irreversible | IC: Color My World

[ and masamune finds this completely normal. in fact, he's continuing on his merry chopping way, looking up only to acknowledge minako's entrance.

his look is a little lazy. yes, this really is nothing for him. ]

That's right. [ as is english. chop chop chopping.

he's pushing the onion aside and now chopping carrots. ]

I guess that's getting it done faster, at least.

[But still a small sigh escapes her lips. In the meanwhile, she cleans a wet spot on the counter and laughs a little. It really was just like him, tone and all.]

[Minako turns to look at him, a small smile still present on her face. She's reading his expression as he chops the carrots and she can't help but let out another laugh.] You know, Masamune-kun... you could at least try to look like you're having fun. [Though she guesses chopping vegetables isn't really exciting, so.] I don't know how to make it more exciting when you're using that many knives to begin with!

[ try and look like he's having fun...? well, he does give her a bit of a grin. contrary to his expression, he's actually not bored. it's just kind of different, waving knives around to chop vegetables. especially when he's not going as fast as he usually does...

time for a bit of a speed boost. ]

Heh. How's that? [ and those carrots are getting done in record time, actually. he looks at the knives in his hands for a second and then to minako. ] I could try to add a seventh.

[She's not sure exactly what it is about it, but his expression makes her laugh, a bit more heartily than she had to begin with. It's very endearing, really. Covering her mouth with her hand, Minako shakes her head.] I think six is enough.

I like you with all if your fingers attached to your hands, after all!

[ ah, well, a laugh is good. it's fortunate he wasn't seriously considering it, but at the same time, he kind of was.

though her comment doesn't really pass by, joke or not. he lets the knives down onto the cutting board. ]

Don't worry, Arisato. [ cocking his head a bit. ] I wouldn't make a mistake like that.

You know, that's what they all say...

[Her shoulders quake a little, trying to hold back the laughter that was threatening to take hold of the entire conversation.]

Well, until they're waiting in the emergency room with their digits in a bag of ice!

[Minako knows full-well that he's more than capable; she knows that a kitchen accident is hardly likely -- but she doesn't want him to be too needlessly reckless if it can be helped.]

That's them.

[ and there she goes, doubting him. though he can kind of guess her intentions, which is why he's not trying to chop up vegetables with six knives in one hand, or something ridiculous like that.

well, not ridiculous in his ... eye, anyway. ]

I'm different.

I won't argue with that! [But really, he's fun to tease. Maybe it's because he takes everything in stride; though even then, his competitive nature seems to take hold. But that's part of what she likes about him - it all evens out in the way.]

[She takes a step closer to him, smile calming into something a bit more fond.] But that's also what makes you... you.

[ and there she goes, saying things like that so easily. he doesn't doubt it's sincerity--he knows what she's like and a little bit of how she thinks (at least, he's confident he does), so he's pretty sure it's no lip service. not that she'd gain much from saying something like that. ]

Hah. [ and he can't pretend it's not amusing, in a way. ] Straightforward as always.

[She doesn't mind that it amuses him, and it shows on her face. He's one of the few people who doesn't question her train of thought -- or really ever seem surprised that she calls things as she sees them.]

I wouldn't be me otherwise! And besides, I'm pretty sure you like that part.

[ ah, two for two. he doesn't even blink at those choice of words or her bold declaration--he's used to this and he's not easy to shock with things like that, either way.

not that what she's saying is false. ]

It isn't any fun if you hold back. [ he can say some crazy things of his own. ] You see?

I agree! And yes, I see.

[She can keep up with him. It's a fun challenge for her. As much as Minako loves her friends in Iwatodai, none of them are a thing like him. The change of pace is a welcome one. She shifts on her feet, leaning back so she could rest her elbows on the counter top.]

[It's not really intentional, the flirtatious way she smirks when she looks up at him - but it's definitely there.]

It definitely keeps things interesting.

[ and somehow her shift in atmosphere is almost unpredictable. she had a tendency to be like that--spontaneous. consistently so. yet it wouldn't be any fun if she was always doing the same thing. if there was one thing minako wasn't, it was boring.

and masamune was just fine with that. ]

Looks like you're catching on. [ with the flow and the english. ]

I like a challenge.

[Which she says mostly to prove that she's been doing her homework. Being around him does give her the perfect chance to work on her English, even if it's only for things like this.]

[It really doesn't seem to matter much that the task at hand has been forgotten for the time being. She's having fun, and as long as it stays that way, it's fine with her.] I'm a fast learner.

[ that gets a bit more of his attention, maybe a slightly raised eyebrow. so she'd been practising some things. her little display showed that off pretty well. ]

Fast learner, huh. [ though he hasn't forgotten what the purpose of this entire meet-up was, he finds minako's conversation a bit more exciting than the chopping of vegetables.

he'd tell her "just a bit" to get her riled up, too. ] Show all your tricks and you won't have anything left, Arisato.

[ and now he's going to tease her back. ]

Who said these were all my tricks? [She's giggling a little now, almost coy -- but there's still a smooth confidence lying underneath it. It's effortless; she's only being herself.] I hope you're not underestimating me, Masamune-kun!

Overestimating's worse. [ so this is the playfulness coming on again. he just wants to see what she replies with--he knows pretty well that she's more than just a girl with a pretty face. way more than that.

he just likes teasing her sometimes. ]

[ R U D E, Masamune-kun! Her brows knit for a moment and she folds her arm. She may be pouting a little, but it's hard to tell.]

[But that's not to say she's without her own retort, that gleam still present in her eyes.] Like how I overestimated your tact with a lady?

[ oh, pouting? he thinks maybe he went a little bit far with that... but then again, minako is minako and he has no doubt she can handle it.

he's going to turn to her a bit more and cross his arms, leaning back against the counter. vegetables? completely forgotten. ]

So you've got a sharp tongue, too.

[There's no denying that the cooking has fallen to the wayside - at least nothing had actually been put on heat yet. She glances behind her, enough to see that the counter space behind her is empty and she shifts her arms; she's hoisting herself to sit on the counter.]

Someone has to keep boys like you in line! [That's right. Boys. As in "this isn't the first time she's dealt with things like this." And also maybe poking fun at his manhood. Which may be taking things a bit far. He is a historical figure, after all.]

[ he raises a curious eyebrow at her "boys" comment. now she was really toeing the line. ... well, it wasn't like he was completely innocent, personally, but he still hadn't quite planned for a retort like that.

he lifts himself off his side of the counter for a moment, and walks over to her. ]

Boy? [ once he's done repeating that, he stops his walking. ] That's playing with fire, Arisato Minako.

[She closes her eyes for a moment, looking almost peaceful, zen-like. Playing with fire isn't always so bad, is it? She thinks of her Personas; the ones that bore strength in Agi skills always did have a special spark to them. Maybe that was part of her. Wasn't that natural? Orpheus was her first, the one she connected with the most and fire was certainly a strength.]

[When she opens her eyes, she can't help but let out a giggle, raising a hand to her mouth and hunching her shoulders slightly.] It really wouldn't matter much if I had an immunity to it, would it, Date Masamune?

[It's hard for her to resist the snarky commentary. He makes it too easy, and even if she knows that he knows nothing about her Persona skills; how at will, she would be able to shift her strengths and weaknesses, it's hard to turn down an opportunity like that. Most of the fun was getting him riled up in some way, regardless.]

[ he almost laughs. she's got her responses, he'll give her that. some of the things she says makes him curious--she's got strange ways of wording things that make him wonder, but she leaves things interesting enough that he can leave those on the backburner.

he puts his hand on the counter space beside her, gives her the grin he reserves for when he's interested. ]

Don't think you've seen anything like this dragon's flames. [ though she wouldn't be surprised if she'd seen similar things--still, he doesn't have a doubt that he can match up to whatever she's done. ]

[Her gaze darts for a moment, taking notice of where his hand is. She's a little surprised, though she's careful not to let it show; that would be like admitting defeat. Somewhere along the way, it became a competitive battle of wit; biting words, because they both could handle it]

[Minako's hand drops into her lap, her gaze growing just a bit more serious. Only a bit though - her lips still have that upward curve that prove that she's not giving in quite yet.] That's a pretty confident statement. [Giggle.] But how will I know unless you try to prove it?

[ she meets his blow again. she would almost remind him of sanada yukimura, in her persistence, stubbornness, unwillingness to give--but this was a completely different type of battle, and she was a completely different type of person.

he leans in just a bit, and this time he laughs. ]

Hah. Where I'm from, that's a declaration of war. [ though he thinks that's a challenge in any person's world. well, if they were cool enough anyway. ] And the One-Eyed Dragon doesn't back down from those.

I'd be worried if you didn't catch that, you know. [She stifles a bit of a laugh. It was refreshing to have someone who called her on her blows - or at least, did so in a way that wasn't laced with complete and utter shock.]

Someone has to keep you on your toes, right? And since I'm right here...

I've gone my life catching things like that. So easy.

[ he continues the lean. invasion of personal space or not, masamune doesn't seem to mind. when it came to battles, this kind of distance was customary. ]

Here, huh? [ and then he stops, quite close to her.

... and draws back from the leaning, smirk still playful and interest and present.

when it came to these things there was more than one way to play, he found. ]

And someone's got to keep you on yours.

[She's not really surprised. In fact, she expects a reaction like this out of him. There's no ridding her of the smirk now; her eyes are gleaming, enjoying the challenge.]

Well, Masamune-kun. [She returns the gesture once he's pulled away, leaning in close. There's a giggle, airy. Almost weightless and definitely holding a plethora of emotions not displayed otherwise.]

[She likes Masamune. He's different from the others she knows -- her friends from home didn't tend to indulge her at all. They either gave in to her sometimes strange whims, but would be questioning. And if it wasn't that, there was a straightforwardness that she appreciated. She liked honesty. But she also liked games; she liked that Masamune didn't just bear everything so directly. It was interesting - it made her wonder if this was anything similar to how others perceived her.]

[After a pause that was just long enough - enough to put a certain tension in the air without weighing it down - she pulls back. A wide grin crosses her lips and she splays her hands on the counter, casual.]

Why do you think I keep you around?

[ he doesn't pull back when minako returns his teasing--in fact he's completely still through it, meeting her eyes with his own.

her question doesn't baffle him. in fact, he can think of a couple of answers right off the bat. there were playful fights, challenges--he had things to teach her and, though he'd never admit it, she had things to teach him. he wasn't easy or boring, and neither was she. when he bit, she bit back. though not literally.

oh. ]

The same reasons I keep you around.

Because you need to learn how to cook? Sorry to break it to you, Masamune-kun, but I already know how to do that!

[Now she's just being downright facetious about it. Of course it wasn't directly that -- honestly, what they could learn from one another seemed to be far beyond what they'd originally set out to do.]

[But he did leave himself wide open for that one, so she has to make the jab.]

... Hah!

[ minako, you just keep pulling the punches don't you? and masamune doesn't mind at all that she's playing along with that, because when have they ever expected an easy conversation?

he grins. ]

Nice, Arisato.

[It's part of what makes things so unique between them, and definitely something she enjoys. She doesn't say anything, considering his lack of retort something of a victory. She pumps her fist into the air, laughing heartily.]

I'd say I won this round, huh?

[ now he's not going to go that far. saying she won would be admitting defeat, and he was stubborn enough to keep fighting regardless.

. . . though he'll admit her cheer is somewhat amusing to see. ]

Hey, don't go getting ahead of yourself. [ ... maybe a little bit too amusing, to him. ]

You say that like you've still got a trick up your sleeve. [She lowers her arm, returning to the position she'd been sitting in just a few moments before. Her smile remains, but her eyes narrow a bit as she leans forward again - not as far as she did before, but close enough.]

[ he just chuckles and also leans forward a little bit. he doesn't really need to move very far to get close, though, given she's covering half the distance.

he mimics her expression, though his smile is more of a feral grin. ]

What do you think?

[She tilts her head to the side, a slight nuance in her position. Her expression softens a bit, though is still sharp. It's willing, but retains a competitive edge. She's not one to lose.]

I think you need some action to back up all that big talking.

IC: Color My World

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