estoria | ( OPEN ) red light, green light

Entry tags:

( OPEN ) red light, green light

Who: Haruka Nanase (

freed), Makoto Tachibana (

cordated), and YOU!
When: IC 1/9 —1/11
Where: Nearly every district! Not limited to: CERES Food Stop, CERES Game Center, a bunch of nondescript street corners, and jail.
What: Bending the rules, breaking the rules, and ~~cheating~~ beating the system?! Or trying to, at least.
Rating/Warning: PG.

1. CANDY SHOP.MP3 (ceres food stop.)

[ upon entering the shop, a one-sided conversation ensues as the only shop attendant speaks in stifled tones to ... what seems to be himself, if his gaze wasn't stubbornly trained to a certain spot behind the counter: ]

both

[ but once the door opens with a protracted tinkle of a bell, he turns. eyes drawn in assiduous focus, he dolefully grins as he angles his attention to the customer venturing out to browse the wares. ]

[ at this point, he's interrupted by a rather plaintive mewling (miaow, miaow) warbled from somewhere around his feet. visibly paling, makoto coughs a few times and resumes speaking. ]

haha

[ one hand sweeping over the display case, he makes a point to tap the sweets display case several times in quick succession. ]

2. TMW YOU CAN'T WIN HELLO KITTY FROM THE CLAW MACHINE (ceres game center.)

[ or you might find makoto situated in one of the various arcades in the conglomerate sprawl of game centers, studiously trying his luck (and a substantial amount of his daily paycheck) on one of the claw machines. mouth puzzled open on a sigh, he's even got his head tilted a few degrees to the side in a futile effort to win the only cat plush in the glass chamber, only to come up with empty hands on his last try, not any closer to his goal than he was on his initial run. ]

[ retreating from the machine, he holds out his only inadvertently-won prize (a rather squashed-looking stuffed animal of indeterminate origin) to the bystander standing in the line right behind him. ]

[ a beat or two passes, and then: ]

3. KIND OF LIKE A SLASHER FLICK EXCEPT NOT (random street corner ... seedy alleyway, perhaps ...)

[ so: you're in a derelict alleyway sometime in the evening. nightlife solidifies with all the risqué robot models strutting over the various walkways when you get the distinct sense you're being followed.

it's just an inkling of a doubt, but it's enough to take caution, all up until the point someone's hand clamps tightly on your shoulder. assuming your heart didn't stop and leave us one man down in this scenario, you are now very near to one tall and mildly anxious looking boy with green eyes and brown hair, as well as a shorter boy with black hair and blue eyes. it is the latter of these two who speaks to you.]

[a flyer is held up to you with THIS FACE]

[a second flyer with THIS FACE in his other hand appears!

upon closer inspection (as if you need it to be closer than RIGHT IN YOUR face but you know…) one will notice descriptions under the pictures as follows:

RIN MATSUOKA:

— answers to rin-rin
— likes romcoms
— really pointy teeth

KISUMI SHIGINO:

— tends to sparkle
— liberal use of emojis when texting/speaking/breathing
— pink

if you're quiet/silent/have been startled into death for too long, well, eventually the blue-eyed one here will simply….

…blink expectantly as if to say well?…without actually saying it at all. ]

4. IN THE SLAMMER (ceres government center.)

[ the first day in central holding, makoto learns two valuable things about going to prison:

a) it's actually called jail, not prison, for a short-term stay behind bars. more specifically: an overnight stay for a benign misdemeanor, or so they inform him.
b) the "one phone call" bit is a complete hoax. if anything, calls are encouraged. not that knowing that helps him in particular, but it's good to know, nonetheless.

notwithstanding the fact he couldn't ask haru to bail him out, considering they were held up in the same communal cell with at least three other people with them, makoto's absolutely terrified. over the course of two hours, he's kept his eyes peeled staring at the clock and trying to will himself to remain silent and moderately low-key. and makoto fails spectacularly, for the most part, his voice rising entire octaves as he babbles on and on to a relatively levelheaded boy sitting beside him. ]

bad

when everyone we know publicly disowns us

streets

[ when he doesn't get the validation he desperately needs (you know, something beyond placid one-word remarks), he turns to the closest onlooker, doing his absolute best not to stutter. ]

( NOTE: this is a partial joint post with

freed for part 3 + 4! it'll go: you > one of us > you unless you'd prefer no tag order or you'd like us to tag you separately. )

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[The fear fades into indignity after a few moments of staring, and Rio picks herself up and brushes herself off as though she's trying to pretend it never happened. All the while, she's looking everywhere but directly at Makoto and the cat.]

I'm... fine, thank you. It's just--

[It's just that cats are horrible and have claws and teeth and stupid faces and are demon familiars at best is what she originally wanted to wind up for, but it doesn't happen, just the same way she hesitated to kick at the cat when it approached her. She changes it to something a little nicer.]

It's just, isn't that a bit unhygienic for a candy store? I'm sure no one wants to find cat fur in their snacks...

[ he's not going to rub salt into the wound and provoke her even further. makoto obligingly retreats a few steps further, like placing a few inches of distance between them would be enough to dismiss their current predicament as a non-issue. ]

Well, he was in the backroom earlier ... or he should've been, at least ... my friend usually looks after him during my work shifts, but he hasn't been around lately.

[ good choice of words. as a cat-lover, he's horribly biased and would've likely clutched at his metaphorical pearls trying to come up with excuses for why she was inconvertibly wrong and misguided, but instead he just dejectedly hangs his head, exhaling shortly. ]

All the candy here is wrapped, so I figured there wouldn't be any problems if I took him with me just for today.

I'm sorry. Is there any way I can make it up to you?

Mmm...

[Sometimes circumstances do come to that, but that she had to run into it herself is a bit... Well, it's not like he could've known she would come in, and that she didn't like cats. Seeing the way he wilts just makes her bite her lip and try to think of something. It's almost starting to feel like she's the one causing trouble here...]

There's no need to make anything up, really. It's-- I mean-- It happens, doesn't it? And...

[Scrambling for excuses, Rio glances around to either side, hastily grabbing a few things she justifies she was probably going to get in the end anyway.]

L-Listen, I'll just... I'll take these. It's fine. I promise.

[seemingly from nowhere, haruka nanase appears not unlike the cat -- abruptly. but he does so in an effort to be useful or at least to alleviate some of the distress in the situation at hand; he reaches without ceremony for the feline in makoto's hold and it somehow scrambles its way around in haru's arms, then up one of said arms, only to rest with tense paws in the fabric of his shirt, a little in his shoulder too but never mind it. his visage belies no pain or upset when he fixes his gaze on rio, rather a softness there though subtle enough to miss.]

No need to go. I'll take him now.

[the cat's paws flex and claws with it, but the cat's tail is flat in a wobbly truce down haru's back, flicking now and again against his shoulder blade.]

Oh...

[If it were anyone else, she's sure they would have cooed over it, and yet... Rio shoots Haruka a look that's as thankful as it is guilty, because at least now she doesn't have to worry about any feline presence. She bows shortly.]

I'm very sorry for the trouble. I didn't mean to kick up a fuss, it's just... I really can't...

Haru, you — ... huh? What're you doing here? Aren't you collecting flyers from the print shop right now?

[ incredulous, he remains rooted to the spot as haru enters the store and easily snatches the cat wiggling about in his hold, arms dropping to the side mere seconds later. a wordless second flits between them before he catches himself, and with a decidedly contrite motion, makoto shakes his head, and turns to bow to rio in quick succession. ]

No, it's no issue at all. I shouldn't have brought in here in the first place. I'm deeply sorry for the inconvenience and discomfort it caused you.

[ a beat passes, and then: ] Is there anything I can do for you?

[Hesitating, she shakes her head slowly after a pause, forcing a smile.]

I'll be all right, thank you. At least I can have a little time to look around now.

[Another pause, and she turns away to examine some of the displays, but then looks over her shoulder again as though she doesn't want to leave things on such an awkward note.]

I really liked this store the first time I came in, so that's why I came back. I think I just needed a little mood lift, so I was surprised... that's all. I'm just not very good with cats...

O-Oh. It's no issue at all. Take your time.

[ makoto can't actually mitigate his very present desire to evaporate into the air at the moment, but beggars can't be choosers.

he's mortified enough just to inch sideways by a few degrees when rio turns to inspect the rest of the wares, like obscuring haru and the cat is enough to completely blot out their very real presence in the store. he's pretty sure haru will likely pick up the hint and quietly exit of his own volition, but he can't help voicing a rather meek apology to both parties before straightening when he's addressed once more. ]

... Don't apologize, it's okay! I feel the same way about earthworms. I'm okay with handling them, but then my hands get kind of slimy, and I don't really like the sensation of them ... oozing all over my fingers ...

[ wow, he's just making this worse for everyone present. in a candy store, no less. he blanches. ]

I'm sorry. I really, really messed up. I should've been more considerate of your feelings. Are you sure you'll be fine? I can recommend a few candy stores like this one in the area if you'd feel more comfortable going to those places instead from now on.

[The awkwardly misplaced explanation actually makes Rio crack a smile, one that devolves into a giggle after a moment. Not very appetizing, indeed -- and a bit of an apples and oranges comparison, to boot. She shakes her head, taking a step closer and putting her hands on her hips.]

I told you, didn't I? I'll be fine!

[Then she drops the things she'd picked out on panicked impulse before into his hands and looks at him expectantly.]

But I did mean what I said about taking those, you know. Aren't you going to ring me up, sir?

[ someday, he'll die for real and finally be free of the eternal torment known as being a s-rank embarrassment, but for now he's spurred into motion, crouching down to swipe up the candies. if it's defused her shock, though, he's more than happy to play the town fool. ]

Of course! I wouldn't expect you to man the cash register yourself. I'll get started now, sorry for the wait.

[ it is kind of mortifying scanning her goods back at the counter, but he bundles them all up in a bag soon enough, summarily packaging it up before point back at the digital screen.

the price is 300 credits, huh. ]

... On second thought, would you like a discount?

[Rio acts as positively un-ruffled as she can manage, keeping her expression level and her body language neutral, if a little stiff, as he works. But then he asks her that, and everything softens up a little.]

Really? I'm willing to pay the whole thing, but...

[It'd be rude to say no, but troublesome to say yes. She bites her lip, making a risky comment.]

You know... it almost seems like you're the one who's more humiliated than me, as backwards as that sounds. After all, the trouble was on me... you were just trying to juggle two things at once.

[ that's how it is when you're caught between a rock and a hard place, unfortunately. ]

Humiliated? Oh, n-nonono, just —

[ right in the middle of handing her the bag, his hands snatch on air mid-response, mouth opened on a sheepish addendum. ]

I guess you could call me a little embarrassed? I should've been more mindful.

[ a pause ensues, and then, hesitantly: ]

I'm sorry for the subpar service today. This isn't really a bad place for sweets. I'm not the only employee here, so if you come in at another time, you can be assisted by someone else, if that would be more convenient.

[ he's really shooting himself in the foot trying to get the words out just right and failing yet again to come off as anything but a babbling moron. ]

Are you sure you're alright? Would you like compensation?

[This is turning into a contest of who can be more modest, and both seem to be digging their heels in. So Rio pauses to assess, then makes a bold move -- she whirls around and turns the corner to join Makoto behind the counter, then stands up on tiptoe to match his height as best she can, drawing close to him and giving him a stern look.]

I'm quite all right, and really, what I'd like more than anything is for you to relax. If anything, I'm going to come back now just to prove that fact to you, and I'll make sure to do it on your shift. Understand?

[Pause.]

...Cat or no cat.

[ everything upends itself in a matter of seconds.

he's concerned just a little, his insecurities fanned out like birds perched in flight, so makoto shrinks back before tamping down on what he can — eyes wide and grateful because this is makoto, loser extraordinaire, after all. ]

Definitely without the cat.

[ breathlessly spun, he bobs his head several times in succession. ]

The discount still holds, so if you come by next week at the same time, I'll give you half off. Is that alright?

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( OPEN ) red light, green light

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ughhhh sorry

no worries at all. also, i'm sorry for being so slow on my end

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