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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 7, 2024 3:00:26 GMT
The conversation certainly got lighter after the mention of burgers. Maybe it was a guy thing. But Utena laughed at Riku and Zuko's enthusiasm. Even Bella giggled a little, peeking from behind her cup like a nervous rabbit poking its head out of a bush.
"We could always make another get together out of it," Utena suggested. "Without the study materials next time."
"I'd like that," Bella agreed. The dynamic between the four of them was fun, despite her confusing feelings making her awkward at times.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 7, 2024 4:32:30 GMT
Zuko looked askance at the forgotten textbooks and assignments. “Let’s be honest,” he said, polishing off the rest of his coffee, “it wouldn’t matter if we brought our school stuff, it would just turn into social hour.” He set his mug down and neatly tucked a napkin into the now empty coffee mug.
“Good point,” Riku mused. “It’s not like we have to be on the clock all the time. We’re allowed some breaks in between. That’s just…you know…healthy.” He knew how bad it could be to keep so much locked in. Had he followed Ansem’s advice, he would have been on the wrong path.
“Coffee and burgers, real healthy there,” Zuko said dryly.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 11, 2024 16:58:35 GMT
"It might not be healthy, but it's good for the soul," Bella said with a little smile. There was a reason it was called "comfort food" after all.
"See? Bella gets it," Utena said, smiling too as she gave her sister a playful jab. Bella may not have had as big an appetite as Utena, but even she couldn't resist the call of something deep-fried every once in a while.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 11, 2024 17:24:35 GMT
Zuko looked at Bella when she brought up the good bring good for the soul. Almost all his life, he had been eating poor quality variants of so called “soul food”. A part of him felt jealous. She and Utena had such a healthy connection that they could joke about food like that being that way. Meanwhile he had it because it was the only thing that was available.
Riku popped his back with a small stretch. “Yeah, but working it out takes forever. And don’t get me started on how much it weighs you down during a match.” He learned the hard way to never stuff a face full of greasy fried food before playing Boomball. He felt bad for the janitor who had ti clean up his mess.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 15, 2024 0:21:29 GMT
"That's a problem for future Utena to worry about," Utena joked. She could see where Riku was coming from though. Treat days were called that for a reason. They couldn't make a habit of it.
Bella noticed Zuko got quiet again. She wished she could tell what he was thinking when he did that. He always seemed so guarded all the time and she wanted to know why. But now wasn't the time for that. The conversation was still on a happy note. Maybe it was best to end it while it was still that way. "We should probably get going," she said. "Like Utena said, I think we've covered enough questions that we'll pass the essay portion at least. That can probably make up for some of the harder questions."
Utena nodded, feeling like her sister was right. They'd gotten enough done that she felt a bit more confident than before. And joking around a bit had put her in a good mood.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 15, 2024 5:25:54 GMT
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. A few strands of black hair got tangled , but he wove through it with little effort. The break had been, and he didn’t want to say it out loud even though it was the truth, fun. It felt strange not worrying about being punished for feeling it, but he truly did feel a sense of ease. Something about the Tenjou twins made him feel like he could be himself. “I should get back to work. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
“By dinner, you mean a burger stop?” Riku joked. He probably needed to head out, too. The post workout shower was calling his name. As he gathered his things, he extended a hand to Zuko, who took it and shook. “Pleasure to meet you, Zuko. I’ll know who to look for when I order from here in the future.”
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 20, 2024 2:43:05 GMT
The boys agreed that now was a good time to wrap things up. Utena and Bella gathered all their stuff as Zuko headed back to work.
"Let's spar again sometime," Utena said to Riku. "Gotta love learning the hands-on way, right?"
"Uh, it was nice meeting you," Bella said politely. Riku was obviously extroverted like Utena, but he was still a nice guy. Bella could see why her sister liked hanging out with him. Zuko was about to head back to work though and Bella felt like she should say something.
"Zuko, uh..." She suddenly faltered, realizing she'd called out his name without really thinking. "Um...don't work yourself too hard, okay?" she finally managed to say.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 20, 2024 4:38:42 GMT
As Bella called out to him, Zuko turned around. She was standing by her sister, but instead of shyly hiding, her blue eyes were fixated on him. She simply asked him not to work too hard. The corner of Zuko’s mouth twitched when she said that. It was the closest she’d get to a smile before he had to go and trudge through customers and complex coffee orders. He saluted the trio with a wave. “I’ll see you guys on campus,” he promised. Lunch and class would suddenly be better. These positive thoughts, which felt weird but not bad, were what he returned to the black with.
“Oh heck yes,” Riku flashed a smile with a competitive edge to Utena. Their last fight was a blast. He had told his Boomball team about his spar with her, and it led to excitement. As Zuko dismissed himself and Bella called out to him, Riku watched quietly. There it was again. The air was just hinting there was something going on. Bella was so quiet, but she was smart. After Zuko excused himself, the silver haired senior saluted the twins.
“You two know where to find me. I’ll see you guys later.”
((End))
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 21, 2024 2:47:10 GMT
There was the barest hint of a smile from Zuko before he headed off, which pleased Bella. It was progress, in her opinion. She hummed to herself absentmindedly as she headed out the door. Utena, however, was giving her the same look Riku was. WAs her sister...seriously crushing on Zuko? Utena had never seen Bella really interested in anyone before. The few crushes her sister had had were mostly on fictional characters. Was Utena jumping to conclusions? She didn't think so, but Bella probably wouldn't admit it outright if she asked her about it. Getting Bella to admit something vulnerable was like trying to reel in stubborn fish, you really had to work and tug at it. Maybe Utena just had to keep an eye on things for a little while. "See ya," she said quickly to Riku before hurrying after Bella.
((End.))
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