shiningboxofjustice | Valentine's Day CMO

[ 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.

[He nods.]

Anyway...sorry for bringing the mood down.

[Athrun offers an apologetic smile.]

[ She waves her hand a little, thinking the apology unnecessary. ]

Not at all. Listening to others is important, and you can get a lot of things off your chest by talking about them.

Thank you. You're very kind.

[Athrun smiles warmly. He's beginning to think that this was a good idea, this whole thing.]

So, what kinds of things do you like to do in your free time?

[He needs ideas for a second date.]

[ Yumi's at a loss for words, face burning, and she scrambles for what to say other than a "thank you" to mirror his. She's grateful for the switch in topic, lest her words continue to fail her. ]

Oh, well, I'm quite fond of calligraphy. It requires a lot of focus and care, but it can be tremendously relaxing.

[Athrun is quick to notice the color in Yumi's face. It only serves to endear her to him all the more, and it's hard for him to keep a smile off his face -- or it would be if he were trying to do that.]

Really? I have to admit, I know next to nothing about calligraphy. I've never been very good at the arts. So far the only exception I've been able to find is the piano, and even then I practiced at it.

[Athrun had a strong motivation to practice it, though -- it was his way of memorializing a close friend who had died in the war.]

But the piano is a beautiful instrument to learn! There are a lot of feelings you can convey through a melody, all without words too. [ Her eyes light up a bit more as she speaks. ] Calligraphy is the opposite in how it gets across the artist's feelings. The point of it is to find a balance between strict order and freely flowing thought. With the brush, you must make each stroke perfect or beautiful in some way and create visual poetry with the word that springs to mind, but you have to do so naturally. Letting each stroke of every word pour from your soul to the brush to the page.

[Athrun simply sits and listens to Yumi talk about calligraphy. The sight of her talking passionately about something she loves is a very endearing one, and Athrun can't help but smile as he listens.]

I can really sense your passion for it from the way you talk about it. Going by that, it really must be something to behold. I hope I can see some someday.

[Though he might not properly grasp it without a little help.]

[ Try as she might, she can't hold back a swelling of her pride. It's not often she gets to talk about her interests like this. Or rather, the normal ones. ]

I'd like that as well. I'm certain you could create a beautiful display of visual poetry. You have that air about you.

Ah, I don't know about that.

[Athrun is pleased to get such a compliment, but at the same time he has a sheepish look on his face. Not in a bad way, just surprised and a tad embarrassed.]

My mind is more inclined to the likes of research and mathematics than it is to art. But we'll see.

[But there's no harm in trying, right?]

[ She shakes her head slowly, but with the smile still bright on her lips, it's far from one made at his expense. ]

Nonsense. [ She waves her hand a little to further dispel such a notion. ] Math and art can go hand-in-hand if you study in both. Leonardo da Vinci created stunning works of art with mathematical precision, for instance. If anything, I'd say being excellent in mathematics or scientific fields would mean you could create something truly beautiful.

That's true. I hadn't thought of it that way.

I don't know if I can compare to da Vinci, though.

[He's being humble. He's a Coordinator; if he's not as brilliant as da Vinci was, he's at least nearly as intelligent.]

Well, maybe at this level of artistic ability, you can't, but who knows what you might be capable of if you kept at it. [ Believe in her who believes in you, Athrun. ] I don't profess to want the esteem and skill of Wang Xizhi, but perhaps I enjoy calligraphy as much as he did. That's enough for me.

Yeah, I think I see where you're going with this. It makes sense.

[Athrun figures that what Yumi is getting at is gradual improvement over time simply from working at something. Do something enough, and one will inevitably improve -- it's just the speed at which improvement comes that differs for people.

In addition, this is when their food arrives. Athrun places his napkin on his lap and prepares to dig in, though he waits for Yumi to begin eating first.]

Good timing. I don't know about you, but I'm very hungry.

Valentine's Day CMO

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