voidseeing | Appointments Post

Gai! [Elizabeth bumps her shoulder against Gai's arm, grinning.] I think that most people want to avoid punishment altogether. There's a contradiction of tone and terms here.

[Gai just laughs, bumping right back. See, this is why he likes her-- she teases him just as much as he teases her.]

That all depends on the people and the punishment in question.

[Then, sobering up a bit, he continues:]

I want you to let me know if I ever get out of line with my joking. Spending years around soldiers doesn't exactly do much for your manners, especially not where appropriateness is concerned.

[That's very sweet, actually. Elizabeth didn't really think that Gai's more lewd jokes were somehow out of line, just different from her usual humor. Not that she's easily shocked, but it does say something that Gai is thinking of her.]

Has the dress turned me into a wilting flower? [She raises an eyebrow at Gai.] I'll let you know if I'm getting ready to faint.

[Years around soldiers, and Funeral Parlor always kept a very well-stocked bar. There isn't really anything that can be said that Gai hasn't heard by now, and several variations thereof.]

You're just saying that so I have an excuse to pick you up and carry you again.

And you don't want an excuse to do that? I could always warn you I'm about to slap you, but I thought that might not be terribly welcome.

I never said I didn't.

[And he pauses in his walking just long enough to lean in for a quick kiss.]

But I was going to wait until after dinner for that.

[Which she happily receives.] Well then you'll have all of dinner to think of something to make me faint.

[Oh, now he's grinning.]

Challenge accepted-- I look forward to it.

Speaking of dinner, do you have anything in particular you want to try? I was just thinking that it's been a while since I last had any traditional Japanese dishes.

[Wuh-oh. Well. Elizabeth walked right into that one, but she's looking forward to it too. Just a little.]

Oh! That sounds great! I've never had traditional Japanese food before. [She's never had fish that didn't come out of a can.]

[Beware, Elizabeth, you have likely sealed your fate, and he's going to enjoy every minute of it.]

You don't have to have the same thing unless you want to. This night is for you, so pick whatever you'd like to have.

[~~Bowchickawowwow.~~]

I want to! I'd be crazy not to take advantage of your expertise on it. I wouldn't even know where to start anyway--I've eaten the plainest of plain foods my entire life.

In that case, I suppose I could come up with a few recommendations... what sorts of things do you like? I can make suggestions based on that.

... and I hope you like fish, because there's a lot of that in Japanese food.

I haven't had much fish, to be honest. It's a little hard to get fish onto a floating city without it going bad.

[She hums in thought--this question always tends to stump her. Because she's never really had the option to choose what she eats before arriving in Luceti. Whatever she was fed, that was it.]

I like pastas. And, ah, chicken... tomatoes, rice... [She gives Gai a helpless smile.] Not exotic at all, is it?

[Goodness, he's going to have to introduce her to all kinds of things here. Hopefully she won't be like him and end up developing a taste for fast food when she discovers that... he knows it's terrible, but it's just so good.

Then let's order several things and try all of them. Nothing says we have to choose just one.

[They're almost at the door to the restaurant now; once they finally reach it, Gai opens it, then holds it to allow Elizabeth to go through.]

[No Elizabeth hasn't discovered fast food yet, but once she does... french fries. All the french fries.]

[She walks in, clearly used to Booker holding doors for her, and does a quick scan of the restaurant. No sign of Booker and Robert, and she breathes a sigh of relief as she reattaches to Gai's arm.]

Trust me, you should do the ordering. You don't want to experience what passed for 'cuisine' in my tower. [It's getting a little close to those hard, tragic topics, but that's as close as Elizabeth wants to get tonight. She even laughs the comment off.]

[He laughs, holding out his arm for her again once he lets the door close behind them. The coast seems clear, at least, so they should be able to enjoy their dinner without any worries.]

I hope you like surprises, then. And I guarantee you that there's no chance of any of the fish here going bad. Who knows, some of it might even be fresh from the ocean here.

[But he'll be nice and not order anything too crazy... well, maybe some sushi. If she doesn't want to eat it, he will.]

When it comes to food, I think I'll enjoy a bit of surprise.

[Elizabeth spots a little booth in the corner and secures the table easily enough with the host. Must be how they're dressed.]

I think that's been one of the nicest things I've had to get used to. So much fresh food. It's been a nice change from everything coming out of a can.

[They are by far the classiest-looking patrons in the restaurant at the moment, a fact Gai can't deny that he's pleased by. He wanted this to be special, and if Elizabeth feels like everyone is noticing her in a good way, then he's succeeded in that part, at least.

When they reach the booth, he immediately moves to pull Elizabeth's chair out for her so that she can sit down.]

I usually just ate whatever I picked up at the convenience store or a fast food restaurant. Cooking wasn't exactly high priority for any of my men unless someone got especially bored, and in that situation you were as likely to end up with something awful as you were something edible. Boredom sparks creativity, after all.

[The chair thing is new, so it takes Elizabeth a moment to realize Gai wants her to sit there. But once she figures it out she slides into the chair, expertly maneuvering her train to the side.]

Isn't that the truth. [Elizabeth bites her lip, considering the question before asking:] Is a 'convenience store' something like a grocery store, then? ['Fast food restaurant' she can more or less parse out.]

[He waits until she's settled to push the chair back in for her before taking a seat across from her, moving the tails of his own suit out of the way as he does so.

... of course, convenience stores didn't exist in 1912. The two of them are so alike in so many ways that it's easy to forget there's over a hundred years' difference between their eras, choice of clothing aside. To be honest, Gai can't say he knows much about what was happening in most of the world in 1912, either.]

Something like that, although it's more for stocking already-prepared food, hence the name. You can go in and buy an entire ready-made meal in a single container if you don't feel like cooking.

Wow... that does sound very convenient. [And a lot like what she was doing before Booker and Robert arrived. Pre-made meals from this very restaurant, odds and ends from the grocery store... It was rough going sometimes, but Elizabeth still doesn't know very much about cooking meals.]

Is that what you do here? You mentioned you aren't much of a cook.

Most of the time, or I come here. Cooking has never been high on my priority list either.

[Then, with a conspiratorial smile, he leans across the table, and...]

... did you know that hard-boiled eggs explode if you try to reheat them in the microwave?

[Elizabeth's eyes go wide.] They explode? If you reheat them in... a what?

[Have fun with that one, Gai.]

A microwave. It's like a small oven, but it's designed to heat food quickly. You can make lots of things explode in it if you aren't careful about how long you heat them.

[... clearly he should give a demonstration someday.]

...and I thought regular ovens were complicated. At least from what I hear I can't make anything explode in one of those.

[She looks off to the side and slowly smiles.] Will you show me tomorrow?

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