(GS3) Field: Destroyed Shopping District

[Hope]

Neu stepped forward as well, dusting her black grown a little as it had gotten a little dirty from the wind over at the park. She looked over to him scanned over him a little more, "his own undoing huh..." She looked at the menu again and remembered that she couldn't read it so never mind that.

"Well I took you here cause coffee houses are generally relaxing. Well we had one of these in America and I used to just hang out in these and just do my homework," She explained casually. She put her hand on his should and looked at him tenderly in the eyes, "Just.. get your rest and get what ya want, it's on me."

[OverDrive]

Tsubasa had just arrived at the shopping district after going to the park and asking for someone who looked like Neu, he heads to the location pointed for him and he sees Neu and a person who he's seen with Yukino once before. Cutting in line was not his initial idea of greeting the two, so he decided to get a table and wait for them to order.

"...Coffee...maybe..." he thought.

Tsubasa had generally preferred to stay away from coffee unless he desperately needs it, though he would not mind getting it in order to be respectful.

[Jello]

The touch sent a shock wave down his arm. Haruka nearly flinched back from the touch. The body Neu just touched was simply the shell of two hosts. Obviously she was reaching out for Haruka, but he wanted to turn away. He wanted to hit her or disappear or all three at once.

Help me...-

"I suggest you get that thing off of my shoulder." Haruka notioned for Neu to remove her hand.

Haruka's voice became something of commanding. It was no longer fatigued or weakened in the slightest. In fact, his entire body suddenly stiffened. "This body is not yours to touch." His eyes were glazed over. The emeralds that laid in those holes were now dulled and cut. His words were dark and bore nothing in the way of emotion.

Without knowing any better, people would assume he's a robot.

[Hope]

Neu yawned, removing her hand and walking forward. "It's called a hand. Or I don't know, I just learned this language recently, but I'm pretty sure it's called a hand right?" she giggled a little turning back at him. "C'mon the line is leaving you behind." She pulled out her wallet from her purse and started counting her hundred dollar bills which she has yet to take the currency exchange. It looks live lover boy only let his girlfriend touch his body, that's cute. Neu blushed a little at he thought of one day having someone like that, so devoted. "Man, that's really cute how you only save your body for her." She got some hand sanitizer and rubbed it across her hands two little hands. "No problem, all gone! No evidence! haha."

[Jello]

"Yes. Remove your hand then." Which she did. Upon finding the body no longer under her touch, Sera passed the baton back over to Haruka. His chest was searing hot and he felt a warmth in his face.

"W-What? Cute? Uh-yeah, something like that." Haruka's recollection of the past few moments was clear. It was also clear he wasn't in control of his actions. He could only watch through his eyes what had happened.

"Uh, I'll take a royal brew, black." Haruka stated his normal order, trying to fix his breathing. He felt a surge of emotions pour through him after he and Sera switched off. Maybe that was some spark or ignition?

[OverDrive]

The wait had started to annoy Tsubasa but it allowed him to start thinking a bit more on the situation at hand, he's still unsure if he had made the right choice but in reality the stance that he is taking right now seems correct in his opinion. He starts to look at Neu and her friend wondering why she brought this person to this coffee shop, until he notices her actions.

"...Heh...cute..I wonder...hmm...you never know when it comes to her..I wonder if they serve hot chocolate here.." he thought, but the sight of the cue made him almost ignore the idea completely. "...What exactly are you thinking Neu.."

[Hope]

"Caramel Ribbon Crunch please." Neu found her way to a table after ordering, sitting down on it and leaning back, resting her feet on the chair on the other side. She breathed deeply and almost started to fall asleep herself. She scanned around the area, noticing that Tsubasa who she hasn't seen in two days was around. It was a relatively peaceful place, wouldn't hurt to take a nap here even, just as long as she doesn't get jumped or anything. She focused her attention back on Haruka who seems to be struggling with something.

"So lover boy, how you guys meet?"

[Jello]

"What was the phrase she used..." Haruka thinks for a moment, sipping his coffee. Normally he wouldn't just be so casual with Neu, but at this point she had already paid for his coffee and at least seemed genuinely interested. He owed her at least an answer to this.

"For the sake of mutual proof of being there... is what she had said. We met in the park after suffering losses that cost us our spots at Regionals." Haruka had the words of Yukino's quote down to the letter. It was something that stuck with him for a long time. Technically they had met before that, but they hadn't really been close until that moment. He sips his coffee slowly but surely. He picks up on Neu's tendency to look past him.

"Somebody you know?" He sipped his coffee again. It was already mostly gone. He really needed this, it seems. "Hmm.. what about you. Lovers?" Haruka wasn't all too interested considering he had somebody to think about on his own time, but he wanted to see if Neu was actually a real girl sometimes. Maybe she actually thought of other things besides ruining people's lives.

[Hope]

"Huh yeah, he's a friend of mine." She nodded, "Not lovers though."

She laughed and pointed at herself, "I may not look like it, but a twenty-three year old adult!" She winked, "I look like I'm super young though right? Doesn't that just make your heart skip a beat? Cause the guys I try to go for always think I'm too young for them." She then let out a nervous laugh and looked away.

"As for him though, he's just one of my friends. He told me about his problems and stuff and I promised to help him out. We cardfight for fun from time to time. I mean that's usually how it goes with people I meet. I give 'em my contact info and we can just play a fun fight or two." She sipped her drink, "I mean I really love Vanguard, I just want to wipe everyone's problems away. I swear, if I find a guy, he better play it or else it'll be BORINGGGGGG!" she let out a laugh, almost causing her drink to come out her nose. She took a piece of tissue paper from her purse and quickly stopped it from happening.

[OverDrive]

Tsubasa spent most of the time thinking about what he would order that he did not notice that the two already took a seat at a different table, he'd been too occupied with his thoughts that he missed the chance to call them over.

"..The cue died down I guess I can make my order now and join them after that if they're ok with it...either way my business is with her." he thought, as he got up and made his way to the counter.

[Jello]

Haruka peered at the girl for a moment.

His gaze took in most of her features and then sat back... Before erupting into a laugh that could be almost considered rude to other customers.

"You? Twenty-three?! You're kidding right? You must be my age or younger, no kidding." Haruka wasn't genuinely happy per se, but he found himself enjoying the time he was spending a bit. It was better than talking to Sera about how awful his life is.

"If you're an adult, why are you hitting on younger guys like me? I'm still a minor you know." Haruka sipped his coffee, tightening his scarf.

The comments about Vanguard sort of slipped past him, so he made his best response without actually remembering what he was responding about. "Right, that. I don't see how a menace like yourself is gonna wipe away problems, but if that's your game, I guess you're the one playing it." Haruka made small gesticulations to emphasize his point.

[OverDrive]

After getting his order Tsubasa, heads towards their table and asks if he may be seated.

"Would either of you mind if I sit with you?" he asked

[Hope]

"I'm not kidding, look I even have a driver's license." She pulled it out of her wallet, it said it straight out, she was definitely twenty-three years old. The picture was actually taken a few months before she got the actual license so in the picture she actually looked like she was fourteen or so. 

"I know you're a minor jeez. I'm not going for you at all, what even makes you think that." She leaned a little closer to him and winked, "unless you're aiming for me of course, but that would be bad for your little girlfriend." She showed Haruka her text message from Satoshi, the one about asking to go to a beach and showed it to him.

"Your friend Satoshi though, I think he's actually trying. He texted this to me awhile back, but I'm not sure what it actually says because I can't read Japanese." She looked down at her phone then se picked up her drink and took another sip. "As for me being a menace, that's not the right word to actually call a cute girl like myself," she took a pause to flip her hair. "But let me tell you, I have my goals, and I know what I want. None of them involve just me or even my own happiness, but those of others. I don't sit around all day, being all sad and reveling in my own suffering. That just accomplishes nothing and its just no fun."

It seems Tsubasa had just gotten through the ridiculously long line.
"Hey, yeah you can here." She moved her feet from the chair that she had been leaning it on..

[Jello]

"You could at least be subtle if you're going to talk about her that way." Haruka finished his cup of coffee and stood up. "Er, you can sit sure. I'm actually about to be off." He nods to the boy. Haruka pockets his hands and looks at Neu.

"Menace or not." He paused. Sera had something to say. "This was a one-time thing. Understood?" Sera was actually very impatient it seems, seeing as soon as he made his remark, he instantly turned away and walked out.

For once, Haruka agreed with Sera. They had a mental mini-brofist, despite Haruka not actually having any bodily functions or controls when in this state. But he felt full of energy. And after talking about Yukino so much, he was sort of eager to visit her. Hopefully after being away for a couple of days she was okay. Sera was completely indifferent to her state, but if it made Haruka's mental resolve stronger, he was all for it.

[Hope]

She casually finished her drink. "I was being subtle man, since I was talking about you." Then she blinked in realization, "Oh, so she's like that right now too?... Man that's hil-" Neu paused and changed her tone, "-really unfortunate..." She shrugged again, putting the tissue she used into the now empty cup. "One time thing?... man you're making this sound like a one night stand or something, it's just coffee." Tapping her fingers on the table, she continued, "I mean this could be a one time thing I guess, but if you ever wanna see Dragonic Overlord again..." a sly grin streaked across her face, "we'll have to meet again sometime."

Affinity:
Haruka: +3