In which Gintoki nervously takes a warrior princess to dinner...

[permed_justice]

WHO: Xena (atoningforsin) and Gintoki (permed_justice)
WHERE: Starting at the MAC, then on to 'uptown'.
WHEN: August 14th (Friday), evening
WARNINGS: Dinner and conversation, maybe even a goodnight kiss!~
SUMMARY: Gintoki boldly asked out Xena and was blessed by the dating gods. Now he's actually got to go through with it without chickening out.
FORMAT: Paratroopergraph

Comments

;jksfasdf /intimidated by long post wah sorry >.<

[atoningforsin]

Xena didn't have much in the way of clothing to dress up in. Only some very basic things she used for working out, and the stuff she wore to work. It had been a tough decision, but she opted for a snug brown tank that reminded her of her armor over a knee-length green skirt, with gladiator-style sandals. And a dagger sheathed up her back, for peace of mind.

A final finger-combing of her hair in the tiny mirror of her MAC bathroom, and she was as ready as she'd ever get.

Minutes later, Xena stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of the building, glancing around. Where was he?

Hey, she cannot brain that D:

[atoningforsin]

"I completely understand. War really takes it out of you, doesn't it?"

Xena smiled brightly at him and patted his arm. She hadn't meant to offend. Not traveling was a strange idea to her, honestly.

[permed_justice]

"It does, especially when it's a war fought for all the best and dumbest reasons

[atoningforsin]

Due to the craziness of Xena's world/timeframe/what have you, she'd seen men walk with a hand on the sword like that. It looked rather comfortable, she'd always thought, though she hadn't tried it herself.

The cafe looked promising. Homey, even, as much as something could be homey in the City. She didn't know many of the dishes on the menu, so she'd just pointed to something in the spirit of adventure. Hopefully it'd be as good as the description sounded.

"Greece? The weather is fair. Not too cold, not too hot, and definitely not a desert. Temperate, even. It's a beautiful country, or at least it was for me."

[permed_justice]

Gin sipped at a glass of water while she spoke, smiling as she painted a modest picture of her homeland. His features were cast in a peaceful light by the shielded candle sitting in the center of the table, while the rest of the room had been dimmed by the temperate lighting overhead. He liked it here already, the calm atmosphere perfectly matching the rhythm his own laid-back sort of personality.

"So, if I happened to visit, what would happen to a rookie traveler like me?" he asked, lips pursed into a silly sort of smile. "Would I get lost? Hopefully the people would be nice enough to save me."

[atoningforsin]

Well, she was only really telling him the nice parts about her travels. The fighting, the killing, the war...those were best left unmentioned for the time being. She'd had enough of it.

Except then he asked that question, and she sighed.

"That would depend on how much money you had, or what services you could perform," Xena replied honestly. "There has been a lot of war. People are kind when they can afford to be, but a little help around the farmstead would likely secure you a spot in the barn to sleep a night or two, at least."

[permed_justice]

"Ohh..." Gintoki replied; despite his earlier ignorance, he was actually able to pick up on the tone of her voice rather well. Maybe he didn't know one land mass from another, but he knew when someone wasn't telling the whole truth.

How best to counter the dip in the mood, he wondered? He could change the subject quickly, but the thought would still linger on afterwards. No, do or die, he had to make this part a little more positive. Try to make a joke, sergeant! It's our only chance!

"How much money I had, or how much work I could do..." Lowering his brow thoughtfully, Gin rubbed at the tip of his chin for a moment, as if he were trying to work his way through a difficult question. "I guess I'd be screwed. Better go someplace nice and tropical instead, hmm?"

[atoningforsin]

Xena stared at him for a long moment, eyebrows raised.

Then she laughed, having been completely caught off guard by his answer.

"Ahaha, I suppose you should go somewhere tropical instead, yes. Though there's no guarantee that people'd be nicer there. But at least it would be warm, wouldn't it?"

[permed_justice]

Whew! It was a gamble, but the attack paid off. Gin was more than a little relieved to hear her laugh, especially after that disarming pause. When she laughed, he laughed along.

"Mmm-hmm," he replied, nodding. "Plus, I'd say I look pretty good in a swimsuit on the beach." From anyone else, that kind of comment might've seemed like a lot of macho talk, but it was Gintoki's silly sort of sweetness that made his talk come off as charming.

Taking a moment to sample his meal, the curry, thankfully, was as mild as he had hoped. "Anyway...what else do you like to do besides travel, Xena? Got any hobbies?"

[atoningforsin]

"Where I come from, most people swim naked," was her rather amused reply. A beach trip would be nice, though.

"Hobbies? I haven't really had much time for them, here or back home. But I do like to sing sometimes. What about you?"

[permed_justice]

In the middle of a sip from his water upon Xena's 'revealing' comment, Gintoki was suddenly heard making a noise that, simply put, could not be properly expressed in any language known to civilized man. If one attempted to lable the sound he emitted while water was simultaneously moving in and out of his mouth and nose, one could only describe in a single, nonsensical word:

SNRK.

It took him a moment to recover, but when he did, Gin was already laughing again, in good spirits despite making a fool of himself. He cleared his throat and tried his best not to think too hard about the prospect of Xena swimming naked.

"You sing? Actually...I can see that," he replied, sounding genuinely interested. "As for me, I usually spend my time fighting killers, gorillas, guerillas, and lately, Godzillas. I also do a lot of babysitting, and my life is constantly threatened by spear-wielding women with bad attitudes."

Judging by his voice, there was at least a partial truth to all that, no matter how comical it sounded.

[atoningforsin]

"Story of my life, Gintoki. Story of my life. I've fought a lot of spear-wielding women, too, actually."

She grinned at him, eyes dancing. His list of hobbies read like hers, really. Fighting all kinds of things, all the time.

"Who do you babysit?"

[permed_justice]

Gintoki grinned in return, his soft and gentle eyes gazing back. He took another sip from his glass, although he made sure the coast was clear for choking-hazards before taking a drink.

"I usually babysit a couple of bratty teenagers," he said, smiling as he spoke. "They won't leave me alone, they eat all the food in my place, and they expect me to clean up their messes when they get in trouble."

He sighed a little, and wondered for a moment what they were up to.

"So, do you enjoy this City place at all? Some people sure seem to..."

[atoningforsin]

"It's not so bad, really. I've made some friends and was given a new sword. I'll have to show it to you," she shrugged. Not that many friends, truth be told, but it was well enough for her,

"And here, it's...nice, to not have gods interfering in my every move. If only Gabrielle were here, I could relax in knowing that she's safe."

[permed_justice]

It seemed as if they both had someone they were thinking of back home; though it was a shame both of them felt like a part of their lives were missing while living in the City, at least they had such a part in their lives at all. Some people could live their entire lives without knowing the warmth of having special friends and comrades.

Something she had said there caught his attention suddenly, his brows perking up with a flare of interest. "So...you normally have trouble with gods?" he asked. "No wonder they never listen to me; they're paying all their attention to you."

[atoningforsin]

"In my world, the gods are fickle. They love to interfere with the lives of everyone. Some take special interest in certain people, much to my dismay. There is no Ares here to try and ensnare me, for which I am immensely grateful," she offered, though it obviously wasn't the whole story.

Ares was a thorn in her side, and yet. She almost missed it.