Kaze and Briar Rose at Tea Rex

[Kaze]

Kaze nods, "Delish!" He says enthusiastically slurping up some of the noodles he'd cooked with the vegetable and meat cuts. "I love this place."

He sighs in an obvious tone of relaxing rather than anxiety or regret.

"This is good." Kaze says in a tone of contentment, vaguely unspecific as to whether he's talking about the food, the ambiance, the company or just turning thirty today.

I'm loving this scene! Honestly fun even if they don't actually say hardly anything at all, just the hanging out feels like something productive and fun is happening! I like the chill feel with no specific goals or deadline. Fun too that July 31st is his actual birthday! Not worried about the details of when the scene goes into continuity though, just enjoying the chill, no stress scene for as long as feels good. Thanks!

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose grunts out an agreeing sound. Still putting food into her face, enjoying the vibe and the chill company until he goes and ruins it by saying something about it.

Briar Rose tenses. All her loose easy camaraderie vanishes in a snap.

"Yeah. It's. A. Good. Place." she says, sounding like she's choking down something more then food. Tension scrapes her throat raw, jaw clenching, as she realizes how low her guard had gotten. She holds her chopsticks tightly, and jerkily angles herself away from Kaze.

This has been super fun, but always B-Ro brings the difficulties :P

[Kaze]

Kaze looks concerned for a moment, like he is making sure Rose isn't literally choking on something in her air pathway and in medical distress!

Then he visibly relaxes, deciding that she isn't wanting and or needing him to do anything or try to fix anything.

He continues cooking his meat and vegetables and noodles, and eating small portions, chewing slowly as if savoring the food and atmosphere, or company. Kaze is using chopsticks to hold food while it cooks, but after letting it cool, he is eating with his fingers.

He sips his tea, which seems to be bubble tea, and seems to enjoy and savor it too. A few thoughts or even questions come to mind, and he dismisses them. The last thing he wants is to give the impression that he invited Rose out to interrogate her!

Still, he wonders about the apparent connection she's made with Star and Campanella. Is it a Cabal? The Consillium seems to be lurching in the direction of Cabals basically running things, but that might have just been a one time impression; there have been a lot of initiatives that immediately get forgotten or just seem to be dropped without anyone following up on it. Anyway, he hopes for her sake that she feels like it's a good thing, like a safe group that she can feel like she belongs in. He thinks of a quote he saw in a Ted Talk, "Belonging is the opposite of fitting in" belonging is being yourself and being accepted and valued for who you are, but fitting in is changing yourself to try to please others and avoid being rejected." He ponders what it might mean if he isn't actually experiencing either of those things.

[Briar Rose]

Contrary to Kaze's easy movements, Briar Rose's are stilted. Not quiet unpractised, but awkward. She keeps looking at the Obrimos, then her eyes dance around the restaurant, returning to her food, and shovelling it into her mouth.

The Longer the quiet lasts, the higher her shoulders rise. The stiff lines of her arms, and back hardening into steel. Eventually, she forces her shoulders down, and her chest forward. Steel, she's steel. She isn't going to cower in silence.

"So, how've you been since they let you out of the basement?"

Is the first thing that comes to mind, which is stupid. But. Whatever.

[Kaze]

Kaze laughs! Rose definitely doesn't tip toe around! "It's good." He says, frankly. "I mean, I wish it didn't happen; I am looking forward to living it down, or doing something good that I get known for instead, sure." Kaze admits. "But I think I get it now, so that's worth it, I think anyway."

Kaze sighs. "It looks like you found a group to belong with." He says in return. "I miss that, but I was just remembering something I heard once, 'Belonging is the opposite of fitting in'; belonging is being yourself and being accepted and valued for who you are, but fitting in is changing yourself to try to please others and avoid being rejected.'" He says thoughtfully.

"I think you are someone who is not going to try to change yourself to fit in. I admire that, Rose. I think that maybe that's all I have ever really done, and now I want to stop it, risk rejection or whatever."

[Briar Rose]

"Live and learn?" she asks, a tad sardonic, she rolls her eyes before all movement ceases.

She's a frozen....something.

A. Frozen. Something. She turns her entire body in Kaze's direction, pushing off with her foot and swivelling in her chair, bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, half raised to her mouth.

Her eyes are hard. The make up making them darker.

Her lips are set in a fierce line, jaw clenched, teeth grinding against each other.

It's a long moment before she releases the tension clawing up her throat. She turns back to the table, places her bowl and chopsticks down.

"My bags are still packed." she says. Defensive, a snap. Perhaps thinking she still wasn't going to stay. Or perhaps it was her way of saying that she didn't belong.

[Kaze]

Kaze eats. Watches, doesn't stare, but doesn't look down or away. He listens and then when she reacts, he pauses. "Well." He says, slurping up his noodles. "I totally get that how I feel about it doesn't have to mean anything to you, and I am not trying to tell you what to do." Kaze says gently.

"But if you do go, I won't forget you, Rose. I'll really miss you. I like your style."

[Briar Rose]

She frowns.

It's a harsh line cutting across her mouth. The tension slowly eats at her again.

This was too - he was too -

She stands.

The chair scrapes loudly across the floor. Or is it only so loud in her own ears, ringing, echoing. A moment of - of

She looks to where she knows the door is, and thinks. For a moment she thinks.

She always ran.

....but wasn't running just cowering while moving?

She frowns harder. Feet leaden, she's breathing in small puffs, likes she's runrunruning to goddamn fast but she's still stuck in place.

[Kaze]

Kaze pushes back, slowly, smoothly sliding his own chair back, and stands also, in a relaxed, loose stance. He might just be acting like a gentleman, rising from his seat when a lady does.

He waits, ready to move or not, speak or not based on what Rose does or says.

His expression is one of attention, his eyes are Zanshin, almost unfocused, or looking into the distance. He is seeing with his peripheral vision now, ready for incoming movement from unexpected directions.

To an experienced martial artist, it is like he expects to be attacked. To anyone else, he looks like he's doing a Tai Chi meditation or something with his eyes open, his breathing deep and regular, exuding calm mental preparation.

[Briar Rose]

Absently she hears Kaze standing too.

But he doesn't rush her with questions. Doesn't demand she sit, speak.

She doesn't - she isn't -

.....there's still food on the table.

It was warm, steaming. There was liquid in glasses and bottles and she could still taste it on her tongue.

Feeling small, but forcing her face hard, she sits down.

And drinks some goddamn sake.