1076/Cinema Club: First Meeting

Cinema Club: First Meeting
Date of Scene:	02 February 2024
Location:	Four Clover Mall
Synopsis:	The inaugural meeting of Radiant Heart's new cinema club! This month's film:
Cast of Characters:	Ren Morimoto, Anna Domenico, Yuuto Shiraishi, Norie Okana, Adrien Agreste, Kaori Jira, Coco Kiumi

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Ren Morimoto has posed:
    The past few weeks since the school term started up after the holidays has seen Radiant Heart Academy plastered with fliers advertising a new club, with its inaugural meeting to be held at the 5:30pm showing of the new film "Sea of Swords" at the cinema in Four Clover Mall.

    Ren waits nervously in the lobby for people to show. He's not expecting a huge turnout, not for the first meeting, and he spends a lot of the time wondering if his choice of movie is to blame. But people do show, and after everyone gets their snacks, they head in to grab their seats.

    And maybe it's the lingering American influence from his time spent abroad, but once they're safely ensconced in the darkened theater, he passes out boxes of candy with a whispered, "I brought these back from California." They're sour candies in garishly bright (some might say unnatural) colors, shaped like little people. Strange!

    Afterwards, the group relocates to a cluster of tables outside a nearby cafe, and as club leader Ren volunteers to buy everyone a drink. Once he's back from the counter inside, he distributes them around with only a little bit of struggle trying to remember who gets what (he had to take notes on his phone to keep track of the orders in the first place, after all) and then he slumps into an empty chair.

    "You know," he says, as he wipes whipped cream from the corner of his mouth, "I totally thought Beatriz's dead brother was going to be a red herring with as many times as he got brought up, but I was *not* expecting him to come back in the last act like that. The way she reacted when she realized she had to fight him really tore me up."

Anna Domenico has posed:
Anna Domenico is here for two reasons.

First and foremost. She wants to critique Japanese theater movies.

Second, is that there's this cute girl she knows that might like to see a movie. When she says 'I hate you.' but also 'see you there', she knows she hit the right moment.

So thusly, Anna Domenico is here in a black t-shirt, wearing blue jeans and waiting for Norie Okana. Regardless. When she enters she eyes the strange American candy and merely asks for a Coke. or Pepsi. Or legally distinct Cola. She hehs.

"I never saw the film before, so I'm looking forward to it."

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Currently, Yuuto and Coco are easily in that 'just started' dating phase of a relationship. A little awkward, but a lot of enthusiasm and finding every reason they can to go on a date together. Seeing the flier for the Cinema Club was a great excuse for Yuuto to ask the mermaid princess out. Dressed in a warm and dark colored sweater with a collared shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, he's holding hands with her as they gather the tickets for the "Sea of Swords".

Noticing Ren, he offers a wave to his fellow student. "Hey!" he greets cheerfully, "We're going to get snacks and be right in!" And when they get to the snacks, there's a pause as Yuuto turns to Coco. "Roshambo for snacks?"

A couple of rounds of rock-paper-scissors later, and Yuuto is the one buying the popcorn and drinks and any other snacks Coco wants before accepting one of the boxes of Sour Kids from Ren.

"Oh... it is nice to meet you. I am Shirashi Yuuto, and this is my girlfriend Kiumi Coco." he offers in way of greetings. But there is the movie to go see. And once they are done, and regathering in the cafe, Yuuto settles down. He keeps his order light, not wanting to be too much of a pull on the fundage of the evening.

"I didn't understand. Was the Sea of Swords the ship, or was it the actual sword that they found?" he asks in a moment of confusion. "There were so many sword fights."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana acquires 'American Candy' and a 'Cola' of some sort. She thanks Ren, someone she doesn't really know, for them both. Then her 'date' arrives. Norie? Is dressed as she usually is. Ridiculous floral jacket, black t-shirt, blue jeans. She looks over at Anna and reiterates. "I hate you." she says.

"...but thanks for asking me out." she says sheepishly as she fudges a gloved hand around her pocket. She'll follow everyone in, otherwise and sit down into the theater.

"So many sword fights, Anna, yes. It's like. a Sea of them, almost." she says, in her unamused neutral monotone.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste was there as well! It had been awhile since he'd been out to the movies properly rather than watching them in his dorm room with either his roommate, Chrono (who desperately needed to catch up on pop culture of this world) or with his girlfriend, Naru. An actual movie theater was a bit of a treat.

He opts just for the classics of a drink and popcorn, a small in each case. It's already polished off by the time the movie starts. The candy that Ren provides is accepted with a grin, and a quick, "Thanks! These look interesting," as he pops one into his mouth to nibble on.

On exiting the theater he takes the trash he accumulated to deposit into a bin making certain to follow the proper recycling codes diligently. Only then does he join the rest at the table at the cafe.

"I think it's a simile. Since they travel the sea but were also pirates, which meant they dealt with a lot of sword fights. I think the ship was named the Calista?" His head shakes a moment. "The never really said directly, but when they were at the port one of the background characters helping to haul in the lines mentioned it."

Kaori Jira has posed:
Kaori Jira wasn't part of any club, she almost certainly wasn't invited by anyone but...well, she was curious, she was on her own and it seemed she was looking to investigate another human experience. Herself wrapped in jeans, a jacket that was probably slightly too big for her even if she was taller than most and her hair down, the 'intense' girl probably looked like a delinquent that half the staff were going to make sure didn't sneak into another movie....but for the moment she seemed to be behaving.

Retrieving herself some snacks from the concession stand, the raven-haired girl just sort of...waits, looking a little lost.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
An advertisement about a movie club had been put up on the billboard while Coco was passing by and just a few hours later, Yuuto had invited her to that first meeting, for what's their first date as girlfriend and boyfriend.

Of course, she isn't missing any excuse to spend time with her boyfriend, so she was quick to say yes, even jf gratuitous sword fights weren't her idea of a nice movie. Since this is a club meeting, she isn't dressing like she did for their first date, and instead has opted for a golden-beige sweater over a dark blue shirt with red lines along the shirt, beige flats and a dark yellow skirt.

There are only three people she recognises so, it is to Kaori, Norie and Adrien she waves first before introducing herself to the rest, even if Yuuto did it first. But it's ok anyway, so she smiles towards the group. "Hello, everyone, like Yuuto says I am his girlfriend. Nice to meet you!"

And they already started trading opinions, so Coco comments her share. 'I don't really like when by one reason or another, they all turned out related to the ship's captain. That's too much of a coincidence for me when those that were made aware of it had been randomly sorted."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
    Ren squirms around in his seat so that he can divest himself of his puffy coat, which he lays over the back of his chair, leaving him in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. He takes a long sip of his fancy-milkshake-masquerading-as-coffee, then rests his arms on the table, folding them in front of him. "That did seem kind of suspicious," he says to Coco, his head tilted to one side thoughtfully. "But it kind of makes me hope for a sequel, I want them to be a big happy family." He sighs, a note of wistfulness to it as he looks away.

    "I think you're right," is what he says next, nodding to Adrien. "I think there might have been a quick shot of the name Calista written on the... bow? That's the front of a ship, right?"

    He pauses to look around at the assembled club members, informal though it may be, and his expression splits into a wide smile. Underneath the table, his legs bounce with barely-contained excitement. Sure, some of the folks came paired up as couples, but not everyone did, and things seem to be working out! He looks visibly pleased with the response to his fliers, so far.

    At a natural break in the conversation, he twists to pull a notebook from one of the big pockets of his coat, laying it and a pen down on the table top. As he flips through it, it's clear it's filled with writing already, and anyone can peek and see that they seem to be notes on previous films that Ren has watched. He gets to a new page and then nods.

    "So, uh, in case anyone missed it when I introduced myself, I'm Ren Morimoto," he says. "I'm in grade 10. I don't think there's ever been a cinema club at Radiant Heart, but I go see movies at least once a week and I thought it would be fun to have a group where we could discuss films. So maybe we can get together in-between outings to just talk about things we've watched in the meantime." As his suggestion comes tumbling out of his mouth, Ren is writing, though for now it's just the name of the film and some relevant details (actors, director, etc etc). "But I don't want it to be too formal. People should feel encouraged to show up when they want and not worry too much about it if they have other stuff to do."

Kaori Jira has posed:
Friends, girlfriends, boyfriends...there was a difference? Humans were confusing, truly. A handfull of her popcorn, she tilts her head to the side and lifts the hand in an attempt to return the knowing greeting to Coco. Humans she knew and actually liked, certainly there seemed to be more of late...maybe she was getting soft?

Another munch of popcorn and she was sort of just...following along the club.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
As he sips from his water, Yuuto considers the information being bandied about. Truth be told, he had other thoughts on his mind. But there were bits and pieces he had picked up on, and he gives a nod to Adrien. "I think you were right. Just as that other ship was about to ram it and kick off all the sword fights." A small chuckle from him as there seems to be introductions going around.

"It is nice to meet you Morimoto-san." he offers in wait of greetings, as he noticed Kaori and nudges Coco to make a room so Kaori can join them if she wanted, since Coco apparently knew the other student. "Hello." he offers in greetings.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"It did seem as if they were setting up for a sequel with all the relatives. It made it seem like a bid at creating an entire franchise universe," Adrien has to admit with a little shrug. He considers it a moment longer as he watches Ren dig out his notebook to start scribbling in with a grin.

"Hey, I'm always up for movies and hanging out when I'm not busy with school or work. I'll see if my girlfriend wants to tag along, too. She was busy tonight though," he adds with a chuckle. "And I haven't really been out to a theater in awhile."

Since introductions are being made he nods to the others. Coco he knew of course, but Kaori, Yuuto and Ren were new to him. "I'm Adrien Agreste, grade 9. Originally from France so I apologize about my accent." Honestly though he was pretty decent on the accent. It was still something he apologises for though.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco watches Kaori return the greeting unsure. Has the reptile girl by chance forgot when she stumbled onto her private swimming session? Granted, lots of things had happened between now and then, but she figures there aren't any mermaid around to be mixed up.

Coco raises an eyebrow, her attention caught when Adrien mentions a girlfriend. Last time the french model had been swamped by admirers, so she didn't expect he would have found someone already. Good for him he doesn't have to deal with that particular uncertainty of his fame anymore.

"Oh, you got a girlfriend?", Coco asks him. "Congratulations, I hope things are going well."

On the movie she says: "I think the film's writers could have stood to dare a bit more. They had the two ships almost collide and it seems the characters are finally going to have to deal with a problem that can't be solved by stabbing someone, except a sea serpent had ended up pushing the conflict, instead of letting Beatriz fight it underwater.

Kaori Jira has posed:
"Kaori," the taller girl offers, no grade mentioned from the teen who looked like she was still trying to navigate her way through all of this. She remembered the truth about Coco, it was being around a group where the goal was -not- to start a fight or scare someone that was more making her nervous. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

Was this a common expected thing? To have a girlfriend? a boyfriend? Had she already gotten this movie thing wrong?

Ren Morimoto has posed:
    "You can just call me Ren, I don't mind." It's a casual offer made to Yuuto, which matches the casual slump in which Ren is sitting, one shoulder shrugging. He nods along with Adrien's theory, and it makes him sit up a little straighter in his earnestness. Clearly, he really wants that sequel to happen.

    His drink half-finished, Ren looks down into the depths of his rapidly emptying cup, his mouth dropping into a frown. It's a thoughtful expression, though, one that he turns on Coco. "Yeah, you're right," he says, and the way his tone lifts halfway through suggests he's just coming upon this realization himself after she brought it up. "There's a lot of leftover interpersonal drama to sort out. Maybe instead of a sequel film they could do a tv series, those are always better for letting relationships develop."

    And then his attention drifts to Kaori. There's hesitation in his gaze, and his breath catches a moment before he takes a steadying sip of his coffee drink, then nods, almost to himself.

    "Nice to meet you Kaori-san," he says. "What did you think about the movie?" His fingers move to pick up his discarded pen, which is now poised to take more notes. "I liked that there wasn't really any romance drama."

    Though as soon as he says that, he sends a furtive glance at Coco and Yuuto, the resident couple, and then of course Adrien too, as he mentioned having a girlfriend. "Uh, not that there's anything wrong with that," he hurries to add. "But it'd be like Star Wars, when Luke and Leia kiss and then you find out later that they're brother and sister!"

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
"Right, Ren-san. It's nice to meet you. You can call me Yuuto if you want." He seems easy about it if a little awkward about the whole thing. "I was just... in the middle of the movie, there was this whole exposition about where they were going and what they were looking for, and it just could have done so much better as a flashback in the first act instead of that whole action sequence. I mean, the fight scenes were great."

A small glance down at his water and a smile to Kaori. "A pleasure to meet you, Kaori-san." he offers warmly and in encouragment. "Do you know Coco-chan?" comes the curious question as he hmms thoughtfully. His hands wrap around his water bottle in thought.

Then the talk turns to that other movie. "I... I never understood that. So. You'd think that with the whole giving Luke to his uncle and Leia to someone else and that they shared the same parents that you know... the Force would have been like 'Luke, don't make out with her.' Ben woulda know, right?" And he's off on a tangent.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste flashes a friendly smile at Kaori as only a model can giving a little lift of his hand to wave, perhaps unnecessarily. "Nice to meet you as well, Kaori-chan," he greets the quiet girl hoping to make her feel more at ease. A friendly nod is also granted to Ren, and Yuuto as he offers, "Nice to meet you both as well. And yes, Coco-chan," he agrees with a rather warm and amused laugh. "I have a girlfriend. Naru-chan and I got together awhile ago." Een so he adds, "It's still nice to get out and do things on my own occasionally though. I used to go see movies at least a couple of times a month."

Kaori Jira has posed:
"I have never seen anything like it before," Kaori offers, answering Ren and giving a shrug of her shoulders. Of course she was being literal, it -was- her first movie ever. "But it was entertaining. The swordfighting was certainly exciting."

She was trying!

Back towards Yuuto's greeting and she gives a little nod of greeting returned before shrugging her shoulders once more. "We have been swimming together once," she offers in mention of knowing Coco, though discussion of Star Wars was entirely lost on her and it showed in her blank expression.

Ren Morimoto has posed:
    "Of course, Yuuto-san," Ren pipes up, cheerfully. His pen moves, finding a part of the page he's writing on that's blank, to start scribbling in names. It's an unofficial-official member list, though he's not doing anything as serious as actually taking minutes or anything. In the meantime, he jots down a few more notes about his thoughts on the film, before he sets his pen down.

    He looks up, having folded his notebook closed. "It's great to meet you all. Here, I wrote down my phone number so that we could keep in contact for future meetings," and then he's passing out little torn strips of paper with his number on it.

    Then all that's left to do is finish his drink, which he does with gusto, before he pushes himself out of his chair. Getting back into his big puffy coat is a struggle, but once he's managed, he flashes the v-sign at everyone. "This was great! Looking forward to meeting up again. Maybe in-between, we can vote on which film we go to next, rather than just me deciding!"

    And with that, he helps to gather up any trash on the table before they wrap for the evening.