sirenspull_logs | I told another lie today and I got through this day

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I told another lie today and I got through this day

Who: Namine (

madeinoblivion )
When: February 14, evening
Where: Around. The art museum and underground mall mostly
Summary: Just a little Valentines date

Valentines.

She kept reminding herself that it was only a day, and despite the hype around it, it really wasn't anything special. She's reminded herself of that in front of Roxas, and she felt like she had a good handle on that..

At least until she had gone to school that day. People had been making plans and that she knew. But this love-filled day seemed so serious and a lot of people did look like they were having fun and were so happy. There really wasn't anything wrong with it, was there? It was just like Christmas; something designed to make people feel good about things.

And well, maybe she could do some of that herself for someone else. Valentines day seemed to be so important to him, and Namine remembered agreeing to try and go on dates with him at Christmas. They've been on a few already, but on the official love day of the year, something felt right in trying to please him. In going out with him today.

So she gets ready, having a tiny panic over what to wear at first, but inevitably choosing the dress that Kairi happened to get for her for Christmas. Sure, there was the dress and necklace that Joe had gotten her for Christmas, but that felt special. A different kind of special. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too mad.

Once it's on, she'll just wait for him in the kitchen, nervous about what could happen for today.

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A hand fussed with the edge of the skirt. She was comfortable in dresses, but this felt almost slightly more formal and slightly more important than anything else she's worn. Still, regardless of the blush on her face, she smiles, nods and stands.

"Thanks. Kairi gave the dress to me as a present for Christmas." She's barely wearing any makeup; that's still something that she has yet to fully explore and given all the different types and brands out there, she's nervous to venture out into the makeup world on her own. Her hair's in the normal style, and she's light on accessories too, except for a little necklace she has on that doesn't match the dress, but she thinks it's special for him.

Looking him over, he looked good, but then he never looked back in her mind or anything. Still, she fidgeted a bit on her feet, feeling a little too overdressed and dumb for not knowing what to wear on something like Valentines.

She shook her head, "I don't think I need anything else. I'm ready... when you are."

"Well, I guess she'd have a good idea what suits you best, right?" Not that he'd really ever want Riku picking out clothes for him, he realizes a moment after the dumb statement's already out of his mouth. Or Sora- just because Roxas is Sora's nobody, doesn't mean they have enough in common to like the same kind of things.

But maybe that's just because they're boys. Girls seem to love picking out clothes for each other.

Either way, Kairi must have good instincts, because Namine looks just about as nice as girls come, and he'll feel so proud to go around with her, dressed up like that.

He glances to the kitchen clock and then reaches for her winter coat, holding it open for her to slide into, and feeling a bit princely to do so. "If we hurry we'll have just about an hour or so to look around the museum, before it closes...then we'll get over early before siren to get a good spot at the mall, before it gets too crowded for the night."

She followed him, slipping into her coat and just blushing a bit more. Joe always did treat her nice, but it felt like there was an extra something special behind his actions today, and it made butterflies flit around in her stomach. "Well... she knows more about clothes than I do. She's had more experience with things like picking out clothing."

She turned, and mused just briefly to herself if she should extend the same courtesy to him and hold his coat out for him. But not knowing proper social mannerisms, she'll just wait instead. Namine really doesn't want to mess the night up for him by doing things she really shouldn't be.

"There's no a big reason to rush. If... we don't get to things tonight, that's okay."

"Nuh-uh! I've got it all planned out. We've just got to make sure we catch the train in time."

He grins, and just before settling it around her shoulders, slips a bag of candy into the pocket of her coat, for her to find. (Thank you, Master Aqua, for your brilliance in locating not-heart valentine candy!)

With that he slips his own jacket halfway onto his shoulder, hurrying to unlatch the apartment door to hold it open for her with a funny little bow. He's not quite so serious about that part for the smile to leave his face, but likes playing gentlemanly doorman for her, all the same.

"After you?" (He'd even call her princess, but that's another thing Marluxia's probably spoiled.)

She sort sank into the collar of her coat as the blush on her cheeks increases. Something made one side of her coat feel a bit weighed down, but she shrugs it off. It's probably something she forgot on a previous outing.

"Thank you." It came out as a mumble, and she tried to steal a glance at him. All this attention is kind of nice but it's starting to make her just a tad worried that he's stressing over details.

"You don't need to be so formal today, Joe."

If there ever was a good excuse to overdo a 'real' date, valentine's day was a good one, right?

"I don't mind it, treating you extra special?" He shrugged, but slid a bit more comfortably into his usual slouch, closing up their apartment and remembering to lock it before reaching for her hand to usher her down the steps, keeping a few steps ahead to lead her down like an attentive suitor.

"That's what it's holiday for, right?" Joe was putting all the effort he could stay as charming as he figured she ought to be treated, but maybe it just made her nervous. "But don't worry about it bring a big deal. Really, I just want to spend time with you "

And sure, they did a lot of that already, living together. But not like this.

She couldn't help but be a little more relaxed seeing him slouch, and soon, the flush from her face fades a little more.

With him and his outstretched hand on the staircase, she felt unsure and almost unstable on her feet. It's winter, so high heels are really rather inappropriate to wear when there's snow and ice, so all she's wearing are nice boots. But there was still something in being handled so delicately, so gently while she trailed behind him...

It really was feeling like a big deal.

"I... just want to spend time with you, too. You deserve to have a good time."

"Whenever I'm with you, we have a good time!" He protests earnestly, pausing on the landing. "But this is Valentine's day, you know?"

He shrugs sheepishly, tucking his free hand into his pocket.

"Boys are supposed to make a big deal out of it, so you feel....you know, really important. So you know we care. That's the whole point."

She fidgeted on step above, frowning for just a moment and bringing her hand up to her chest. Feeling a little brave, she walked down the last few stairs so that she was standing on the landing beside him.

"I already know you care, Joe."

"Well...okay, so-"

He shakes his head desperately, a little bit flustered now, because there goes the 'be a gentleman' game plan out the window. A whole night where he's trying really hard not to be a careless jerk like usual, and...what is it she wants him to be, exactly? More like Sora? More like Riku?

He watches her with a long apprehension, a little uncertain vulnerability in his eyes.

"So..." He breathes out. Maybe it's time to listen, and to let her start choosing. "So since I've picked some things to do, then you...can decide how this is going to go then, okay? How you want this date to be? I promise, Namine, I'll do whatever it takes, and however you want- this is all for you."

...Had she said something wrong already? It was just a bit of honesty in her opinion, and Naminé wanted him to enjoy as much of the night as he did with her.

Her fingers felt like slipping away out of his grasp during the silence. But as soon as he starts talking again, her hands wiggles it's way back into gripping his.

And then suddenly, there's pressure. She's already a bit clueless on how to properly do date things. What if she makes the wrong choice? Says the wrong thing again?

Yet, with all the worry, she still nodded. She'll try her best to make the right choices. To make it not just all for her, but for him too.

"...Alright. What are the choices?"

"Whatever you want!" He smiles, eager to be the kind of person that will make her happy... though it's still a little bit disconcerting, with everything pointing to the idea that she's not so sure what will make her happy at all.

"Going to art museum's still okay, right? Unless you'd rather see a movie or something. After dinner, I figured we'd go bowling."

"Yeah, of course it is." Her smile came back, a little brighter and confident for him. She'll try her best with things tonight, and as she steps forward, she tugged on his hand a little to try to get him moving again. They best not be late!

"I'm fine with the museum, and bowling..." Her smile wavered for a split second, but came back full force when she looked over to him. She's got to try new things. Whatever the city has to offer. "Bowling's fine. I'd love to try it."

Joe follows her lead eagerly, out into the chilly air, and toward the train station- the subway to Sector 3 could sometimes be busy and cramped, an easy place to lose track of friends, so he kept his hand firmly in Namine's.

"Bowling's pretty fun- tonight they're putting the glow-in-the-dark lights on, and it's for dates only... so it'll be a good time. The balls can be sort of heavy, but I'll find you a light one."

She kept close to him on the subway. Even though it's been months and she's really doing better, large crowds still sort of unnerved her, mostly due to her height and stature. Sometimes, she still finds herself pushed around and feeling too nervous about who might be in the crowd.

"Glow-in-the-dark? That's when... anything light glows, right?" She dipped her head a little, feeling shy about her next words.

"...Will you teach me?"

Joe is protective- he elbows to find her a free seat, then when there's only one he hurries her into it and stands protectively facing her, hanging onto the overhead strap as if to shield her a little from the afternoon crowd.

"'Course I'll teach you! I'm not great, myself, but- It's only a game."

She appreciated the shielding as she looked up at him. But while the gesture was sweet, it still made her feel a tad bit embarrassed and out of place. Like she was someone important, when he could have taken the seat instead.

"Thank you. I think it will be nice to try." Just a game honestly reminded her a little of gym class, and the mantra often tossed around by the teacher when they played things like basketball or worse, volleyball. Bowling wasn't anything like that, and she prayed that there wouldn't be any sort of contact with anything hard.

"While we've got our own life in this city, we should try a little bit of everything, right?" He shrugged with one shoulder, beaming, watching the train rattle on through the window behind her.

Thinking about all the things that Terra said- about puzzle pieces that lined up just right, when a bond of love happened... it seemed like a difficult thing to just happen, in one date. Not when he'd been living here with Namine, this whole time.

Still- special things happened, when you spent special time out together, right? Isn't that how it worked?

He looked down at her hopefully, the bottom of her dress showing a little from under the coat, a reminder how how she's gotten dressed up for this-

They were actually going on a real date, this time. It was enough to fill him with a shaky feeling of thrill- even if it would just be bowling, walking around at a museum.

"What do you want to see first? The paintings, the statues?"

"...We should." Still, there was hesitation in saying it, a small voice in the back of her head that kept screaming that she wasn't included in the 'we'. That Joe, Xion, Roxas, all of them deserved to try new things.

It was still hard for her to swallow the concept that she'd be included. But maybe, just maybe for one night, she could try to swallow it, for his sake.

"Well, I guess the paintings are good." She was getting the hang of painting more and more, and maybe there would be some hidden techniques found in the more professional pieces. Statues, though, was still a bit of a lost art for her.

"Unless there's something you want to see." She paused, a little hopeful that she wouldn't be the sole focus of this date. "...Is there?"

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I told another lie today and I got through this day

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