Halloween Ball [Everyone]

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

He'd been spotted. It seemed almost impossible, what with this somewhat ridiculous costume he was wearing, but Ryosuke was sure that he was the only "Ryosuke" Keiko would be addressing in the room. It had to be the blonde hair.......who really goes to a Halloween Party as Luigi with blonde hair? He just hadn't wanted to go back to black or dye it brown.....he'd had the blonde hair for as long as he could remember...

And Keiko--and Kaoru too, maybe?--had recognized him for it.

Well, more than anything, he wanted to pretend he hadn't heard and get lost in the crowd again, find some way to avoid the pair if possible, but he knew running away now that he'd been spotted would probably work out worse than if he just gritted his teeth and dealt with it. Keiko was a sweet girl--knowing her, if he wandered off pretending he hadn't heard her talking, she'd follow him just to say hello. Then he'd have to do all kinds of acting and pretending he wasn't sure he could do and....Oh what the hell, he was going to be doing all kinds of acting now anyway, wasn't he? Why did they have to wear those costumes......?

"Ahhhh, Keiko!" Ryosuke forced some enthusiasm into his voice, hoping he sounded pleasantly surprised over horribly awkward. "I didn't expect to see you here, haha." He laughed nervously and tried to look like he wasn't too stunned to see a girl he considered a rather close friend looking so, um.... "Interesting costume choice!" was the best he could manage.

Ryosuke didn't want to come across as sketchy, but Keiko had come over to him alone, without Kaoru, as he might have expected. Which meant.....had the other girl seen him? He chanced a look back at where he had first seen the two girls standing, and his eyes widened.

Oh Kaoru was there, all right. She was there looking quite....frustrated was probably the nicest choice of words for the look on her face. And that damn prop of hers, that giant needle....For a moment, that was the only thing Ryosuke could look at. The way she was holding it, she looked like she had all kinds of evil plans in mind. She looked like the beautiful but unfortunately vengeful nurse from hell. And to this day, he still didn't know what it was that she was all that vengeful about. Their situation with each other had never quite been resolved...

Which was all the more reason for him to avoid Kaoru and her oversized needle.

Anyway, Ryosuke was beginning to feel that aching feeling in his chest again, and that was a sensation he was sure he didn't want to dwell on, not when he was here for a party and not when he presumably had quite some time to go before the whole thing was over.

"Uhhh........Keiko-chan...." Ryosuke forced another nervous laugh, jamming one hand into his pocket and using the other to remove the fake mustache. He couldn't talk properly with the damn thing on anyway. "So you, you know....that girl over there?" He nodded his head in the direction of the Washizu girl, sure that Keiko would know who he meant without him having to spell it out. He just hoped she didn't ask too many questions, because he was currently at the point where he might very well give away the fact that it was she, Kaoru, who he'd been blubbering to Keiko about the very first they'd met.

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: So, uh, I checked the ocean thread and Ryosuke totally mentions Kaoru's name. Or at least her first name. Yeah.



"Ahhhh, Keiko!" Ryosuke forced some enthusiasm into his voice, hoping he sounded pleasantly surprised over horribly awkward. "I didn't expect to see you here, haha." He laughed, and Keiko shrugged off how awkward he sounded, or the fact that he didn’t call her ‘Keiko-chan’. "Interesting costume choice!"

“Oh,” She bit her lip, looking down at her outfit, “Thank my sister for that. She insisted I have fun by dressing up.” She picked at her skirt before holding up her feather duster, “It even came with this. I’d much rather go to this event as Luigi.” Keiko finally looked up, “So, where’s your other half? It’s weird to see Luigi without Mario.”

But Ryosuke was no longer looking at her. Rather, he was staring… behind her? She turned around, finding Uchida clutching her large prop in her hands. Frowning, she turned her attention back to the plumber in front of her. Did Ryosuke know Uchida? He didn’t seem very happy to see the girl in the nurse costume, or the fact that Keiko was near her…

"Uhhh........Keiko-chan...." Ryosuke forced another nervous laugh, jamming one hand into his pocket and using the other to remove the fake mustache. Keiko nodded, wondering what was causing the boy to act so… weird. "So you, you know....that girl over there?" He nodded at something behind her, and once again, she found herself looking at the sexy nurse who had saved her from a Luffy. Uchida was still holding her prop looking as if the next person who touched her would be impaled by the thing.

“You mean… Uchida-san?” She faced Ryosuke again, tilting her head to the side, “She helped me get away from some sketchy guys. First a dog, then a Luffy. It all happened to fast,” she waved a careless hand as she recalled the strange encounters, “but I told her not to worry about me when I saw you.” She frowned, studying her friend’s face. He seemed awfully uncomfortable and it appeared as if Uchida was the cause…

Her hand loosened its grip on her feather duster, the item falling again to the floor as her mind flashbacked to that evening, which felt so long ago yet recent at the same time. When Ryosuke had poured out his innermost feelings, he had mentioned a name. It was mixed in with sobs and it was difficult to tell what he had been saying at the time, but she distinctly remembered a name.

Kaoru.

But, it wasn’t as if Uchida was the same Kaoru that Ryosuke spoke about. There were plenty of people named Kaoru, even in their school, so it wasn’t like… Keiko focused her eyes back on the blond, who appeared so fidgety he had to hide his one hand in his pocket.

The frown slipped off her face as understanding came over her. As her mouth tried to work, she placed a hand on Ryosuke’s shoulder. She gave up on trying to find the right thing to say, instead holding a finger up to her lips. She gave a nod, and then moved forward, “Okonomiyaki. My treat. Don’t worry about it.”

Keiko hoped Ryosuke would catch on; she didn’t want him to feel any more awkward than he already was, if he agreed to talk to her at okonomiyaki place like before, then she could act like nothing was wrong here. Maybe she could even leave with Ryosuke here, in case he didn’t want the two of them together. And with the way she and Uchida were dressed… maybe it was best if she stayed with another guy. A guy she knew personally. If Dog Guy was still around… She mentally shuddered.

But then Uchida would be left all alone. No, she said she was supposed to meet up with some friends, and with that giant syringe she was carrying around, Uchida should be fine.

She gave another nod, turning away from Ryosuke so she was facing the nurse, “Uchida-san, thanks for helping me, but Ryosuke-kun is going to keep me company now.” She bowed, her cap slipping over her forehead. Keiko fixed it, pushing it back in its place. “Don’t keep your friends waiting!”

With that, Keiko faced Ryosuke again, a smile on her face. “So, are you hungry? I saw a food table on the way in…”

[Uchida Kaoru]

OOC: I'm really sorry my reply took so long, is so bad, and that it's so short! I'm also sorry Kaoru is so rude; she's interrupting everyone tonight D:


Kaoru was surprised when the girl beside her actually started off towards the Luigi the Yankee. Then she found herself even more surprised when they seemed to be talking like they were old friends, sharing some kind of secrets.

For a moment, she got the distinct feeling like their conversation might be about someone else, something like gossip -- and if there was anything Uchida Kaoru knew well, it was gossip.

But they were too far to be able to hear what they were saying. Kaoru looked around idly, finding herself disappointed when she didn't recognize anyone around her. She didn't know how much of that was because Washizu students usually didn't frequent this kind of event, and how much of it was because everyone was just costumed so well...

She turned back to the pair a ways in front of her, and watched as the maid fidgeted and moved about in her costume, and how her hat was falling off again.

Suzuki... whatshername, she seemed to be a nice girl. A shy, clumsy girl, but a very nice girl. Despite the fact that she was dressed in what was probably a pretty kinky costume, everything else about her seemed so low-key and nice.

And she was going away... somewhere with Super Jerkhair Yankee Brother! Would he have a Mario counterpart to join him? Would he be a yankee, too? There were too many skeezeballs at this party as it was... Kaoru adjusted her grip on her needle. She wasn't usually the type to step in when things didn't involve her -- not this much, anyway -- but the fact that it was hair boy this time didn't sit well with her. It wouldn't sit well with her.

Kaoru... didn't want to be left alone. She really was uncomfortable being on her own at an event like that, dressed like that... But moreover, she didn't want Suzuki to be left alone with that creepy Ryoshisface.

Before she knew it, she'd started waving her hand and calling out to the pair. "W-w-wait!"

She dashed over to them, taking a place beside Suzuki the maid.

"My friends said that they'd be a little late..."

Even knowing what she knew about the delinquent, the two looked surprisingly close... almost couple-like. She got that "third wheel" vibe, which disturbed her not only because she didn't want to feel like she was in anyone's way, but she didn't even want to think about what kind of relationship the creepy blonde delinquent would have... especially with someone like Suzuki. "I hope it's no big problem, but can I hang out with you a bit more? I'm sure it won't be too long..."

Maybe it was mean to think this way, but Suzuki seemed like a nice girl who would certainly still be thinking about how she'd saved her from the scurvy pervy pirate a few minutes ago. She'd hopefully accommodate her. As for Luigi, there was the chance he'd think she didn't recognize him, or better yet -- if he knew she did, and was forced to behave in fear that she would out him as the creepy trespassing stalker that he was. She was fully prepared to take that step.

"It's just that there are just so many... shady characters around here, I don't want to spend too much time by myself." Kaoru smiled warmly, first at Suzuki, then looked up to the Yankee Brother. She subconsciously adjusted her grip on the needle when she looked at the second, but maintained her smile.

Damn, that guy's face.

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

Ryosuke was silently cursing himself for having dawdled to begin with. It wasn't even that he didn't want to see Keiko (or Kaoru) for bad reasons, like disliking them or anything like that. Mainly he was uncomfortable with everything involved in this situation. His stupid outfit, a sincere lack of a Nippori he'd been expecting, girls he knew (and some he adored) in ridiculously skimpy outfits....In fact, was that Aoi-chan over there?

Ryosuke's eyes widened. Hooooooo, Aoi-chan....I didn't know you were like that, he couldn't help thinking, doing a double blink. Keiko at least had an outfit. Was Aoi-chan just wearing an overelaborate bathing suit?

The blonde Yankee returned his focus to Keiko, who must have taken his words about her costume to heart, as she was suddenly looking down at the piece as if carefully examining it. While she was speaking, Ryosuke dared another side glance in Kaoru's direction. He couldn't see her face clearly, but it didn't change that fact that even out of the corner of his eye, she looked like she was poised to kill. Why did he like this girl again?

“You mean… Uchida-san?” Ryosuke turned back to Keiko and found she seemed more confused than anything else. “She helped me get away from some sketchy guys. First a dog, then a Luffy. It all happened to fast, but I told her not to worry about me when I saw you.”

That would be like Kaoru, rescuing random girls from guys who may or may not have had bad intentions. He had begun to wonder if he was just one of many guys Kaoru disliked--maybe she hated all of them in general, all of them except, perhaps, Mizusawa, who she seemed to be getting.....close to.... Ryosuke took a deep breath. Anyway, he didn't have the heart to tell Keiko that Kaoru probably thought he was the last person Keiko would be safe with. But then again, Kaoru had never given him the chance to prove himself. She'd always just allowed herself to assume the worst.

Ryosuke decided to focus on something else instead. "Were you really being bothered? By....some guys, I mean?" Looking at Keiko's costume again, Ryosuke didn't think it was hard to believe. There were more than just schoolkids at this party. Adults were present too, so probably plenty of the town sleazebags were hanging out here. "If it wouldn't cause trouble for the Tumbling team, I wouldn't mind finding some of those guys and giving them a piece of---"

At that moment, Keiko seemed to realize something. Ryosuke saw her feather duster prop tumble to the floor and instinctively moved to pick it up when Keiko suddenly leaned forward, resting a hand on his shoulder and raising a finger to her lips to signal they be quiet. Ryosuke just waited for what she had to say.

“Okonomiyaki. My treat. Don’t worry about it.”

The blonde Yankee opened his mouth to say something. Wait....wait, okonomiyaki....What was Keiko talking about? She wanted to have pizza now? It didn't seem like something that should have come up randomly out of the blue. What had he missed?

“Uchida-san, thanks for helping me, but Ryosuke-kun is going to keep me company now.” Keiko bowed to the girl behind them--Ryosuke blanched, why did she have to bring more of Kaoru's attention their way?-- then added, “Don’t keep your friends waiting!”

Then Keiko's attention was back Ryosuke's way. Everything was happening so fast now that he was losing track.

“So, are you hungry? I saw a food table on the way in…” The girl was all smiles.

Ryosuke wasn't even sure why that was, why she'd suddenly had such a huge change of heart....He was at the point of confusion where his brain had become so muddled that trying to think through everything felt impossible. Instead, he found he was just nodding to Keiko's request, forgetting he'd been at this party with the purpose of hanging out with his other half, Nippori, about ready to just allow himself to be pulled out the door, if Keiko wanted to take him, until she spoke.

"W-w-wait!"

Ryosuke's eyes had remained no less wider as he turned around at the sound of the all-too familiar voice. Kaoru had rushed over, looking a tad frantic, and of course she opted to stand next to Keiko instead of him. Things hadn't changed all that much after all, had they....?

"My friends said that they'd be a little late...I hope it's no big problem, but can I hang out with you a bit more? I'm sure it won't be too long..."

Ryosuke instinctively found himself turning away from Kaoru as she spoke. He didn't know what kind of game she was trying to play, coming over here, forcing them to stay here, with her, when they'd been just about to leave, and he didn't want to know. Last time he'd tried playing one of her games, he'd nearly gotten arrested....And the first time hadn't been much better.

"It's just that there are just so many... shady characters around here, I don't want to spend too much time by myself."

Ryosuke turned just in time to see the smile cross Kaoru's face. That smile. That fake one she'd given him back in the Washizu Tumbling Team Headquarters months and months before, the one that had really thrown him for a loop right from the beginning. It was odd, but he felt even the slightest bit angry that she was trying to pull that again. In fact, what was she trying to pull? Coming over here, acting like this....was she really pretending she didn't know him? Wasn't she the one who made it a point to tell him just how much his face and his hair annoyed her?

He glanced down at the needle she was holding--he was fairly certain he knew why she was holding it the way she was, like she was prepared to stab anyone (or maybe a certain someone) at any second if need be--and sighed. He would have taken Kaoru's words to heart, but he got the feeling that this was all a ploy to keep him and Keiko here or find out what they'd been talking about....anything but what she was pretending. He didn't think she cared all that much about being alone, nor did he think she was worried about "shady characters." Didn't she also like to refer to him as one?

Yeah, she was definitely a liar. But it wasn't like Ryosuke could even say or do anything in response. There were literally no options left to him in this situation, and now he was more uncomfortable than ever. What? Had Kaoru thought it would be funny to try to get something out of him by slinking over in her skimpy costume? Come to think of it, Ryosuke felt even more annoyed. More annoyed that she was waltzing around in that kind of thing, talking about being worried about being hit on by sleazebags but dressing like that in the first place and probably looking for it at a party like this. And why come over to him? What the hell? He really was annoyed. The girls looked really sexy, yeah, but of course he didn't want them to get bothered, and nor did he want tons of other guys oggling them either.

Ryosuke frowned further and just stared back at Kaoru. His nervousness had melted down into annoyance and frustration all at once, and now--with what Kaoru had just said to them--Keiko didn't even really have a means of bailing them out of this one.

And then it came out of his mouth. Even he was surprised he'd said it, after the fact.

"If you're so worried about shady characters, you shouldn't've dressed like the Nurse Whore from Hell."

Ryosuke did a double blink. Had he......really just said that? Maybe now was the time to run off again into the crowd and try to find his friend, Nippori....

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Dramatic!Keiko strikes again!



Ryosuke nodded, and Keiko felt her smile widen. She lifted a hand, ready to go arm-in-arm with the Luigi when a voice rang out, "W-w-wait!" Uchida had hurried over to where they stood, taking a spot next to Keiko, "My friends said that they'd be a little late...I hope it's no big problem, but can I hang out with you a bit more? I'm sure it won't be too long..."

Keiko saw the blond Yankee turn a bit once Uchida joined them, and couldn’t help but glance between the two.

Uchida continued on, "It's just that there are just so many... shady characters around here, I don't want to spend too much time by myself."

The maid felt her head nod, even after Uchida smiled in her direction. It made sense, especially after what happened earlier with Dog Guy and Luffy, but Uchida had a GIANT SYRINGE where… Keiko didn’t.

It was highly possible Uchida just wanted to make sure she was safe, but if Ryosuke was there, Keiko was sure everything would be fine. In fact, there was something she was eager to ask him, as soon as they had the chance to be alone. She turned towards the nurse, her hands clasped together, about to open her mouth, when Ryosuke beat her to it.

Keiko knew her new friend was a Yankee, that he had a history with a lot of girls, he used to smoke and at one time was part of some shady business; he was even friends with the head of Kara High. But she had learned to look past all that.

Until now.

"If you're so worried about shady characters, you shouldn't've dressed like the Nurse Whore from Hell."

Keiko’s eyes widened at the sudden outburst, her head whipping in the boy’s direction faster than she realized, “Ryosuke-kun!”

Almost as soon as her own scream left her lips, she turned towards Uchida, unable to read the expression on the other girl’s face. This… this wasn’t like Ryosuke. Not at all. And Keiko… amongst the surprise and shock, there was a hint of anger. The way he said it, Uchida was dressed about as much as she was, so wouldn’t that imply that she looked like a maid… whore from hell as well?

She felt her eyes narrow, this was probably the first time she ever felt annoyed with the blond since she met him, and it was to someone who had helped her out, and, if she was really right about her hunch from earlier, this was not the correct way to treat Uchida.

Her gaze fell to the floor, where her feather duster remained on the floor. She had forgotten she had dropped it, and she had accidently stopped Ryosuke from picking it up. She bent down, grabbing the feather duster before smacking Luigi hard on the shoulder.

Keiko kept up her glare, “That… was uncalled for. Apologize.” She folded her arms over her chest, feather duster still in her grip.

[Uchida Kaoru]

OOC: I'm not sure that I like this post... D:


Neither the maid girl or the plumber guy said anything right after Kaoru made her pass. The way the blonde looked so pensive and the girl seemed like she was about so say something did nothing to reassure her, but then she heard it.

But it was the delinquent that spoke.

"If you're so worried about shady characters, you shouldn't've dressed like the Nurse Whore from Hell."

Kaoru's eyes went wide, her mouth dropped open, and she probably looked like the biggest idiot on the planet at that moment. She was that taken aback by what the delinquent had said.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kaoru saw Suzuki spin around and look to the tall blonde, with a "Ryosuke-kun!" or something like that. But Kaoru was much too busy contemplating what that boy had just said. "You're calling me a..." she whispered, not even aware she was doing so. What he'd said, there was something very wrong with it. Very, very, wrong. Of course, Kaoru didn't enjoy being called -- directly or indirectly -- a whore, but it struck her as something else profoundly disturbing.

Meanwhile, out of the corner of her eye, the maid girl seemed to be having her own moment of disbelief... kinda. Suzuki retrieved her feather duster from the ground and "That… was uncalled for. Apologize." And she crossed her arms. What was that, a love tap? Kaoru couldn't tell if the other girl was serious or not, but she didn't look as half as upset as Kaoru felt. Seriously, 'uncalled for' had to be the understatement of the year.

"Don't!" Kaoru shouted. She didn't want to hear any apologies from this guy. There wasn't anything he could apologize for. If that's what he really thought... and even if it wasn't, that's not something a person jokes about. There was nothing he could say that could make her feel better.

Instead, she walked up to Luigi. The boy was quite a bit taller than her, but she made sure to look right up into his eyes, like she'd done quite a few times before. But never had she been this mad...

"What the f-ck, jerkass? Are you trying to tell me that if I--" Kaoru stopped. She wouldn't do; for this she needed... she looked about before grabbing Suzuki by the shoulder, and pulling her a bit closer. "She is your friend, right? And she's dressed like a 'whore', too? Are you trying to tell me that if she gets hit on or something worse by who knows what kind of losers are in this place -- and it's already happened, if you care -- it's her fault? She deserves it because she's dressed this way?"

Somewhere in the back of Kaoru's mind was the thought that she was getting too carried away. Kaoru gossiped and talked behind people's backs and sometimes stretched the truth as she saw fit... but none of that was stuff she even liked to do. Yet, even if those were things she enjoyed, and her moral compass was that screwed up, there were things she just couldn't accept. This was one.

"It's okay if something like that happens? You're not about to pull something with her because she's dressed like a whore, are you? And it wouldn't be her fault; she's dressed like this and she's asking for it. In fact, I think that you're the one asking for it."

Kaoru knew for a fact that that her syringe prop was actually not that sharp. Japan was past the age of swords, so carrying something that big and that sharp would probably be illegal. But she did know that her prop was pretty heavy, and would probably be effective as a bludgeoning weapon.

A moment later, she she slammed the needle on the floor, a loud clanging sound reverberating as it danced about at her feet. Her forehead winkled and her nostrils flared, she looked down at the prop. It was huge, and dammit, it could knock that blonde buffoon right on his ass, but that wasn't what she wanted to do, either.

She felt lost all the sudden. She wanted to be mad; she needed to be mad, and this guy was giving her every reason to be.

"So... you're exactly the type of person I thought you were."

The words were muttered; for some reason, she couldn't find it in herself to speak in the clear, loud voice that usually came so easily to her.

Kaoru looked at Suzuki. She didn't know what kind of relationship she and blonde had, but she really couldn't believe that a girl like her could be that close to a guy like that. She's only known her for a few minutes, but she seemed to be so sweet, almost like...

She blinked, and looked back to the yankee, but this time her gazed lingered longer than it ever had. Gears turned, something clicked, and a shiver ran down the girl's spine. For the first time she understood exactly why he hated his face, why just a single look at him was enough to get her riled up, even if she was already upset...

...just like this time.

Kaoru took a breath, then slapped the boy as hard as she could.

She didn't wait for any reactions after that. If they yelling hadn't caught people's attention, then that certainly would've. She stooped to pick up her needle, and without saying another word to Suzuki or the blonde, she started to make her way towards through the crowd and back in the direction of the front door.

As she moved, she felt her own face heat up, though she was way past being angry and definitely past being embarrassed. She didn't care if she had to go outside in the cold, or if Aisawa and Nohara were still coming, or if she was making herself a damn fool before half the town. She needed to get away. It had suddenly gotten very stuffy in the hall, and all she really wanted was a moment to catch her breath.


OOC: lolz, I like making characters run away XD Someone can try to catch up to her before she walks out...

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

Ryosuke would have been fairly surprised that Keiko was the first to react to his words.....were he not already aware of what kind of girl Kaoru was. The instant the words had left his mouth, he'd regretted them, and he knew he was going to get payback for them too. He wondered what she would do--punch him in the face she hated so much? Kick him in the groin? He couldn't even say he didn't deserve it, even if he'd had his reasons for saying what he'd said, even if it had been an accident.

He'd done it before. Said something he hadn't meant. A lot of times, and usually it was never with cruel intentions. He always felt horrible after it happened, but his pride tended to get in the way, make him want to pretend like he meant it, pretend he didn't feel anything from it either. That usually didn't work out anyway, because he was the type to apologize after a time. It really ate him up when he did something like this. And even though he really regretted saying this to Kaoru, rendering their already disgusting relationship probably as far from repair as possible, it now hurt realizing he'd just insulted Keiko too.

“Ryosuke-kun!” Keiko's voice was pretty clear over the noise of the crowd around them. People were beginning to look, but Ryosuke couldn't seem to get himself to care. He was back to matching Kaoru's gaze, but this time in a way he'd hoped he really would never have had to see. He only half felt Keiko's attack on his shoulder with her prop, he was so lost for words. “That… was uncalled for. Apologize.”

Apologize. The word floated through Ryosuke's mind as if he were viewing it on a blackboard. He knew it was the most obvious thing to do. People were looking, the scene was already starting, thanks to what he'd said, and that look on Kaoru's face.....He knew he should apologize--no, not should, he had to, and yet did he really regret what he'd said? After the months of hurt? Kaoru only hated him because she'd never given him a chance, because she'd never allowed him to understand her or even tried to understand him. She'd played him like a violin that day in the store and left him there with threats of calling harassment on him, even when she'd been the one who'd ended up following him. She'd made moves on one of his close friends and teammates--one who was gay, no less--as if to make things even tougher for him. She'd...she'd.....

There was no time to apologize even if he was about to. The hurt had left Kaoru's eyes, only to be replaced with an absolute kind of rage he wasn't sure he'd seen on even the worst gangster's face.

"Don't!"

If the rest of the room hadn't been aware of what was going on, now they were. Ryosuke saw more of the crowd turn their way, and suddenly he felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom. It wasn't even the fact that there were so many onlookers now, or that he'd just made Keiko think he was some huge bastard, certainly the wrong person for her ever to have felt pity for......it was Kaoru's face. She moved up close to him now, closer--probably--than she'd ever come before, and the look in her eyes seemed almost murderous.

"What the f-ck, jerkass? Are you trying to tell me that if I--" She stopped short for a moment. Ryosuke didn't realize why until she'd grabbed Keiko rather forcefully by the shoulders and thrust her forward. "She is your friend, right? And she's dressed like a 'whore', too? Are you trying to tell me that if she gets hit on or something worse by who knows what kind of losers are in this place -- and it's already happened, if you care -- it's her fault? She deserves it because she's dressed this way?"

Of course Ryosuke didn't feel that way....

"It's okay if something like that happens? You're not about to pull something with her because she's dressed like a whore, are you? And it wouldn't be her fault; she's dressed like this and she's asking for it. In fact, I think that you're the one asking for it."

Ryosuke opened his mouth to say something, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to. He wasn't sure he was capable of saying anything at the moment, and he'd been through something close to this--though less deadly--with Kaoru to know that her word would be the final word. Though unlike last time, maybe she really did deserve to have the final say this time. But he wanted to tell the truth, that he hadn't meant it like that, that he'd purposely asked Keiko who'd bothered her earlier with the express intent of dealing with them himself before she--Kaoru--had interrupted......Of course he didn't think either of them deserved it. He....the words....they'd just slipped out. And he'd only called her that because....well, because the costume was kind of skimpy, and she had looked pretty damn evil holding that stupid prop and glaring at him from across the room before. It had all just been one big mistake, it had gone too far, and surely she couldn't blame him for everything when she had to know she'd been playing the same game as him, even if she'd been on the opposing team all this time, when--

CLANG!

Kaoru tossed her stupid prop down to the floor with a loud clatter--a few of the nearby party guests jumped, and the ones less-interested in the girl's verbal assault on the boy scattered--but Ryosuke stood his ground, lost.

The Washizu girl said something else, something soft, which was lost to the music blaring around them. And now that there was silence....

Ryosuke actually felt tears in his eyes when Kaoru turned his way again. She wasn't going to cry, but the look in her eyes, when he looked past the obvious rage....there was hurt. The same hurt he'd seen in the store, but the same damn hurt that Kaoru had never allowed him to understand, that she'd insisted was his fault, when he knew--at that time--he hadn't done anything to cause it. And she hadn't given him the chance to help her, to find out why he'd hurt her, what had happened to her in the past with other Yankees that he had become merely the prototype for all "bad Yankees."

Then it came. The slap. And the Yankee boy couldn't say he wasn't expecting it.

Ryosuke's face was still ringing even after the blow had already happened, even after Kaoru had grabbed her costume prop and began rushing through the crowd for the exit of the party. Ryosuke lifted one hand to his face, to the place where the girl had struck him, and felt cold. The pain.....like hell if he cared about that. What stung was the realization of what that slap meant, of what had just transpired between the two of them, that Kaoru had only struck him so hard because she really, truly hated him.

And maybe.....no....did he? Ryosuke felt so lost. His hand still to his face, he realized he didn't know how he felt. He just didn't know anymore. Kaoru might as well have stabbed him in the heart with her giant needle prop. He'd already been broken-hearted because of their unfortunate love-game, but something about this new encounter made things feel even worse.

And didn't....at the same time. Like.....like maybe this was what Ryosuke had been waiting for, all along. For her to just outwardly reject him like that, even if her reasons for doing so weren't quite as accurate as she might think. And yet he knew he couldn't leave things the way they were now. He couldn't let Kaoru leave the party by herself, not in the state she was in.

Ryosuke lowered his hand from his face and turned to Keiko. "Keiko-chan....I'm...." He fought with himself to offer her an apology--he owed her that, he hadn't been referring to her when he'd spoken to Kaoru, and he hoped she knew that--but he knew he didn't have much time to get to the door before Kaoru left for good. "I'm sorry, Keiko-chan. I'll be right back!"

The blonde Yankee began rushing through the thick crowd, pushing past laughing people who'd witnessed his complete and total rejection, and others who yelled at him for being rude as he brushed past them. He didn't see some of his other classmates nearby, or even some of his teachers at the other end of the room, nothing, nothing except the direction he was sure Kaoru had gone, and....

There she was.

Ryosuke didn't give it a second thought. He knew what was going to happen to him here, he knew what Kaoru would say or do about him, he knew because he'd already gone through it with her, and if he'd gotten it then, when he hadn't done anything wrong, she would definitely find a way to peg him now.

He grabbed her arm. She was going to try to leave on her own, but he couldn't let her. Not in that state, not that upset, when surely there was going to be someone outside the hall who would take advantage of it.

"Kaoru!" Ryosuke rushed in front of the girl and pressed himself up against the front doors, panting. "Kaoru, you can hate me all you want, you can think I'm trash, you can compare me to all the worst lowlives you've ever met, but you can't go outside. Not by yourself and not like that. And......and...." He didn't realize he'd been biting a lip so hard that he'd actually split it until he tasted the blood. "....just......you can do whatever the hell you want to me. Call the police, tell them I harassed you, go ahead. What I said was wrong and stupid, and maybe that's all I am around you, always wrong and always stupid because I never know what to do when I see you, I....I...." He bit his lip again and had to look away. He couldn't look her in the eyes. Tears had sprung into his own. "I just want to understand. You don't have to like me.....you can really hate me, if you want. Just let me understand why. If I know why, I can't.....I can't bother you anymore, right?"

The music seemed to fade out around them.

Ryosuke squeezed his eyes shut. "Kaoru, I'm so sorry."

SHIIIZZZZ....DRAMATIC Halloween Party we've got going here! Ter, please feel free to have Keiko follow them--I kinda don't want her to be by herself at the party! ><

[Mizusawa Taku]

Yup, the Luffy was none other than Yuuta. The other boy smiled and waved. Mizusawa grinned. That costume wasn't at all a surprise. And the great thing was that Yuuta really looked like Luffy too, at least in the full get-up and everything.

“Hi guys!,” he greeted them when he had arrived them. “You look really cool, you two! – And is this the Imperial March I am hearing there?” He laughed at the amazing idea his friend had.

Kaneko spoke first, sounding as proud of his costume as he should be. "Yes, it is! I thought it was necessary! Besides, I can't be Darth Vader without the Imperial March!" And that's when a thought crossed his mind. "I'd also need a laser sword..." he muttered.

Mizusawa laughed as well, stepping out of the way so that Yuuta could get to the buffet table too, now that his own plate was so piled with treats. "It's fine, Kaneko! You don't need the sword, the music says it all!" Then, turning to Yuuta, "And thanks, Yuuta. I think my costume is kinda lame and redundant compared to yours, but it's alright. I'm having fun anyway." He looked out at the crowd of people--classmates, the families of siblings, other town folk. Everyone looked so happy, and everyone had really dressed up for the occasion! He couldn't help smiling, feeling like he was a part of a collectively happy and excited atmosphere. Sorta like the feeling he got when doing group tumbling.

Glancing back at the crowd before getting a plate and concentrating on the buffet, he decided to tell his friends about his weird encounter.
“Ah, Kaneko, I’ve met Suzuki-chan. Some weird guy was trying to hit on her and I was trying to help… but apparently I wasn’t exactly… clear with that. At least I’ve dragged her away from this guy since he was drunk and I really didn’t feel like getting hit or something… and then some girl with a huuuuge needle turned up, grabbing Suzuki-chan instead and stating she would be with her… As if I am the pervert…
This… really wasn’t the best way to start this evening...,” he stated, giving his friends a lopsided smile while he was shoveling some kind of noodle salad onto his plate.

Mizusawa gave Yuuta a look of disbelief. "A girl with a...giant needle?" Somehow, the image was funny, though he couldn't imagine what kind of costume that would be. He wasn't sure Kaneko thought the same however. The other boy suddenly looked a little worried.

"Thanks for telling me. Excuse me guys, I'll try to look for her."

There wasn't really time to tell Kaneko to wait, so Mizusawa just watched the other boy shuffling away through the crowd, taking his Imperial March with him in search of their classmate. For a moment, the smile on his own face disappeared. Why was Kaneko worried? It was scary to think there might be some perverts around bothering the girls, but as far as Mizusawa knew, that happened everywhere, and especially at events like this. Surely Keiko could handle herself, right? Turning to Yuuta, he clapped the other boy on the shoulder. "Well, don't feel bad about it, Captain Luffy. Darth Vader Kaneko will go rescue the damsel in distress from giant needle girl. I think they'll be fine." He gave Yuuta a reassuring smile, then waited for the other boy to get some food so that they could go find a seat somewhere and enjoy it. Although, now that he looked at the table of food one more time, he thought he sure wouldn't mind some of that "Witch's Brew Fruit Punch"...

"Hang on, Yuuta, I'm just going to go get some of that--"

And that was when he walked right into another person. Well, it was sorta both their faults. The collision was enough to send a few cookies flying off his plate, but luckily didn't do any more damage than that. Looking up, Mizusawa found himself staring at someone tall, dressed in a Ryuuk costume, the character from Death Note.

Kowai, he couldn't help thinking.

"Ah, sorry about that," he said quickly, sinking down to pick up the fallen cookies. He'd have to find a trash bin now.

Tag: NAOKI!!!

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: I didn't move the thread along at all XD I'm sorry.



”Don’t!” Uchida moved forward, getting up in Ryosuke’s face, "What the f-ck, jerkass? Are you trying to tell me that if I--" She stopped, suddenly grabbing Keiko by the shoulder and pulling her over. A squeak left Keiko’s throat at the sudden action, but she kept silent as Uchida continued on, "She is your friend, right? And she's dressed like a 'whore', too? Are you trying to tell me that if she gets hit on or something worse by who knows what kind of losers are in this place -- and it's already happened, if you care -- it's her fault? She deserves it because she's dressed this way?"

Keiko’s gaze dropped to the floor, her action going unnoticed, "It's okay if something like that happens? You're not about to pull something with her because she's dressed like a whore, are you? And it wouldn't be her fault; she's dressed like this and she's asking for it. In fact, I think that you're the one asking for it."

There was a moment where nothing happened. The music was blaring, people were moving about around him, when something hit the floor. She jumped at the noise, noticing it was just the giant syringe prop Uchida was holding.

"So... you're exactly the type of person I thought you were."

It was a low mumble, but Keiko still heard it all the same. She was about to ask why, when Uchida turned to look at her. She couldn’t place what the girl’s expression was, but it was difficult to match her stare. She turned her head, instead focusing her attention on the fallen prop. She took a deep breath, daring to glance at Ryosuke. The look in his eyes, she recognized the glazed tint in them.

She didn’t have much time after that, because shortly after she lifted her head, Uchida drew back her hand, slapped Ryosuke across the face, picked up her needle and ran.

“Uchi—” Keiko turned back to Ryosuke, a question on her lips, but it quickly left, the look on the blond’s face saying more than he probably wanted to. He looked totally rejected. She took an awkward step forward, when the hand resting on his cheek dropped.

"Keiko-chan....I'm...." He struggled to say something, but only ended up with, "I'm sorry, Keiko-chan. I'll be right back!"

And then he took off, leaving Keiko alone in amidst the partygoers. His retreating back did nothing to quell the whispers that started to circulate around her, and she tried her hardest not to listen to them, at how the scene that happened before might have seemed to the bystanders. She shook her head, shaking off the feeling she knew was their eyes on her, and darted off where Ryosuke and Uchida had gone.

It seemed as though their little ‘show’ had indeed formed an audience, as it was just a little bit difficult to navigate her way through the crowd, finally spotting Uchida and Ryosuke near the front doors. The nurse’s back was facing her while Luigi was pressed up against the door, blocking the exit. As she neared, she took in two things.

One; Ryosuke’s lip was bleeding.

Two; it looked as if he was about to break down where he stood.

The music began to fade just as the blond closed his eyes, opening his mouth, what he was saying clearly heard as Keiko came to a stop behind Uchida.

"Kaoru, I'm so sorry."

There was a moment where no one in their small group spoke, the hustle and bustle of the party making up for it, when the music came back in full force, the DJ playing some happy song that didn’t fit the mood at all.

But that was all the time she needed. Keiko tightened her grip on her feather duster, her suspicion confirmed. Uchida was the Kaoru Ryosuke spoke about, the one he had feelings for, who caused him so much heartache he didn’t know what to do.

And Keiko couldn’t do a thing. She couldn’t rush forward and hug Ryosuke like before, nor could she speak for the other girl. Uchida seemed like a nice girl, enough to save someone from a pervert, but her problem with the blond, she didn’t know where it came from, or why the two seemed so hostile.

Keiko was at a loss, but she knew one thing.

Uchida had to say something, anything, to break the standstill they were in.

[Uchida Kaoru]

Everything sucked.

The party sucked with all the weird people and perverts and delinquents lurking around. Her friends sucked for somehow tricking her to come to this stupid thing alone. Her costume sucked and made people call her terrible names. And she'd tried to stick it out; she walked the entire way there in that stupid outfit and tried but now... she just wanted to leave. She couldn't deal with it anymore.

Her face hot with a mix of feelings she couldn't begin to identify, her breaths more like short huffs. After pushing through a group of people, her heart jumped at the sight of the doors. She would just walk through and get her coat back and make her way back home. Kaoru was about to start thinking about the things she could do at home to salvage her evening when...

And then he grabbed her.

She whipped her head back to see him. The blonde yankee. Luigi. Ryo...something. He had grabbed her arm, and very tightly at that.

"Kaoru!" his voice boomed. At least, it seemed really loud all of the sudden. The delinquent had been good at that cool, easy-going act. Really good, because this desperate, unbridled, and even kind of wild look that flashed in his eyes had taken her off guard. He kept a strong grip on her arm while he propped himself up against the door. That offended her. She wanted to shout at him, to swear at him, to tell him he had no right restrain her and keep her from where she wanted to go, but she couldn't.

Not once in her life had Kaoru ever been scared of a guy... not like this. No one had ever shouted at her like this, no one had ever grabbed her like this... no one had ever looked at her the way the blonde was looking at her at that moment. All she could bring her self to do was to stare at the yankee, in his silly video game character costume and listen.

"Kaoru, you can hate me all you want, you can think I'm trash, you can compare me to all the worst lowlives you've ever met, but you can't go outside. Not by yourself and not like that. And......and...."

The girl blinked, her eyes still wide. The yankee's voice was breaking, his lip was bleeding out of nowhere; she was completely confused.

"....just......you can do whatever the hell you want to me. Call the police, tell them I harassed you, go ahead. What I said was wrong and stupid, and maybe that's all I am around you, always wrong and always stupid because I never know what to do when I see you, I....I.... I just want to understand. You don't have to like me.....you can really hate me, if you want. Just let me understand why. If I know why, I can't.....I can't bother you anymore, right?"

Kaoru had been looking at the boy during his entire speech, though she wasn't quite comprehending everything as it was happening.

"Kaoru, I'm so sorry."

She blinked again. One of the famous Kara High yankees was in front of her, and crying? Kaoru didn't understand. Why the hell was he the one crying, when he had called her a whore, and made all those terrible implications, and grabbed her out of nowhere, trapping her in a place she didn't want to be? And after all that, he was trying to apologize? Was he trying to guilt him into feeling bad for him? Is that how these kinds of guys think?

Uchida Kaoru knew she wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box. But she wasn't going to let some guy like him trick her. She'd seen this one before; she knew how it ended. She looked away from him, her eyes resting on in between a woman dressed as a fairy and a guy in some kind of American superhero outfit.

"It hurts." As if to punctuate her sentence, she weakly tried to yank her arm out of his grip, but he was holding on much too tightly." Please, let me go."

This would normally be another part when Kaoru would aim for eye contact. She was good at it. Most of the time she could convince anyone that she was genuine or confident or serious with a well-timed look, but this time... she couldn't bring herself to do it. She could only make a few weak attempts at getting her arm back, as a disturbing realization crawling from the back of her mind.

Kaoru... felt bad. She felt bad for the yankee with the dyed hair and the foul mouth that called her names and manhandled her and broke into her school and followed her around downtown. For some reason she felt compelled to explain to him the reasons why. She found herself feeling bad for him. It was working.

He was working.

At that thought, a frantic fear arose in Kaoru. She forgot that she was in a public and that dozens of people could see what was going on, she forgot that she was holding a hard plastic prop that was about as tall as she was, and she forgot that she was Uchida Kaoru, the girl who spent the last several years being strong and putting anyone -- boy or girl -- in their place if she felt they were wrong. This guy was wrong, too. The worst kind of wrong, and if she didn't do something, he was going to make bad things happen... to her.

"I can't..." she started, but she couldn't find it in herself to finish her sentence. What would she say? I can't let myself be made a fool of. I can't believe someone that looks like you, acts like you. I can't let myself be end up like her. "...I just can't."

She was angry, she was embarrassed, she was more upset than she could hope to articulate. Yet, more than anything else, she was desperate to be somewhere else -- anywhere else than where she was. But she was frozen where she stood. She didn't know why; she knew she should move and that she could move but her feet weren't listening to her.

Kaoru just wanted out.


OOC: Okay, there's probably some slight godmodding in describing things like how and how long Ryosuke holds on to Kaoru; I hope that's alright. Tell me if it's not, and I'll try to rework the post~

[lambo]

While his friends still talked to some of the girls which they were trying to pick up Naoki took a glance at the buffet. Everything looked delicious so he couldn't decide what he should eat first, maybe some of the bats, vampire fangs or eyeballs. They even had food which looked like brains. Again he took a short look at the boys who had come with him to enjoy the party. He gave them five minutes until the girls refused them but he was wrong. The girls giggled and seemed happy because of the new contacts they've made. "Tch~ ... stupids"; said Naoki to himself, because he knew it didn't matter for the guys to which girls they were talking as long as they had a pretty face and breasts. Because he was angry to end up alone he grasped a little bit of everything on the table and put it on his plate, soon salty and sweet things were mixed up and his plate looked like a battlefield, more like some monster war than monster party ...

"Yo, Naoki ... Here's someone who wants to get to know you"; some of his friends came to the buffet accompanied by two girls; "Not interested"; the guy in the Ryouk costume refused without taking a look at the girls. "Come on ... You should give her a chance"; "Are you dumb?!"; Naoki asked, unlike the other boys he was never interested in girls, they were just ... annoying. "Let's go ... You've deserved someone better than that"; the girls friend said to her before turning her back to Naoki; "He doesn't even know what he's missing". "Oi ... Just because you've got a big problem with your little friend it doesn't mean you could spoil the fun"; "Do you want to die?!"; Naoki was pretty pissed off now, because his friend knew that and would rather talk to the girls than fight he just let the boy in the Ryouk costume alone ...

"Ah, sorry about that"; "It's ok ... "; said Naoki, closing his eyes for a second and trying to keep his temper down when someone suddelny bumped into him. He wasn't here to make a scene and pick a fight, but he couldn't keep still; " ... Not!"; he ended his sentence while looking at the guy which ran into him ... Naoki wasn't the guy who was that nice to people which got on his nerves, and it happened pretty fast that someone got on his nerves, even little mistakes like this one made him angry. "Should I lend you a helping hand?!"; he asked, looking at Mizusawa, who was picking up the cookies which fell from the plate, from above. He waited for Mizuawa to pick up another cookie, just to step on his hand the next moment. "Ah, sorry about that ... "; he repeated the words of the other guy before he lay his hands on Mizusawa's shirt and picked him up; "Next time you better think twice before messing around" ...

ooc: sorry that it's so short

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

Ryosuke wasn't sure how much time passed between the two of them with nothing being said. The music of the party seemed to have completely died out after his outburst, (even the sound of the people around them had faded away in Ryosuke's mind, like he and the girl before him were in some kind of solitary bubble), and now they were just standing there, staring at each, both apparently unsure of what to do. Ryosuke couldn't even entirely read the girl's expression. There was shock, yeah, of course there was, he wasn't expecting any less, but what else......he couldn't figure it out. Just as he hadn't been able to understand her hatred of him, he couldn't understand what she was feeling now, either.

And then, seemingly after hours of their silent exchange, Kaoru finally spoke up again, though quietly. Ryosuke only just caught her words.

"It hurts. Please, let me go."

The Yankee boy looked down, realizing he was still holding tightly to the girl's arm. He released it immediately, his heart sinking. That hadn't been....that hadn't been what he'd meant or what he'd been expecting to hear from Kaoru either.

"I'm.....sorry." His arm found its way back to his side, sort of limp. Now that he wasn't holding onto her anymore, it was weird. He felt sort of vulnerable, like the arm was an extra limb he wasn't used to, like he needed to be holding onto her--or something--for some sense of stability. And even now, glancing at the girl, his vision blurred by unwanted tears, he was sure something had changed, something he couldn't work out...

"I can't..." Kaoru was speaking again. "...I just can't."

Ryosuke found himself surprised. That was the answer then. The answer to all he'd pleaded with her about.

But she couldn't? She couldn't what? She couldn't explain? She couldn't let him know what he'd done wrong? What had happened to her that had been so bad that she couldn't tell him? And why him? What was it that had happened to her that made him the bad guy? Yankees? Like what had happened with Keiko? Why was it that all the girls he'd recently become so close to, closer than he'd ever been before with other girls, seemed to have once had some kind of horrible issue with Yankees?

The only difference between his relationship with Keiko and Kaoru now was that one of them had learned to trust him, understand he wasn't like whatever monsters she'd met before. And yet even so, Ryosuke felt the smallest sense of relief, somewhere deep inside. Maybe Kaoru wasn't going to tell him, maybe she claimed she couldn't, but that was a start. That was more than she had said to him yet. That was...well, even if it didn't make things specifically clearer, it did at the same time. Maybe he could accept that as an answer for now....

Ryosuke looked at the Washizu girl carefully, as he had so many times before, though this time he was sure his feelings about her were no longer some flitting crush or momentary love type thing. They were real, very real, even to the point of not being just love anymore, but concern and anger and fear and sadness, things that he couldn't remember ever having felt before for any of the other girls he'd dated, at least not to the extent that he'd felt like he'd known and loved them all his life.

But he was also aware, seeing the almost "deer-in-headlights" look upon the girl's face, that she was probably just as forlorn and lost as he was at the moment, and holding her back wasn't going to do either of them very good. He just....he didn't want her going outside like that, by herself.

Ryosuke took a deep breath. He'd started to notice the people around them looking their way again but still found he didn't have the willpower to care.

"Then..." The blonde Yankee took a moment to regain his composure, though the best he could do was blink back the tears in his eyes. He started to blush as a tear rolled down his face anyway, ironically on the side where Kaoru had struck him. But God, this wasn't going to do anything for them. There was just no going back at this point. "Then....I guess..."

He moved away from the door, past Kaoru and towards another group of costumed friends who had begun to back up, seeing him approaching. "....another time. But please don't go out. I'll leave you alone, you can...hang out with Keiko-chan and maybe when your friends get here, them too...but....not by yourself."

Ryosuke wasn't meeting her gaze now. It felt easier that way. Everything seemed to feel easier when he wasn't looking back in her eyes, maybe because there were so many emotions with Kaoru. Without her, he could be dead as stone and it wouldn't damn well matter.

He didn't know what else to do now. The hurt was still there, the sadness and awkwardness too, but he couldn't hold her there, not against her will, not if she didn't want to say anything, and yet...

"Kaoru-chan..." Ryosuke didn't turn around, found he was once again immobile, his whole body now feeling awkward, like his arm had moments before, as though it wasn't actually his. "....when you're ready to tell me, I'll be ready to listen."

He pondered going back into the party, losing himself somewhere in the midst of the crowd, then changed his mind. Instead, Ryosuke moved back for Kaoru, brushing lightly past her for the door, then stepped outside into the cool October night air, shutting the sounds of the party out behind him. He'd see if he could catch up with Nippori outside, see what they would do, but at least this way if he was gone from the party, Kaoru wouldn't have to be.

OOC: .... XD

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Sorry this took forever, and I got permission from Lee to drag Kaoru around the party. Yes, for once Keiko is not the one being pulled around!



For a while none of them moved, Ryosuke still had a grip on Uchida’s arm, blocking the doorway that lead to the outside, Uchida turned her head to the side, making no moves to go anywhere… and Keiko stood behind the two, watching the scene unfold.

"It hurts. Please, let me go." Uchida gave her arm a weak pull, as if she wasn’t putting any effort into the action, and Ryosuke quickly did as he was told, removing his hand as if her touch burned him. His mouth moved, but he was either too quiet or the music blaring covered up what he was staying.

It was only then that Keiko realized she was holding her breath. She let it out, her lungs filling with air once again as she watched the back of Uchida’s head bob as she spoke, her words also lost among the surrounding noise. Ryosuke’s eyes threatened with tears, a single tear even escaped, trailing down his reddened cheek.

The Yankee backed off the door, looking completely dejected but still moving away from the two, his voice low, "Then... Then....I guess.......another time. But please don't go out. I'll leave you alone, you can...hang out with Keiko-chan and maybe when your friends get here, them too...but....not by yourself."

Keiko was rooted to the spot, unable to do anything to fix the situation before her, and it was horrible, feeling this insignificant while her newest friend was going through a hard time and with a girl he happened to like, a girl who came to her own rescue.

Ryosuke remained with his back to them, the group in front backing away from the Luigi. "Kaoru-chan.......when you're ready to tell me, I'll be ready to listen." He made a move to go forward but stopped himself, instead turning back to Uchida, making his way past her and out the door he was guarding just moments before, leaving both fetishes to stare at the door swinging shut.

Keiko stared at the now shut door, the gust of wind that filtered through making her shiver, her eyes shifting to look at Uchida. Her face was still turned away, making it impossible to tell what she was feeling, thinking, anything, and Keiko felt herself moving forward, laying a hand on the other’s shoulder.

“Uchida-san…”

She bit her lip, nothing she could say would make what just happened any better, especially since it was her friend Uchida seemed to have a problem with, but standing there, with the onlookers… looking on, surely the other girl wanted some sort of privacy?

“It’s… awfully loud here, why don’t we…” Words failed to convey what she was saying, and, as if to make up for her lack of explanation, reached down and took hold of Kaoru’s hand, tugging her along, repaying the favor from earlier when the nurse saved her from that scurvy pervy pirate.

It was a bit of a hassle, as if no one wanted the two to get to their destination, but Keiko was determined, pushing past as many people as possible, changing direction when some refused to move, stubbornly staying in their path.

But finally, after dodging a person dressed as a duck, seriously where were people getting these costumes, she spotted it, the little sign hanging above the crowd, an arrow pointing towards a hallway. The closer she got, the more it became obvious that not as many people were hanging out here, which made it the perfect hiding spot. Maybe should she have gone here in the first place.

As they walked down the barren hallway, sounds from the party became muffled, with only the thumping of the bass and drums to even remind them a ball was going on. With a shove, she opened the heavy door, leading the two into the deserted bathroom.

They should have some privacy here.

Keiko loosened her grip on Uchida’s hand, backing away to give the other girl some space. She really didn’t know what to say at the moment, or if she thought of something, could possibly make it any better.

Still… she had to try.

“I’m,” she took a deep breath, the sudden quiet hurting her ears, “I’m sorry about… everything that just happened. Ryosuke-kun… He’s…” Her voiced trailed off, anything she planned on saying next vanishing from her mind, leaving it blank. Hanging her head, she resigned to staring at the floor, “Sorry.”

[Uchida Kaoru]

Kaoru didn't have to look up to see the slight movements in the boy who stood before her, and to tell that he was looking at her. She wanted to to move somewhere... she wasn't the type to dress like she was at that moment -- it was a stupid costume for one stupid freaking night, and she'd only felt stupid when she bought it, put it on that evening and walked around that night. Up to that point she'd only felt stupid, but knowing that he was looking at her like... she didn't even want to think about it.

But still, she couldn't move.

"Then... Then....I guess..."

Kaoru wrinkled her nose, inspecting the floor tiles. What else could this guy possibly have to say?

He moved away from the door, past Kaoru and towards another group of costumed friends who had begun to back up, seeing him approaching. "....another time. But please don't go out. I'll leave you alone, you can...hang out with Keiko-chan and maybe when your friends get here, them too...but....not by yourself."

"Kaoru-chan... when you're ready to tell me, I'll be ready to listen."

Kaoru... chan? If the girl could find it in herself to move, the blonde would've found himself slapped again right then and there. But all that happened much too quickly, and before she could react the blonde had doubled back and had walked out of the door.

She could only watch as the yankee in the overalls leave, the quick breeze of the last October air snapping her awake.

She didn't know what to do next. She definitely didn't want to be told what to do, not by the likes of him, but she didn't want to leave the party right after him and bumped into to in some dark road, being dressed like a whore and all. And before she could short anything out, she felt a hand on her shoulder that nearly made her jump. Fortunately, it was accompanied by the soft and familiar voice of Suzuki.

"Uchida-san…" she started, "It’s… awfully loud here, why don’t we…"

The way the girl was hesitating, it seemed like she didn't know what to do either... but then she did do something. She grabbed Kaoru by the hand and started pulling her in the opposite direction from the hall's doors, through the crowds and across the floor.

The next thing Kaoru knew, she was standing in the women's restroom, and Suzuki released her grip. Hopelessly confused, she opted to turn around, facing the long mirror. She wasn't sure how much that helped, because she could still see the other girl in the reflection, and she was sure Suzuki could see her too.
`
“I’m... I’m sorry about… everything that just happened. Ryosuke-kun… He’s…" Kaoru bit her lip when she saw Suzuki hang her head, uttering one last "Sorry."

There was something in Kaoru that wanted to tell the maid that it wasn't her fault; she seemed like a nice girl and there was no way she could hold her accountable for the actions of someone like him. Yet she couldn't sort out her mixed feelings for this "nice girl's" connection to a delinquent that just called her a whore, the guy who did all kinds of things. There was absolutely no way that Suzuki didn't know what kind of person the blonde was...

...unless, maybe... he'd managed to charm her, too?

Was that what was going on? Kaoru narrowed her eyes at the reflection of Suzuki in the mirror behind her. This would be different than just yanking her away from a lecher on the dance floor. Uchida Kaoru knew how hard it could be, and she wasn't up to any more interventions that night.

In fact, if that was how it was going to be, she'd much rather be left alone. She crossed her arms and looked to the side, no bothering to try and hide the bitter edge to her voice.

"Shouldn't you be out there, with your friend? He's the one crying, and all."

[Mizusawa Taku]

ooc: I'd like to go somewhere with this, but as Lambo isn't around anymore, I don't want to write Naoki more than I have to. So I'll kinda sorta write him out.

ic:
"It's ok ... "

Mizusawa had at first been ready to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that everything would be okay, and that the guy in front of him was certainly not as freaky as the character he was currently portraying. Unfortunately, he'd been wrong.

"... Not!"

At this point, Mizusawa had already begun bending to pick up the cookies he had dropped. Though the other's words warranted that he was actually quite upset about the collision and that something not so good was about to happen, there wasn't enough time for Mizusawa to get back to his feet properly and try to get away.

"Should I lend you a helping hand?!" The other boy's voice was mocking. A moment later, and something came crashing down hard on top of Mizusawa's outstretched hand. The cookie he had been grabbing for crumbled beneath his crushed hand, which in turn seemed to be crushed beneath the other guy's large black boot. Mizusawa winced, trying to pull his hand away but finding he was stuck. What was wrong with this guy?

"Ah, sorry about that ... "; he repeated the words of the other guy before he lay his hands on Mizusawa's shirt and picked him up; "Next time you better think twice before messing around" ...

Mizusawa felt himself being picked back up off the ground, and now he was on tiptoe, barely touching the ground as the other and much bigger guy held him up by the shirt.

"I-I'm sorry," he said again lamely, unsure of what else the guy wanted to hear. He'd already apologized, which he felt had surely been enough. After all, they'd walked into each other, so it hadn't even been entirely his fault. Yet he'd received no apology.

Which was fine, he couldn't help thinking, so long as he got out of this okay.

For a moment, the other boy just stared back at him, a glare on his face and some sort of hatred in his eyes. Mizusawa nearly shuddered at that look. He wasn't sure walking into this guy really had anything to do with it--he'd probably just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Get the hell out of my sight," the boy finally finished, snarling the last few words as he shoved Mizusawa way from him. Mizusawa went stumbling backwards into a girl dressed as a bumblebee, quickly apologized to her, then looked back at the guy who had tossed him. He was already disappearing into the crowd, taking his angry look and air of unpleasantness with him.

With a sigh of relief, Mizusawa re-adjusted his shirt and shook out his slightly injured hand. Now that he thought about it, where had his plate of food gone?

It took a moment, but soon he spotted it, lying on the floor not too far away, the various treats he'd picked out scattered everywhere, cookies and ice cream reduced to crumbs and mush mashed beneath people's shoes. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, then sighed. What a waste of food. Maybe he'd better not get anything else.

Feeling a little upset, he made his way back over to Yuuta, still near the food table.

"Looks like I'm not having such good luck tonight." He frowned and then looked out towards where Kaneko had disappeared. "I wonder if Kaneko is okay," he couldn't help murmuring aloud.

ooc: Crap post of the year!!!!!!!!