Looking at a new angle

Since two is always better than one, this week’s headcanon memes have two questions for each muse to answer, for twice the fun!  Sing your heart out Aretha.

Beginner: The rain has stopped, the wind has stopped, and a light we’ve never seen is shining!  How does your muse handle new beginnings or fresh starts?  Do they have a good sense of direction, or are they type to get lost in a broom closet?

Iiwake Maybe: Maybe, maybe!  Does your muse make excuses often?  What are some of the things they would make up excuses for?

Ogoe Diamond: I want you to hear my loud-mouthed diamond~  Is there anything your muse can’t keep quiet about?  What about something they wish no one would ever bring up or talk about?

Heavy Rotation: Are there things your muse just can’t stand to let go (good or bad)?  Is there anything your muse is extremely passionate about?

Skirt, Hirari: What are some of your muses dreams or ambitions?  Both the realistic goals, and goals of fantasy!

Bingo!: What’s something that catches your muse’s interest over and over again?  Are there things they wish to never see again as well? Is your muse the type or rush things, or take everything one day at a time?

My Sun: Lalalalalala  Is there anyone or anything that can brighten your muse’s day no matter what?  Are there things that constantly plague and worry your muse?

Namida Surprise: Come on, blow out all the candles on your cake in one go!  How did your muse spend their last birthday?  How about their best birthday memory/memories?

Juunen Zakura: Does your muse believe in destiny and the fates?  Have they had any “fated encounters” before?

Aitakatta:  Aitakatta aitakatta aitakatta yes!  What’s the one thing your muse missed most about their previous home/life before Toshi?  Is there something or someone they would miss if they left?  If your muse has lived in Toshi their whole life, what’s the one person/thing they would miss from here if they left?

Sugar Rush: S-U-G-A-R jump into your racing car! What is your muse’s favorite type of food?  Are they a real “get up and go” type, or more of a slower starter?

At first, she’d prepared herself to press the situation further, but it was the “no money” part of his statement that she felt a stab of sympathy lined with guilt. Was it possible he was going through hard times like the ones she and her family had been through? Damn, his frame had to be that thin for a reason. Messing with those who could afford it was fine, but messing with those who couldn’t was downright cruel. The fact that Christmas was almost upon them made it unforgivable! There was no way Kyoko would let her actions go uncorrected.

"No money? Not a problem." Book still in hand, she grabbed the boy’s wrist with her free hand and pulled him along down the sidewalk with her before there was any time for him to protest. There was a complete and utter disregard of the possibility that this boy might have somewhere he needs to go. She flashed him a grin as she said, "I’ll be buying you some lunch today. My treat."

Five minutes into their walk, Kyoko froze. Just where were they going exactly? Still clutching the boys wrist firmly, she turned to him and asked with the most serious of expressions, “Where’s your favorite place to eat? And is it Christmas-themed?”

His lack of resistance also stemmed from the desire to not make a bigger deal out of this on the middle of a busy street with various curious glances directed at their dynamic. God, they were already attracting attention already, and some old couples were giving them some sappy smiles and no please don't do that. Also, she still had his textbook captive (how evil) so he couldn't exactly react rudely. The last thing he wanted to get added on top of his tuition was hefty fees for a lost textbook someone had stolen from him. Which is totally an illegal act by the way, and this chick should realize this important convention. Who did he piss off in his last reincarnation to deserve this retribution on a weekend; especially a hectic weekend when he had five theses left to finish that were all due tomorrow morning?

After a few minutes, they stopped suddenly. Or rather, the girl stopped suddenly, and Hiro almost crashed into her, but fortunately managed to stop himself in time. He didn't want to receive anymore weird stares, thank you. The following question and that lost look the chick gave him made Hiro raise an eyebrow. Did she honestly not know where she's going? Maybe her earlier account about being a new transfer had bore some truth, at least based on first impression. 

"Uh,...There's a cafe two blocks down South. I think it has a big Christmas tree indoor, if that's what you count as 'holiday-themed.' "

He's too damn tired to resist this. Whatever. He should just follow her, make up something when they're there, like he was sick and had a shit metabolism or something, and then make a hasty retreat with textbook safe and sound in his grasp. There. Simple and effective. And goddamn time-consuming. But the boy realized, belatedly, that he had no other option. 

Before he could really try to verbalize any of that internal thought, he was presented with a familiar alternative. “Natsume-san is fine,” he confirmed gently, trying to convey the fact that he didn’t mind the slight error earlier - in fact, he didn’t consider it to be an error at all. 

Now that he was in possession of the other’s name, he wfound himself faced with the same dilemma regarding address. Usually he simply used a last name with the appropriate honourific without needing to consider it, but he was feeling particularly conscious of the conventions just as the dark-haired boy had only moments before. He took a moment to consider his options before settling on what felt like a good balance of polite and friendly. “It’s nice to meet you, then, Hamada-kun.”

"Before? Nowhere, really. Since exams are finished, I wanted to stretch my legs a bit.” It seemed a little silly now that he had to explain it to someone else, resulting in a slightly self-conscious dip of his mouth beneath his scarf. In weather like this, it was more practical to unwind from exam pressure with a nice day in, perhaps with some hot chocolate and a good book. Just walking around, without an aim at all, was probably the last thing on the minds of busy Christmas shoppers or people hurrying home from work.

"Nice to meet you too, Natsume-san."

"...Actually, my exam week was just over too. I was worried that my late transfer would hinder my grades, but it's not as bad as I had thought." To be frank, Hiro thought the curriculum taught in Toshi Academy, while the workload was indeed rigorous, their actual difficulty level was...disappointingly less than the boy would like. Studying for his mid-terms had seemed more like busywork than anything intellectually demanding, but it's not like he's a stranger to this kind of feeling in academia.

"What classes do you have, Natsume-san? If you're also in senior high, there's a chance we share some courses together..." He's not the type to pay much attention to the student body in his classes, as there're too many unfamiliar faces and he had too little interest in their names unless they somehow managed to gain it; an aloof cognizance, but it's true. There's a possibility that he may have shared some classes with the brunet without much awareness of it before, unless he was off in his knowledge of the city and there were more than one academic institution besides Toshi Academy. 

Hearing the impromptu tidbit from the older male brought a small smile to Hiro's face, as he felt their respective barrier getting chipped down bit by bit as the conversation went on."I prefer winter too, but I really like mild seasons like autumn and spring best," Hiro smiled.