shiningboxofjustice | Valentine's Day CMO

[ Shinobi don't typically take part in civilian affairs. Rather, they aren't supposed to, but when you're young, you might as well live! That's what Shiki insisted to Yumi earlier in the week approaching Valentine's Day. While the leader of Gessen's shinobi didn't think much of the holiday, she would be remiss not to indulge at least a little.

That said, she's most certainly not pleased Shiki decided to set her and her teammates up on different blind dates. She's out on her own near the restaurant, but old habits die hard. She's on alert the entire time even though it should just be normal people milling around out here today. She doesn't appear to mind the colder weather much either. The temperature wouldn't bother someone of her elemental leaning to begin with, but she still thought it prudent to bundle up for the occasion. A little snow doesn't hurt anyone, but, as she knows well, a lot can be trouble.

Well, at least the mild snowy weather is good for keeping the box of chocolates she has cold! They're totally chocolate shurikens. Maybe they're not sharp enough to actually do anything, but...well, maybe they are! Who knows. They're another thing Shiki insisted on, as candy sharing is a staple of the holiday, date or not. ]

[Athrun, on the other hand, had signed up for a blind date voluntarily -- though with significant apprehension. He may not be instantly recognizable, but he was still a war hero, and he tried to exercise caution.

However, being married to the job like he had become was quite unhealthy. Neither his mind nor his body was designed to work every waking hour, nor to engage in the latest happenings in politics. In addition, Valentine's Day was the anniversary of his mother's death, so he needed some way to keep his mind occupied. Therefore, he acted.

Athrun also keeps an eye out for any suspicious activity as he nears the restaurant. He's a soldier; it's second nature to him at this point. He's coming seemingly empty-handed, though his hands are tucked into his coat pockets. The cold weather is more uncomfortable for him, particularly since he has spent the last few years living in an island nation in the tropics. Thus, he's eager to get into the restaurant.

He catches sight of Yumi quickly, though. Is that his date? Only one way to find out.]

Excuse me. Would you happen to be Yumi?

[ There's a moment where her whole posture stiffens at the approach of another, but she does relax herself when he asks. Looking at him, she's not sure what she was expecting, but she still looks relieved. It's always an anxious affair to wait and see just who it is you're going to meet.

Yumi's response is delayed for a second as she appraises him. He carries himself differently than a civilian would, and while that would normally be a red flag, she can tell he's not too different from herself in that he's not really looking for trouble. Quite the opposite, she's sure. She's not sure if he's actually seen battle or is a strategist or anything similar, but the air he gives off is definitely indicative of someone used to tense situations. And, naturally, he isn't hard on the eyes either. She won't say so out loud, as that would just be unladylike, but she does have to praise Shiki for picking out someone attractive! That is, if it turns out she had a hand in picking out the dates at all and didn't just throw names into her comically oversized hat. ]

That's right. You must be Athrun.

[Athrun sizes up Yumi at the same time that she does him. She seems relatively unassuming, and unaware of who he is. He prefers it that way, to be honest; it makes life less complicated. He also notices that she is rather attractive herself. That was one worry crossed off his list; he can now feel more at ease that he knows he's on a date with a cute girl.]

I am. It's nice to meet you.

[He puts on a (rather shaky) smile and bows his head toward her, then straightens back up and places a hand on the door handle.]

Shall we go inside?

[Should she assent, he'll open the door for her and let her enter first.]

[ While the weather hasn't improved much at all, the air definitely seems warmer and more at ease. It's plenty to put her in a better mood. An attractive young man with good manners; things certainly look a lot brighter! ]

Oh, of course. Thank you. [ She gives a polite nod of her own before stepping inside out of the cold. The flood of warmth of the inside foyer of the restaurant has her shuddering out of instinct, and she glances around for the host or hostess. ] I believe this event was prepaid? That's what I was told, at least.

[Athrun follows Yumi in and lets the door swing shut behind them.]

Yes, I was told the same thing.

[He also looks around; fortunately, a host comes by and he gives his name. The host then takes them to a table for two, and hands each of them a menu.]

[ Yumi takes her seat after shrugging off her outer jacket. It's a simple white dress without sleeves, matching the hat she slips off as well. ]

I feel I must apologize in advance if my conversation is lacking. It's not often I get to come to a place like this with company. [ Taking her seat, she alternates her glances between the menu and him in turn. ] Or, company that isn't just my teammates.

[Athrun was going to say that it was all right. That he's not the best conversationalist in the world, either. But there was one thing that caught his attention in what Yumi said:]

Teammates?

[For now, the menu remains forgotten.]

[ For a second, she freezes, and only her well practiced composure keeps her from sweating bullets. She'll just have to play it off like a misunderstanding. That should be fine, right? ]

A-Ah, yes! The girls I work with! [ She smiles, hoping it doesn't look too awkward. She even laughs a little to try and sell it. ] Well, it's work, but sometimes it seems like a couple of them don't take it seriously.

Oh, OK.

[The girls she works with? That could mean she only spends time with the girls, or that there are no men working there. Curious.]

What kind of work do you do?

[ And thus, she hits a block. It's not exactly safe, for him, her, or Gessen Academy itself, really, if she just goes and blurts out what she actually does. Granted, the shinobi she tends to find herself at odds with aren't super clandestine themselves. She knows Asuka and company won't drag innocent people into shinobi business, but there's really not telling what Miyabi and her ilk will do. And that's not even mentioning Homura at all.

Ultimately she decides to go with a half truth. ]

Security, peacekeeping, things like that. We're privately contracted to maintain order.

[Athrun raises his eyebrows at that. That was most definitely not an answer he had been expecting from a girl like Yumi. Once again he's reminded that appearances really can be deceiving.]

Really? It sounds like we're in similar fields. I'm a soldier, myself -- specifically a combat pilot.

[Of course, that's not mentioning that his vehicle is a 20-meter tall mech, rather than some kind of aircraft.]

[ With the focus off of herself, Yumi's posture relaxes even more, enough so that she can smile a bit more. She hadn't thought him the type to be a pilot, but she's impressed nonetheless. ]

A pilot? That sounds exciting! I've never really been on a plane before, but I've heard the planet looks stunning from the inside of one.

[Athrun raises his eyebrows just a bit. He's kind of surprised to see the change in demeanor, but he doesn't mind.]

Actually, it's not aircraft I pilot. It's mobile suits. Giant humanoid vehicles that partake in combat.

[This wasn't home, so there was still a chance that Yumi wasn't familiar with the term. He figures she might be at least familiar with the concept, though, since mecha has been its own sub-genre of science fiction for decades.]

[ Never before has she been so disappointed then fascinated in such quick succession. Sure, planes are exciting, but those mobile suits sound just as exciting, if not more so! She hasn't actually seen one in person, but every so often it'll come up in the news and she'll see a picture of one taken from a distance. ]

Oh, really? So, you've been to space?

[Athrun nods.]

I was born in space, in fact. My parents were residents of the colonies.

[That's not something someone on Earth gets to hear about often, most likely. Not with the tension that had existed between Earth and the colonies from the past few years.]

[ It's a little hard to wrap her brain around being born in space and living in space. She's heard of the colonies, very few people haven't, but actually meeting someone from there is about the only real exposure to their goings-on. ]

The colonies are different than here, right? What's it like there?

On the surface, they're not much different from living on Earth. They harbor self-contained environments and emulate living planetside as much as possible.

However, there are differences. If you live in a colony, you need to know where the nearest emergency shelters are. The spaceport is a large part of everyday life. And last but not least, the colony has to be treated with the utmost care in order to keep all of the inhabitants safe.

But a lot of the randomness of nature here is nonexistent. Bodies of water are much safer and weather is predetermined.

[Like everything else, living in a colony has its advantages and disadvantages compared to living on Earth. Athrun figures neither is inherently better, and that it comes down to a matter of personal preference.]

[ The way he speaks, she likens living in a colony to living in a port town. She supposes it makes sense, as she's heard people compare the vast and unforgiving domain of space to how people of the past thought of the wide open ocean. ]

It does sound nice, especially with fresh water on-hand so readily. That can be a problem here too often. And programmed weather sounds incredibly convenient! [ She laughs a bit. ] But, do they still let people enjoy a capricious summer rain? Or a snow day?

[Athrun nods.]

They do. Everything is scheduled ahead of time, but rain and snow are a part of normal life inside a colony. Some people do prefer the spontaneity of weather on Earth, though.

[He doesn't particularly mind either way. Perhaps that's why he's able to give such an unbiased account while living on Earth.]

It's a lifestyle I've spent most of my life living in, but I've grown used to life on Earth quite quickly.

[ Though it sounds like the colonies are capable of the same things as on Earth, to a degree, Yumi still feels a touch disappointed about there being someone behind the rain or snow. It can be more fun when the weather is unpredictable, but, she concedes the fact that it's a lot more convenient when it isn't. A world with fewer earthquakes and typhoons would be great, in her mind. ]

What made you decide to come to the planet?

[Athrun frowns as he ponders his response.]

During the wars, I learned that the leaders of the colonial military had some goals that were...unjustifiably awful. With that knowledge, I could no longer fight for them. So, I defected to a third party.

[It's at this point that the waiter comes and takes their orders.]

[ Yumi nods slowly, but while the gesture seems like a typical "I'm still listening" type, she's finding herself agreeing with his reasoning. To fight for a cause and to find it unjust? She can only imagine her own reaction and it would be much the same, she's sure. ]

The natural choice. I'd have made the same decision.

[ She doesn't order a lot, a light meal of fish with a salad, but she can't deny there's a bit of disappointment to her frown when the dessert section yields nothing close to her favorites. It's a shame, but she knows plenty of places that serve azuki flavoring on ice cream. ]

[That gets Athrun to smile. It's not often he hears that as a response.]

I'm glad that you agree. It's not a topic I bring up much, as I'm sure you understand. I have no regrets about what I did, but a little affirmation every now and then goes a long way.

[ She nods in sympathy. When your choices are called into question by others, it's not uncommon to start doubting those choices yourself. ]

Regrets can only hold you back. The important thing is being able to walk forward knowing the path set before you now is the true path of justice.

Valentine's Day CMO

Athrun

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