted before taking a short swig, just before he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

[ TOKO ]

When you're done, if you need to unwind, drinks are on me​

... I'll be there in a bit.

​

The man stowed his phone back away in his pocket before mentioning how the other's had liked Theo's food. Nao had entered the bar only a few moments later, surprising the man with her swiftness. He hadn't expected her to be so quick. But then again, she did play a bunny girl in-game, so maybe swiftness was just an inherent trait of hers.

"Hey, Nao," the man greeted the woman as she came over to the pair of men, before taking a seat beside himself. "What's your poison?" the man asked as he lifted a hand to draw the bartender's attention.

The other two greeted each other, remembering each other's real names. "That's how we met, after all, this misbegotten trip notwithstanding, that's all I'd ever have been to you," Theo said. Ari didn't really want to admit it, but Theo was right. The trip certainly hadn't gone to plan. Especially not with how Brutus, or rather Olivier and Nao had interacted. Ari hadn't quite expected them to be dating for one, nor for the culture clash to become so apparent between the two. Funny, given that Ari was usually the one who screamed 'American'.

Ari had almost kicked Theo though, when he'd mentioned 'appreciating the fine line' as he'd put it. It would do the man no good to imply that he did not want anyone he knew in game to be involved in his real life, a rude assertion. Thankfully the man apologized in his own way before any infliction of pain was necessary.

"So how'd it go?" Ari asked the woman once she'd been given her drink, figuring she'd say as much or as little as she was comfortable with sharing.

@Jin | @Toko

 

[Toko]

"Hey, Nao. What's your poison?"
"I'll start easy... one Asahi kudasai."

The request was soon completed as a cold and frosty super dry bottle was uncapped and placed before the woman, a thankful nod given tot he bartender in question before Nao turned to Theo as he spoke. "You can call me Jin, if that's easier." She was thankful for his concession, though the woman merely shook her head softly in return—after all it wouldn't be prudent to use the usernames of an illegal game in a public setting.

"Ah iie, please, don't worry about that," Truth be told she had enjoyed the company of the little group, even if Nao had been startled upon first finding them all in her doorstep almost two weeks ago now. "I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed your time here, and I hope Japan has been everything you guys hoped it would be or more."

Her hand reached for her beer then, clinking the top of the battle with Ari's own before softly raising it in the direction of Theo as the man was already taking a healthy swig of his own. She brought the opening to her lips, taking a few small sips as she listened to Theo's next words. A nod of understanding was given then, the smile on her lips a clear indicator that she hadn't misconstrued his words.

"Of course, Theo-san, I'll do my best to not tiptoe that line on accident... though if I ever do I'll appreciate if you'd let me know."

She could understand the man's desire to keep his personal life unrelated as much as possible from the in-game persona he was in TerraSphere, after all Nao herself wasn't exactly the same inside the world of TS as she was in the real world. "So how'd it go?" Ari's words caught her attention next, a soft sigh escaping Nao before she decided to take another swig from her beer... the alcohol welcomed given the night's events.

"It went well... hopefully." The conversation had been relatively short and brief, and while the woman had mentally prepared herself for a struggle it hadn't quite panned out the way she had imagined it would've. "Or, well, at least I think it did."

Breaking up with someone was never easy after all, and given Nao's non-existent experience with the matter before tonight the woman could only hope she had done things right and properly.

@Jin | @Yugam

 

[Jin]

At first, he thought It was strange for Ari to not want to argue- then it hit him, it wasn't. Between Ari and their other friends from Philadelphia, this was the man least likely to make a fuss about anything. Other than dragging him across the entire globe, there was very little dissension between the two of them. It struck Theo that there were far worse people he could be on this trip with.

Nao quickly assured him that she was fine with their arrival and the conditions of their stay, and he held up a hand. "I can assure you, we'll make sure not to overstay our welcome, and I'll personally see to it that you don't have to put anyone up," he lowered his voice, "especially not anyone you'd be uncomfortable with being in your house with after congenial hours, given the circumstances."

It wasn't that Theo didn't trust the other two, but he certainly wasn't going to leave Nao to fend for herself against the ravenous and lusty wiles of a spurned... lover? No, that was too strong of a word. "Boyfriend," he supposed, would do.

Which constituted more of a chore than he wanted to be responsible for, but c'est la vie.

"I don't even need to see him to tell you how bad it went," Theo spoke without turning his gaze back to the other two. He was nursing his drink thoughtfully. "The guy got in deep. Too deep. Way over his head. The line got blurred."

He knew exactly how that felt. Theo had let his imagination run away with him over a girl at work. And that line got blurry, until he saw her with their other coworker. And they were dating. Fantasy quickly died and reality set in, and now, he didn't bother with anything love related.

"Some people fall in love. Some people want to be left alone." Theo shrugged. "And some of us realize there are more important things in life than the birds and the bees."

He knocked back his drink with minimal effort.

"People who play games like that have more to worry about than getting their dicks wet," he said, raising a glass to Nao. "Pardon the expression. I may have pre-gamed a bit harder than intended. Wasn't expecting you guys to join me."

@Toko @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"It's been nice," the man replied to Nao, clinking bottle with her and tempering his response slightly. It'd been a blast so far actually. The man had always wanted to visit the country, but given the atmosphere of the room at the moment, it felt like his due diligence to keep himself muted. Well, more muted than he typically was. "It was definitely nice to get to meet you in person," the man added, casting a smile in Nao's direction. That part at least could be entirely genuine, with no need for restraint.

"Mm, well, who knows. With any luck, you two might be able to stay friends," Ari commented before taking a swig of his beer, the lightly bitter taste washing over his tongue. He'd have been lying if he said it was pleasant. Beer wasn't exactly his favorite drink, but it was cheap, and had just enough alcohol to make his shoulders feel a bit lighter on occasion. "If you want to, I mean," the man amended as he set the bottle back down on the table.

Theo then offered to take care of ensuring Olivier wouldn't have to stay with Nao if she wasn't up for it, earning himself a skeptical look from his friend. "With what money?" Ari said. Truth be told, Theo probably could afford to pay for an extra room for the last few nights of their trip, but the fact was that Ari felt a little bit responsible for how much of a disaster things had been. It had been his idea, after all. "I'll take care of it," Ari said with a sense of finality. "If you wanna talk him into it, be my guest though. You're a bit better with that kinda stuff." A shocking notion, given that Theo wasn't much of a people person, but the man could handle people far better than Ari could. Ari tended to be reactive, Theo, proactive, a trait that would likely help in this case.

Ari let Theo go on about his thoughts, having little to add to the topic himself. The man knew what category he fell into from those Theo had listed, though there was no reason to voice that knowledge at the moment. The only shocking thing about what Theo had said was that he was feeling the alcohol. Then again, Ari had never seen the other man really drink, so what did he know.

@Toko | @Jin

 

[Toko]

Theo's offer to ensure Olivier wouldn't have to stay in her home had been unexpected, but one that touched the woman nonetheless. Ari had piped up soon after, bringing up a valid point, before accentuating that he'd take care of the financial aspect of the situation with a finality that Nao knew would leave no room for arguments.

"Hontoohni arigatooh, I greatly appreciate it," She had set her beer down before turning to properly look at the both of them, a soft smile on her lips. Between the two of them Nao felt reassured that the situation would be handled appropriately, and she couldn’t help giving a small bow in return. "Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause… however I’m still glad we had the opportunity to meet in person too."

That part was entirely truthful, never had the woman thought she would've thought the chance to physically meet people she’d grown close to inside TerraSphere would’ve been possible—much less be able to show them the favorite sights in her hometown. Even if certain things hadn't worked out the way some had hoped, Nao knew she did not regret the past week and some change of time that she had spent with them all. A hand reached back for her bottle, taking another few sips of the contents while she listened to Theo's words.

"That's one way to summarize it, I suppose," A small and dry chuckle had escaped Nao, surprised at the insight Theo seemed to possess of the situation. "But that’s enough mood killers for a night, mmm?"

After all, the chance to hang out together in an izakaya wasn’t one that would present itself often in the future, no need to continue dragging the mood down with her personal issues. "Tell me, what has each of you enjoyed the most out of Japan so far?" Given their different backgrounds and cultures Nao couldn’t help but be curious and learn how the world she’d grown up in and known all her life looked from their eyes.

@Jin | @Yugam