1059/How How Do You Like Your Curry

How How Do You Like Your Curry
Date of Scene:	29 January 2024
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	A date between Coco and Yuuto is interrupted by Amy's inability to pay for her meal - but she is invited into the conversation and food, even if Yuuto had to excuse himself for a moment to deal with an attack!
Cast of Characters:	Yuuto Shiraishi, Amanda Faust, Coco Kiumi

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Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
After the walk around the botanical gardens had been seen as a successful start to a date, Coco had asked Yuuto to choose where they would have dinner - which had actually reminded Yuuto he had not eaten in a bit, especially when his stomach growls at the idea. "I think we better do the curry." he admits with a chuckle, looking slightly embarassed. "Not sure if my stomach is going to let me hold out for the beach!"

Which has led them to Korma Chameleon. "You said one of our classmates works here?" he asks, just to verify that information as he opens the door for Coco first before he follows. "Also, I've been thinking on the sculpture. I found some good air-dry clay I want to bring. That way we're not being totally loud while I'm working on it and end up getting beaned by someone." Probably Coco's roommate.

"So what type of curry do you like?" he asks curiously. "Sweet, spicy? I'm a fan of the sweeter ones, but to be fair, I'm a sucker for a good katsu kare."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Where is Amy this evening? Patrolling around Pikarigaoaka! But running around rooftops is hungry work... Usually she patrols later at night, so she just has a snack when she gets home or eats a bigger breakfast the next day. But today... stopping to eat somewhere is totally an option! And she never did get to actually eat at the curry place...

    Magical Rocket Girl Amy drops into a nearby alley, and a moment later, Amanda Faust, totally normal civilian girl, walks out.

    As Yuuto and Coco come in, Amy is seated near the entrance talking to the waitress when she has a horrifying realization, checks her pockets, and reaches for her not-with-her-while-patrolling money purse. Oops. Amy slumps dejectedly. "I don't suppose you take FundFriend...?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is still feeling a bit euphoric over the successful turn their date had taken, and it's not something the mermaid is really concealing (she has never been the greatest at concealing her own emotions): one could swear her happiness is almost visibly radiating off of her. When Yuuto holds open the door for her, that is soon followed with an appreciative nod by the mermaid.

Yuuto's explanation makes sense, they have been going around a while, and they already are in Pikarigaoka. "One of my schoolmates", the blonde girl clarifies. "A grade lower than mine." When Yuuto talks about the materials he has secured for his handiwork, Coco imagines that is also probably a good thing to avoid unneded attention from Wuwu. She certainly doesn't need the mystical monkey to chase away her boyfriend with his pranks. He is the one more likely to do any beaning. "I am sure that Cho will appreciate the consideration", she finally replies.

"That's the same for me", Coco agrees over Yuuto's choice. "I don't like pungent food too much." She then looks around at the inviting warm colours of the place. "So, how do you like the diner?", she asks Yuuto, walking to a table in wait of a chance to take their order. On the way there, she waves to Amy, noticing her friend. "Hello, Amy, here to eat too?"

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Cho. So now Yuuto has a name to go with the roommate, as the young teen chuckles lightly. "Yeah, figured chiseling away at stone would /not/ be the way to make a first impression on your friends." he tells the Princess with a small smirk, even if his cheeks get a little darker for a moment.

That is quickly lost as Coco is speaking to the teen that is discussing things with the waitress. And he can pick up on some of social cues present. She's either already recieved a meal or ordered one and hit the probably that some in the 'biz' as it were come across. No place to put a wallet when in magical guise.

Thankfully for him, even when kitted up, the outfit is steampunk era. So many pockets. SO MANY POCKETS AND POUCHES for things and stuff. With Coco offering a name, he tilts his head. "Hi Amy, I'm Yuuto." he offers in way of greetings. If Coco wants to make a deeper introduction, he'll leave that to her, instead, he seems to be addressing the issue. "Need help?" he asks curiously. Coco said she was paying for the meal. That doesn't mean he can't help someone /else/ with their meal. Right?

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Okay, now Amy can appreciate why people would want to use pay-with-your-phone functionality. As long as you're always making sure to cary that...

    She hears Coco calling her name and looks over, distressed. She blinks at how Coco is just radiating happiness. And the boy with her is asking if she needs help and she is very not sure how to feel about that. "Um. Y-yeah. But I forgot my money... and cards... and they don't take FundFriend..." There is, perhaps, a question implicit in that statement, but she can't bother a teenager for money! They don't have much to spare!

    ...Wait, Coco is a literal princess. "I don't suppose you could um... I could pay you back!" she grins awkwardly.

    Once that's sorted out, she gives Yuuto a curious glance-over and asks, "So... are you a friend of Coco's, too?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is in fact more than well off to pay Amy's meal for, and when the redhead awkwardly asks her to do that, she doesn't mind the request (what are friends for?) and turns to the waitress. "The two of us are about to eat here, so please put my friend's meal on my bill."

On that that note, since she is already here and all, they could could take this chance to order. "I would take a bottle of still water to drink, and we both want sweet curry, so that's a Pasanda for me", then turning to Yuuto, she adds, seeking confirmation, "and a katsu kare for you, right?"

As Coco goes back to addressing Amy, the mermaid says "You don't have to pay me back, we are friends", she easily says. Then amy chooses to address the boyfriend in the room, and with a smile, Coco leans against Yuuto, smilingly interlocking her arm with his. "Amy, this is Yuuto, my boyfriend. He also knows who I am", she explains whispering the last part so Amy doesn't have to worry about any potential consequences. Yuuto has already heard Amy's name, so nothing more needs to be said.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
When Amy explains that she forgot her wallet, Yuuto can't help but to feel a pang of sympathy. "I've been there!" he admits with a small chuckle, more done in empathy than to mock her in any way. "More than happy to help a friend of Coco's..." he starts to say, because he has totally assumed that Coco and Amy were friends since Coco greeted her and didn't act negatively.

And since he was the one that asked if she needed help, he was about to fish out his wallet to handle Amy's meal when Amy asks Coco to handle it and it gives him pause. It makes sense though, better to owe her than him, because she doesn't know him.

With Coco placing the orders and making sure to let the waitress know she's handling Amy's meal as well, he slips his wallet back into his pocket. He doesn't feel flutered by it in the least. She knows what she can and can't handle. "Well, sounds like you're joining us for lunch!" he offers chipperly.

However, when Coco takes his arm and introduces him, the young teen blushes, more for the enthusiasm that Coco shows in her introduction than anything. "Hi." he offers to Amy with a crooked little smile, his hand capturing Coco's for a squeeze of reassurance, the other one offered to Amy.

"Hi, I'm Yuuto Shiraishi. It is nice to meet one of Coco's friends. I only just recently transferred to Radiant Heart." he explains. And when Coco adds that he already knows the secret of the mermaid princess, he grins a little more.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    If Coco weren't a princess, or at least a rich kid, Amy would insist on paying her back -- she still has a few hundred thousand yen of her old life's savings, so she'd feel bad imposing on anyone who doesn't have that -- but she is (and not, like, a princess-in-a-past-life like Tsukino-san) so Amy just nods and smiles at the assertion.

    Amy's eyebrows shoot up in surprise upon hearing that Coco has found someone, "Oh, congratulations!" She smiles. She *was* just about to figure out how to ask if he knew so she could tell him for Coco to get around the curse.

    Amy still looks a little bit embarassed even at 'I've been there!' In a past life she prided herself on being prepared. She still does, really, only she can't possibly prepare for all of the supernatural craziness in her life now. (Which doesn't stop her from trying to prepare for some of it, although that is perhaps more due to obsession born from decades of subconscious dysphoria than actual preparedness.)

    She smiles again at the comment about joining them for lunch. It's nice not to be alone! "Faust, Amy. Short for Amanda. I'm from America, I started at Radiant Heart last year."

    When the waitress takes their orders, she asks for one of whatever the most popular curry dish is, and some water.

    And then she gestures for them to take a seat across from her in the booth. "Sooo, how'd you two meet?" she asks, eager to get the story of her friend's latest happiness.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
When Yuuto talks about having shared the experience of economic difficulties, Coco feels a bit awkward over the fact that sans the period Aqua Regina used to give all of them a crash course over life on the surface (and even then, she was still far from having any problem with it), she has had more than she knew what to do with just given to her her whole life. Ok, it's not like she has been greedily hoarding it, and she takes any chance to help when she can, but that runs into the problem of others possibly interpreting it as her flaunting her wealth. Even so, Amy has shown no negativity towards it, and Yuuto doesn't seem like the type either, so those corcerns can be laid to rest. At least for now.

And Yuuto mentioning that Amy is joining them for lunch does solve the issue of whether he would have wanted so sit at another table for a private date, or just stay here. After her too squeezing his hand to communicate there is nothing to worry about, she detaches herself and takes a seat at Amy's table, leaving the brown-haired boy to take the other one. When he sits down, if he places his hand in a way she can reach it, Coco reaches over to hold it. It's ok, he doesn't need it until the food arrives, right?

"Thank you", the mermaid comments over Amy's congratulations, before stopping for a second to think of what to tell Amy. She can't tell the whole sequence of events since Yuuto's secret identity is his business, but at the same time, she can't just not mention magic, since Yuuto already knows she is a mermaid. "We both were at a concert", she begins speaking. "They were having pianists come up on stage. The music was lovely, but at a point Yuri comes up and uses uses her dark melodies to enthrall everyone presence." Nevermind the fact that thing literally hurts mermaid princesses. "Yuuto had somehow resisted the effects of her songs, and while I was busy with trying to keep Yuri's brainwhashed victims away from me, he notices that something is odd, and distracts Gaito's servant long enough for me to deal with those people safely and chase Yuri off." At this point, she gives Yuuto another smile. Even if she can't say he is Steam Sentinel Propel, that accidental encounter was a lucky thing in more ways than one.

"After that, we stopped to talk, I decided to show him my home, we started finding each other's presence quite pleasing, so we tried to see if we actually clicked with a proper date, and here we are, happily starting off a relationship." Wanting to show off Yuuto's good points to Amy, she adds. "He isn't just nice, but also quite witty and talented. He even wants to sculpt two statues of me." That's pretty high effort for someone you recently met.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Settling down next to Coco, Yuuto sets his hand easily where the princess can capture it again if she wishes. There was about to be an explanation, but the cover story that Coco comes up with covers it so well that he doesn't need to really add anything to do it.

"Oh man, I'm so hunrgy..." he starts to say, just as a soft chime emits from the watch on his list. Who wears a watch anymore? This guy. Turning to to seemingly check the time, he frowns. No, that's not a good frown. "I'm sorry, I forgot I had an appointment."

Coco knows better by now, but he's not sure about telling Amy. Leaning over, he places a quick kiss on Coco's cheek. "I'll grab the meal from you later!" he promises her as he moves to stand up. "Amy-san, it was nice to meet you!" Americans go by their first name, right? Right.

Getting to his feet, he heads out of the restaurant and as soon as he's safely away, he slaps the plunger on his watch to transform. "Alright Tinker, what do we have?" he asks as he takes off at top speed.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy listens. "Wait... you were attacked?!" She realizes she got loud, and tries to quiet down before continuing. "Who is Yuri? One of Gaito's minions?" She asks, concerned.

    Still, the attack is well in the past. She nods as Coco describes how they got together, and raises eyebrows at... Two statues? That sounds a bit like bluster. Isn't that a huge project? But, she's not a sculptor. A guy she just met saying he wanted to make a statue of her would be weird. She has no particular desire to make a statue of Hannah. Although, if Hannah said she'd made a statue of her...

    Amy blushes a little.

    Like, it wouldn't be something she'd specifically want, but the idea that Hannah thinks she's worth such a grand gesture is still...

    Ah. Is that what Coco's feeling? Who can say? She doesn't like boys -- she's pretty sure -- probably -- so while she may have a woman's heart, she's not sure how much insight she has into the heart of a woman that likes men.

    And there is a feeling of like... wanting to protect her friend? Yuuto had better be a good guy. Amanda can't see through his eyes, not really, her only real memories of a man's view of things second-hand, overheard from classmates and coworkers. Or seen in... as she told Klarissa, she's seen the darkness in the minds of humanity... but Yuuto's just a kid. There's no reason to suspect anything of him.

    Still, she can't turn off the part of her trying to decide what the messy hairstyle is going for. If it's going for anything, either.

    Who wears a watch anymore? Who's got two thumbs? This girl! Although, Amy doesn't always have her calculator watch on, unsure of what social signals it would send in high school outside of her geeky clubs. The redhead quirks an eyebrow at Yuuto's abrupt departure. That was suspicious. If not for the fact she and Coco aren't sensing the same thing and running off with him, she'd suspect a youma attack. What reasons does a normal person have to do that? Guess he really does just have an appointment... yeah, she can see how the opportunity for a date with the girl he's falling for might have distracted him.

    She returns his words with a smile. "Nice to meet you too, Yuuto-san!"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco certainly didn't choose to become Yuuto's girlfriend just because of his project. That was in fact a mere example of the effort he is putting into things, but it's his enthusiasm, earnest nature, how nice it had been hear him talk about his artistic prospects and sharing her own passions, the fact she felt he really, honestly wanted her as his girlfriend, and why not, there is certainly a not negligible physical component to her decision to get with him.

Coco can't perceive the internal doubts Amy is feeling over Yuuto, or she would have certainly moved to explain why she shouldn't worry about him, how adorable he had been over their date, the fact he really treated their dates like an important occasion and actually cared about his presentation. Coco certainly doesn't feel like he is treating things nonchalantly.

And she too suspects that Yuuto might have run off due to a magical attack, and the suspicion alone would have been enough to leave things there and go with him. Had she been alone, at least. She can't just leave Amy alone when she isn't sure of the reason, as dejected as she may feel about life getting in the way of their date, that had been forced to end so abruptly. At least, she finds comfort in the many things they had planned to do just over the course of the first half of the date.

"See you, Yuuto! I will bring it over!", she confirms as she looks at Amy. Who actually had asked some questions. "Yeah, Yuri is one of the Dark Lovers, and it was just their next stupid scheme to abduct me again", she concedes herself a little groan. "But everything went well, so I don't have anything to complain about." Rather she got a pretty attentive boyfriend out of it, which is why she joked with Cho that Yuri had been her wingwoman.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "'Dark lovers'? What, does Gaito have some sort of harem coming after you?" Amy wonders.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"That's not totally wrong", Coco comments to Amy's question. "They are the demons he created with his powers, but even if they all seek to gain the position of his favourite, I am pretty sure he only really has eyes for Sara." The last part is said with a mix of rancour and sadness, "how dare he do that to my best friend" being Coco's subconscious thought.

"However, the meeting with Yuuto was awesome. He is really enthusiast, and an attentive listener on top of that when I explained some details of our palace and about mermaids in general, as well as my hobbies. I feel really good when I am with him, and I was pretty sure he liked me too. Also, a fun fact: we were both born in August under the sign of Leo."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    So he created demons... who are fighting over his affections. Eww. Amy looks appropriately disgusted. Although I can't say there aren't humans who'd do the same... "Eyes... who knows if there's any genuine love there."

    But then Coco's talking about a guy much cooler than Gaito, and Amy listens. "He listened to you geek out about hobbies? Damn, he is a catch." She blinks. "Wait, is that metaphor offensive here? I'm sorry, if so."

    She can not think of any other reason why anyone would listen to someone else going on about a special interest other than sincerely trying to understand the subject matter.

    Not a one.

    She just knows that anyone not also a geek isn't going to want to listen to her go on and on about stuff! So she tries not to.

    Anyway, the meals have been served and after tasting it Amy is pleasantly surprised. "Huh, this is Japanese-style curry? It's pretty different from the Indian-style curry we call 'curry' in America... this is much less spicy, almost like a stew. I like it!"

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
While Coco and Amy are talking, Steam Sentinel Propel is busy.

"Silver, you need to remember who you are!" he calls out, across town as he faces off against the former Gearwork's hero.

"I know who I am, my boy! Your superior! My flintlock is far better than your silly ray gun!"

"It's called..." And Propel has a full charge as he unleashes the charge of his gun towards the clockwork soldier, "PROPEL BLAST!"

With Silver being forced to retreat, the Steam Sentinel pants and wipes at his face, a bruise on his cheek he doesn't realize is there yet. Getting out his phone, he texts.

Coco's phone shows said text: Still at the restaurant? Meeting just let out, can be there is a jiff!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco doesn't think that expression is offensive, or at the very least, even if some would use it to offend, she knows that's not the case with Amy, and so she shakes her head to reassure her. "I don't think it is. That's just a way to refer to what we were doing. And he surely is." The fact Amy is openly sharing her approval is what Coco would have hoped to hear when she shared those events.

Then the food arrives, and it is certainly very inviting, with how delicious it smells. She is about to tell the waitress to put Yuuto's portion in a takeaway when her phone rings and she reads the message the boy sent her. With a smile, she quickly types "Yes, and your food is here, piping hot! I will be waiting for you <3 <3 <3"

"Yuuto is coming back", she announces to Amy. "That emergency is over, apparently." Her tone is clearly relieved that her date can still be salvaged.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy is trying not to eat too fast and savor the flavor, but tasting food has reminded her just how much hunger she's worked up running around on rooftops. "The appointment, you mean?" She quirks an eyebrow. It was that brief?

    Man, she'd really suspect he was secretly fighting youma if not for that she and Coco didn't go with him. "Maybe he had to turn in an assignment online, or it got moved."

    "So, what's..." Amy trails off and frowns, slightly. "Sorry, 'what's his major' isn't quite the right question here. Uhh. What does he wanna do when he grows up? That sounds 'too' young. Uh. What does he wanna do after he graduates? There's the one."

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Skating most of his way back to the restaurant, Yuuto slips into an alley to transform back out of his henshin form before coming around the block to make his way back into the restaurant. He actually remembered where the pair were sitting, so he comes up behind Coco, setting his hands on her shoulders, giving her a fond squeeze, "Hey." he greets as he returns before he moves to take a seat next to the princess again.

And he had just arrived to hear the question that was presented. "My parents made me sign up for business math." he responds to Amy with a little roll of his green eyes. Oh hey, food! Picking up his chopsticks, he cracks them apart before clapping his hands together in a small prayer to tuck into his meal. If he was mean, he'd let Coco fumble with the question because their school plans are not someting they've talked about yet.

"It's something I'll just go along with for the first year and hopefully I'll get the chance to change majors. I'd really love to study art." he admits with a blush that does nothing to hide the mark on his cheek. Another bite of the crispy pork and he leans back. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff." he murmurs. A satisfied sigh between bites of a meal he's being polite about eating, even if he'd rather scarf down.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Yuuto did share that answer Amy is now asking Coco with the blonde girl, despite it being obviously a lot more important to him that just "Oh, what's your passion" due to the family issues that came intertwined with it. Coco wouldn't have shared that part, limiting herself to the part directly relevant to Amy's question. It is then fitting that Yuuto returns just at that moment, and he answers that part for himself. When she feels the squeeze on her shoulder, Coco gets up from her chair, turning around to hug her boyfriend. It is at that moment, she notices the mark on his cheek, which makes it likely to her he was indeed out heroing, and so she says nothing direct for the moment.

"Welcome back, Yuuto", the mermaid exclaims as she undoes the hug, letting Yuuto sit down and getting back to her chair herself. "How was your emergency?" Her eyes dart again at his mark just then, maybe making it clear to the hero that she is really asking how the fight went, not that she is particularly worried, with only a scratch to show for it. She will over take advantage of its presence later on to have the opportunity to sing him a song and get rid of it.

And even with Yuuto's respone to Amy's question, Coco finds the opportunity to add a bit more, since he had told her something more specific than simply art. "He wants to make a career out of sculpting", she says, probably clarifying some things to Amy given the previous mention of the statues, and he prefers working out of stone and clay as materials. "For now, he is practising his skills.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy jumps slightly as Yuuto suddenly answering the question.

    He wants to be an artist, huh? Your life is going to be a struggle, kid, but not chasing your dream would probably be even worse. She can't not say anything.

    Amy gestures with her chopsticks. "I don't think you should do something you hate for your first year. What if your lack of passion tanks your grades? You might not get the chance to keep going. And even if you do... wasting a year of your life on something you hate just to appease your parents... that's a year you won't get back. Also tuition you won't get back, come to think of it. ...The year isn't for them to spend. I suppose the tuition might be."

    "So do you sculpt a lot? Draw? I confess, I don't know much about the careers of professional sculptors..." She taps her chin. "Do you do like, minis? There's probably gamers with money that would love to commission minis of their characters. Actually I guess there might be a lot of people who'd want like, a cool figurine of a fictional character that got no or crappy official merch, come to think of it..."

    Amy stares into space as she considers how an aspiring sculptor might make money doing what they like.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Do you know how many times his parents have told him to expect to be a failure in life if he chases that paticular dream?

He knows. He's more than aware. But, the topic is on his academics, so Yuuto focuses on that between bites of food. "Well, I look at this way. I give them one good year of great grades while doing what I love while they're doting over my progress report, I may be able to buy a year or two to focus on what I realy want." he explains.

It is quite the cunning plan, really. At least in his mind.

"I've been playing with clay since I was little." comes his comments. he pauses in his eating to take out his phone. Opening it up, he scrolls through the gallery and peers at the pictures. No, that one has some slight imperfections. That one has a crooked piece. Another swipe. The petals don't look right. If Coco is peering over, they look decent, he's no legengary artist, but he could place in an art show if he applied himself and his art.

"I haven't tried miniatures yet." he admits to Amy, almost giving up on showing off his work, though there's a piece of new art. The plant that Coco had shown him yesterday. It's small, but the small succulent that she said reminded her of him has been lovingly crafted, still in grey, with the little points and spikes pulled in intricate detail. Still. He's not showing that off. Just something he did last night when he couldn't sleep and was thinking about her.

"That might... I mean, I never thought about." He offers haltingly. "It's not something I think I'm good at yet, which is why I'm in school." he finally manages.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy's eyebrows raise when she sees the sculpture. It's clearly no masterpiece, but she couldn't do that!

    Amy takes a sip of water and thinks. "I dunno what I'm gonna do, if this magic stuff ever settles down." At the moment, she's decided to let the civilian know she's involved in magic stuff but leave her specific identity out of it.

    "When I was little I-- I mean, uhh, my uncle told me this story: When he was little, he wanted to make videogames. And back then, there weren't a thousand tools all over the internet to work with. It was like, learn DirectX or OpenGL from the documentation? He didn't know where to get started. And he figured, oh, well, when I learn to be a computer programmer at college, they'll cover that stuff then." She makes horizontal chopping gesture. "Nope. They didn't. And he never did figure out how to get started. Always fighting any tools he tried to use, and he just... wasn't good at managing a large project all by himself. Which school should've covered. One thing or another happened, and he's doin' alright as an IT guy for some school, but he's gonna be thirty-seven this year and he's never made a game. Too busy, too tired, always something."

    She can feel a frog creeping into her throat and also that she kind of ranted on a bit long there. "Anyway, his point was, he was like, Amy, don't wait. Don't assume school is gonna teach you how to get good at the thing you wanna do. Once you figure it out. There's no secret knowledge only available in those halls of learning. You-- our generation has the internet. Find things now. Practice now, while you have time and don't have a full courseload or a job. Don't wait, and don't pin all your hopes on college figuring anything out for you."

    Speech delivered, she takes another bite of her food and chews, pouting a bit.

    She hasn't really thought about what she'll do. If she doesn't die in battle, and doesn't end up one of Hannah's royal consorts on Tharkad... if she has to have like, a normal Earth adulthood after all this? She has no idea.

    Maybe she should be following her own advice...

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Oh, true, Coco almost forgot Amy could draw into previous experiences to give suggestions to Yuuto. It really is a good thing they met each other here then. She certainly could offer more useful insight about the subject than Coco, what with her limited understanding of the scuplting sphere and its applications.

Though, Yuuto does have more considerations to say about using the first year to appease his parents, and it sounds like a good plan, if not for the fact that he is really stuffing his plate full of things to do, being both excellent at his studies while also finding the time to practise his craft. "That's a really ambitious plan", Coco mentions, frowning over the thought of how full his time is going to be. "Covering two different courses, while succeeding extremely well in both, I mean", she clarifies. Not that she means to belittle Yuuto's drive, she has clearly heard the passion in his voice, but what is the risk of him burning himself out?

"Maybe I could give you a hand?" she offers. "I could help summarise in distinct schemes the information you have to learn for your parents' subject, so that's easier to digest when you go through it. And besides, my songs have a property of lessening fatigue, so that could turn out to be useful too."

Amy then warns Yuuto about expecting school to cover his bases. "I don't think he is", she starts pointing out. "Since his plan is to use school as a smokescreen for his parents while he actually improves his skills at what he loves, it doesn't seem to me he is relying on it."

And when Yuuto looks through his phone, Coco does peer over curiously, taking note of all the effort he has put into it throughout the years. They are quite good works, and all of them have their own charms despite the flaws in them. "Is this really what you have done up to now?" she asks, clearly admiring the result. "Yeah, I see what you mean that you might have to practise, but I think you really have a gift to hone here, Yuuto."

And then he shows his latest work, one the mermaid immediately recognise, leaving her to smirk at him. "Well, now, it's you!", she exclaims with a bit of a tease, before commenting on the work itself. "This looks seriously great, Yuuto! Have you really done it that fast? Barely any time passed. You really have nothing to worry over. This is awesome."

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
"I couldn't sleep last night, so I worked on that until I was tired." Yuuto admits to Coco, a little smile, "I had my mind on someone." He couldn't resist tossing a little flirt to the mermaid princess as he turns Amy's advice over in his mind. "That's because your uncle was encouraging you to pursue your dreams." he points out to her, a little frown appearing between bites. "My parents think that my interest in sculpting is only a passing fancy. That I will eventually outgrow it and I should be doing something with my life that will sustain me."

A shrug of his shoulders as he closes the phone and drops it back in his pocket, his hand finding Coco's again. A little squeeze and a chuckle as he continues to digest the information. "Oh, I know. When it comes to the arts, schooling can only show you how to do something, but they cannot take your hands and help you make the art. You have to have the spark and the ability to hone your craft. Just like math, they can teach formulas all day, but if you cannot use them effectively, there's no point to them."

"When my parents find out that I'm focusing more on my passions instead of their vision? They move me from one school to another. I think this is there last exasperation of me - put me in a school on my own, without the benefit of their presence. Sink or swim, right? They expect me to swim back to them."

He does not miss the irony that a mermaid is now his girlfriend, speaking of sinking and swimming. "I'm already really good at math. I can do that at a college level and if you ever need a tutor, I'm your boy." he comments to Coco.

"It's a lot to juggle at the moment. But if I can get through this first year? It can only get easier. Or perhaps, I should consider breaking away from them totally and stepping out on my own. Of course, to do that, I'll need to get a job and figure out my life from there. I mean, they could just yank tuition out from under me." Which is why he finally offers his final piece of his plan.

"I'm hoping to hone this..." a gesture to where his phone is and the pictures on it. "...into a scholarship." Running away from home via education. It's a great plan, right?

"And you can sing to me when you want, Coco. But being in your company is more than enough to be comforting. Thank you for being there." he admits to her quietly, and then to Amy, he adds, "Your advice is really sound. And I wish I had an uncle as wise as yours was. So what is it that you want to do?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy listens. "So they sent you to Radiant Heart? Joke's on them, you're probably doing fine here, right?"

    Although... a bit of a competitive spirit rises in her. Math tutoring? "And if he can't do it, I'm your girl. Can he do multivariate calculus?" Note: Her calculus skills have rusted for about 15 years.

    Amy looks at the phone again. "Are sculptor scholarships a thing? I confess I've never looked into it." She certainly hasn't considered tuition for school, but she supposes if she isn't dead by then and needs it testing into an academic scholarship can't be harder the second time around than the first, right?

    What does she want to do?

    Amy isn't expecting the question, honestly. She leans back in her chair slightly and slumps. "What do I want to do? Damn. I dunno. I do like videogames. But I'm not tinkering with them in my spare time. I read manga, but I'm not a great artist, and I don't have some story I want to tell."

    She shrugs. "I've always been pretty bright, so my family assumes I won't have a problem getting into school and getting a job. Probably with computer stuff. But since July, I've kind of just assumed that..." She pauses, and looks at Yuuto. Sits up, and says a bit more quietly, "I'm a Magical Girl. I uhh. At this rate, I'm going to have to survive dozens, or hundreds, of battles with Witches, not to mention all the other things going on. The odds that I will win all of those fights... that monsters, inhuman like Witches or human like Count Otto, won't win even once..."

    She gives Yuuto a sad smile. "Well, you said you're good at math." Her eyes start to water. "Please, live a life you enjoy, and not one of just... sustaining yourself without joy. We're doing this so you can do that."

    She takes a breath, trying to blink away the forming tears. Another breath, calming herself a bit. "If I make it through all that..." Amy looks at Coco. "I dunno. I got a good voice now, what's it take to become a singer?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"That someone may have had similar problems", she replies with a smile, interlacing her fingers with his own before reaching over to give him a peck on the cheek. How could she not? She hasn't felt quite this stupidly giddy over someone like ever. She is too energetic for her body to even consider sleep.

As Yuuto comments on more differences between Amy's scenario, Coco listens intently to their conversations as she takes bites of her curry. She doesn't have much to say over the conversation beyond expressing her support to Yuuto. And the way he has to accept the help she has offered is really too endearing. Is this the same awkward boy she met just a day earlier?, she thinks to herself with a smile.

And she winces when Yuuto explains the treatments his parents are reserving him. How can they not see the effort he has made so far? Have they even looked at those works whose photos she saw? Or were they just an irrelevant pastime not good enough to even be considered. She is at least glad this is the last time they are considering moving him. A more selfish part of her because she wants to keep seeing him and what they are building is just too nice to be let go, but it also means that he won't be subject to their vexations again, right?

"Ok, so, if you want to totally break away from them", Coco starts speaking suddenly slightly awkward, "I could support you in that too. If they take away your tuition, I could provide take charge of some payments while you work on your scolarship." She doesn't seem too nosy now, or does she? She does add one thing, though "I would be glad to have your help with advanced math, that would be awesome, Yuuto."

What does it take to become a singer? Well, that's a good question Coco doesn't really have an answer for. What could she say when singing is as effortless to her as breathing, when it's so ingrained in mermaids that trying to sing badly would be like tying both your arms behind your back with the flimsiest rope ever? "I think what you could do is take a song you know well the notes of and try to achieve the same result by yourself, and keep practising like that upping the difficulty when you feel ready."

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
"One can hope!" Yuuto chirps to Amy hopefully. "I can only hope that they don't catch on until it's too late to miss the punchline." Though, she starts to boil with that competitive spirit. "Okay, fine, you have me beat there. I'm only good up to college level business math. Balance your books? You betcha!" There's a small smile at that.

"I meant more an art scholarship, you know, something on talent? A guy can hope. I'd try to sing but I think frogs croaking would sound better than me." A little self-depreciation in his tone as he listens to her list off what she likes. "When you say video games, do you mean like consoles and PC type games, or like... the old vintage cabinets like at that retro arcade in town?" comes the curious question. And he was about to say more when Amy decides to volunteer her truth to him. The teenaged boy blinks several times.

But, it will be noted that he doesn't question it. He doesn't recoil. Yes, it's very true that he knows that his girlfriend is a mermaid princess that was born from a pearl (not that he knew if they had dated before she shared that, she'd be foam right now), "I don't know what to say, Amy-san." he admits quietly.

What does one say to that?

Instead, as she starts to tear up, Yuuto has to wonder if he had accidentally insulted or hurt her and he is ready to make with an apology, when she turns to Coco to ask the question about her voice. Not someting he can answer himself. Coco is definetly the bigger judge of character and talent when it comes to the voice. But he does offer quietly to her. "Talent begets skill. Skill begets practice. If you do someting long enough, your passion can will you through." Spoken like a true magical boy. A little push of a clean napkin in Amy's direction.

When Coco switches their hands from pancakes (flat against each other) to waffles (fingers interlaced), he smiles at the peck on his cheek, but even that little blush is tempered by the fact that he feels strongly about making sure Amy's efforts would not be in vain, no matter what she decided her path would be.

Glancing aside to Coco as she gazes at him aadoringly, the green-eyed boy blinks a few times, trying to decipher what may be happening behind those golden eyes before she offers her opinion. And he blanches, just a little. Squeezing her hand, he gives a very firm shake of his head. "I appreciate it, Coco." he starts quietly. "I know you could. And I appreciate you for it. But I did not agree to date you because you're a princess and could take care of me. Or that you're who you are and what you can do. I agreed to be your boyfriend because you spoke to me and my heart in the warmest and simplest tones. You did not see me for anything other than a boy you wanted to be interested in, and that has little to do with how things are with me financially." A small smile, a touch of fondness, a touch of sadness. "I will stand next to you by my own merits."

When she switches to the tutoring, he relaxes, glad to be off the subject of his financial responsibilities. "And I will find an appropriate rate to charge you for my tutelage." It'll probably be kisses.

And now, the talk turns to singing and Coco and Amy's shared skills. The young man falls quiet to listen, only releasing Coco's hand so he can shovel some more food in his mouth, trying to finish off his meal - and perhaps cool his own burning passion a little.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Ahh, accounting? That's more... that's not something I'm an expert in." Amy admits, re: math competition. "PC mainly, but I play some console games too." She answers, re: games.

    She dabs her eyes and blows her nose with the offered napkin, nodding.

    And she gives Coco a very confused look as she describes singing like an alien approaching the problem hypothetically. "...I've got the basic technique down. And I can practice and refine that. But I mean. Being able to memorize and sing songs, or even sight read, does not a singer make. People like, form bands? Or get commissions to sing songs, I guess? Or make their own songs, but I dunno how I'd be at music composition and writing lyrics."

    She chews another bit of food and listens to Yuuto talking about how he's not into her because she's rich or a princess, he loves her for her and her ability to see him form him. It's very sweet!

    Amy points her chopsticks at Coco. "I dunno how it is for mermaid princesses, but human boys are raised to value being independent providers. I dunno that you can or should try to stop him. Hell, even I'd be trying to stand on my own if... if Hannah hadn't completely swept me off my feet, I guess. And I'm. Y'know. Dealing with some stuff now I can't figure out all on my own."

    She turns her eyes, and the chopsticks, to Yuuto. "As for you. Like if it feels 'good', knowing what you did on your own, good for you. But if it ever just feels like an obligation, a duty, you have to stress and strain yourself to achieve? Don't be afraid to rely on others more. Society may be jerks about it but if there's no shame in being a housewife there should be no shame in being a househusband. ...I'm not sayin' that just for you, even if you're doin' just fine there may be guy friends of yours tryin' to live up to something they just can't, and that's..."

    Amy looks away awkwardly and scratches the back of her head. "...That's somethin' guys have to help eachother with, ya know? I'm not gonna be there when they're talkin' to their bros, and they may not wanna hear it from me."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Amy has some suggestions for her, and she has to admit that isn't quite as intuitive for her. As the princess, she is the one expected to do things, and moreover, she is Aqua Regina's gift for her kingdom to protect against the demons, so Amy's explanation is something she really could use to hear.

A sigh of relief escapes Coco's lips as Yuuto actually doesn't seem to excessively mind her suggestion, only gently turning her down because he wants to do this himself, with his heart that shines with passion for his chosen future. Just one more way, he is admirable. "I will look forward to that", Coco comments softly. "I want you to know how much I appreciate you already. If something happens that you didn't expect, I wouldn't think of you any lesser just because you needed something from me."

She looks at him with those golden eyes he finds enigmatic and adds with a little smirk. "Hey, Yuuto, how many people have told you how headstrong you are? In a positive way. And yet, you never fail to feel in harmony with others. So, thank you for being so kind, so attentive and positive. If I can continue next to you like this, I couldn't ask for anything more in the world. How can I have been so lucky to find all these amazing qualities in a person as handsome as you?"

And so the date ends, with chatter and laughter and delicious curry in what Coco hopes has been an amazing second date, because despite the sudden leave and return, for her? It was.