Yesterday's been laid to rest, changing of the guard [open!]

[flight_15]

Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki and anyone on the Amestris
Content: HATERS GONNA HATE. No really, this is Ichigo giving up on his reputation and getting on with his life. He hasn't been hiding out in his room or avoiding anyone--actually, he seems strangely confident. ALSO FEEL FREE TO NOTICE A RING HE'S WEARING. ON HIS LEFT RING FINGER. Surely

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[flailingbento]

Watanuki was finally getting over the trauma of that damned network post himself. This had involved a lot of hiding in the galley and not talking to people and staying the hell off the network; but finally, things seemed to be dying down, to the point that he wasn't in a terrible mood while he worked

[flight_15]

"I figured you would be," Ichigo said by way of answer. He hadn't talked with Watanuki in a couple of weeks, figuring it'd be better to give the other time to calm down from the huge network trainwreck. And...well, he wanted to. Not for any particular reason, not because there was something heavy and pressing that they needed to talk about, but just because they were friends. His manner was perfectly casual, with his hands in his pockets. There was also an uncharacteristically open expression on Ichigo's face. "So I came by. What's up?"

He hadn't moved to sit down yet, standing by the door instead. Ichigo glanced around the kitchen -- much bigger and fancier than the previous few he'd seen, he noted. That probably kept Watanuki happy.

[flailingbento]

The Winding Way had had an impressive kitchen, but even that had nothing on the Amestris's enormous galley. (There were multiple pantries.) Watanuki still couldn't believe his luck at getting to work in such a place.

Ichigo's presence in it wasn't so terribly unusual; he'd come by enough times on the Way. But he wasn't here to collect debt-bento this time, and Watanuki couldn't think of anything spirit-related they needed to talk about. Was he really here just... to talk?

Well. There was no real reason to turn him out, and Watanuki found he didn't want to. "I'm just working," he said, indicating the steaming pot on the stove. "My shift's over soon, but I can finish this before I leave. ...You can come in, you know."

[flight_15]

Oh, okay. So he was welcome. That was good. Ichigo pulled the door shut behind him, then settled into a chair near one of the counters, looking sideways at the cook.

"So you heard those rumors, right? About you and Roxas?"

It counted as small talk. Ichigo didn't buy it, personally, having too recently been the victim of overzealous gossip, but it didn't hurt to check.

[flailingbento]

Oh. That was what he was here for. Watanuki's face dropped into an embarrassed scowl and he turned back to the stove, trying to hide his rising blush.

"Of course I heard," he snapped. "It was only all over the network." He gave the soup a rather more vigorous than necessary stir and swore when it splashed onto the stovetop. "The nerve of some people!" he cried as he reached for a rag and began to scrub furiously at the spill. "Who would ever believe that?! He just came down for tea!"

He paused. Glanced over his shoulder at Ichigo. He wasn't here because...? "...You didn't believe it, did you?"

[flight_15]

"Of course I didn't," Ichigo shot right back. "The network's just full of gossips who don't have anything better to do with their time than stick their noses into other people's business. That's just how it is." He stretched his arms out in front of him, lacing his fingers together and flexing them with a pop.

"I'm just making sure you're okay. Getting gossiped about can be rough." Ichigo had more experience with this than Watanuki knew -- even before dubious network fame as Sketch-kun, he'd grown up in a subdivision of Melior where most of the people had really dark hair. His orange had stood out like a sore thumb, and had been the cause of more fights than he could count, not to mention lots of talk between the students and even the teachers. It was why he'd gotten good grades all through school, to get the faculty off his back. It was high time he started dealing with the network gossip like he'd dealt with Karakura High: by not letting it get to him.

[flailingbento]

Watanuki was no stranger to schoolyard whispers, either; he'd never had many friends at school, being known as that kid who talked to the air or fainted on the playing field or stared at things that weren't there. But that hadn't bothered him like this had - at least back then, he could rest secure in the knowledge that the things he saw were truly there. Now people were raising hell all over the network for something that hadn't even happened.

...But it was heartening, at least, that Ichigo didn't seem to be here to bring it up again. And, well. He would know what it was like.

"It'll be fine," Watanuki said with a sigh, tossing the rag into the sink as thought dismissing the issue. "They'll forget about it soon enough. Just... why would anyone think I would-- with Roxas?! It's ridiculous!"

[flight_15]

"Not as ridiculous as me and Edgeworth." Ichigo pulled a face. "I mean I guess he's an okay guy, but I can't even start telling you how not interested I am."

He paused for a long second, glancing sideways at Watanuki, eyes flat. Did he want to ask the next logical question here? It could lead to awkward territory, but it beat silence and going on about their respective network rumors. Ichigo'd had enough of that. "So if you're not into Roxas, what kind of person do you like?" He pulled a careless face, resting his chin on one hand. It was just something to talk about, and besides, he'd known Watanuki for forever and had no idea what kind of girl the cook liked.

[flailingbento]

Watanuki glanced up in surprise. That had come out of the blue. He wondered whether or not he should even answer - what an awkward thing to talk about out of nowhere! What did it have to do with anything?!

But, well. He supposed, upon further reflection, that it wasn't such a strange thing to ask. It was the kind of thing friends talked about, right? And Ichigo was just here to talk, after all. It wasn't an argument and Ichigo obviously didn't have any ulterior motive for asking the question. So, in a marvelous show of rationality and restraint, Watanuki answered.

"Hm," he said, stalling as he considered his (rather pathetic) romantic history. "Well. I like a person like..." And suddenly his entire being lit up as though someone had hit a switch inside him. His face broke into a dreamy, nostalgic smile, and he leaned against the counter with a sigh, as though his legs could no longer support him. "...someone like Himawari-chan."

[flight_15]

Ichigo stared in surprise. ...wow. From the look on his face, Watanuki really liked this girl. Hell, if Watanuki liked anyone, Ichigo would have expected it to be Rikku. But this was the first Ichigo had heard about this mystery woman. "Himawari-chan?" he repeated dubiously. "Who's that? You've never mentioned her before."

Maybe she didn't even exist, and was some fantasy chick Watanuki had dreamed up.

[flailingbento]

It had been some time since Watanuki had seen Himawari-chan. But distance and time didn't dull true love! He could still see her in his mind's eye, her bright smile seeming to sparkle in the sunbeams that always accompanied the mental image of her face.

He heaved another sigh so long and dreamy it practically had a tune. "Himawari-chan," he said - oh, the syllables were so lovely on his tongue! - "is the most beautiful, adorable, perfect girl in the world. I knew her back in Bellcius - she had the prettiest smile! And long, curly black hair, and she was delicate and sweet and always looked so happy... We would eat lunch together in the park and she always complimented my cooking-- 'Oh, Watanuki-kun, this is so delicious~!'"

He was lost in his fantasy world now, not seeming to notice that he was now relying entirely on the counter for support.

[flight_15]

Delicate? Sweet? Happy?

....Ichigo was uncomfortably reminded of his own father's over-the-top behavior. He could easily imagine a poster of this smiling, curly-haired mystery girl up on a wall, with Watanuki fawning over it.

He sounded mildly unimpressed.

"So where is she now?"

[flailingbento]

Watanuki seemed almost to deflate. The smile melted off his face to be replaced with a look of deep woe.

"She was on the Winding Way for a few weeks," he said, "To travel. Then she left. I think she's back in Bellcius." He heaved yet another sigh, this time one filled with all the misery of two lonely years without her sparkling presence in his life. "I haven't really liked anyone since her. She's too perfect to be replaced."

[flight_15]

...man, Ichigo was the worst one to talk to about this. Something about the over-the-top woe completely killed any sympathy he might have -- Ichigo had seen too much crocodile crying from his father.

"I must have missed her," he said off-handedly. "But...y'know, I guess if you meet the one, no one else really compares. I mean, not like I'd know. I ain't met her yet."

[flailingbento]

Watanuki dragged himself out of the depths of his misery to look up at Ichigo. "Exactly," he said. "That's what happens when you meet someone perfect." He paused. "...What kind of person do you like, then?"

[flight_15]

Do perfect people exist...? I don't think so. The closest person to perfect I ever met was my mother. I know in my head that she probably wasn't, but...

He pulled himself out of that train of thought. "Me?" He blinked at Watanuki again, taken off-guard by the question and scrambling to find an answer. "Uh...I guess I'd like someone...pretty." No, that wasn't a good start. But that was what everyone wanted, right? Ichigo swallowed and went on. "But strong. Someone who could look after themselves, so I wouldn't have to worry about them in a fight. Someone like Jean, I guess," he said thoughtfully.

As an afterthought, he added, "...but I wouldn't mind being able to protect that person a little."