I do not doubt I am to meet you again

[backstreetbard]

[ There is an argument to be made that uprooting your entire life and moving to another continent for a 'change of scenery' is overdoing it, but the fact that Dorothea is sitting on a train in Tokyo with a few bags of groceries is proof that she didn't seem to agree. It's been a huge adjustment, to put things mildly--adjusting to a new culture while you still haven't mastered the language is a tall order, but she's always been a fast learner.

One thing in particular that she's learned since her arrival is that she apparently attracts just as many creepy guys here as she did back home. Today's unwanted flirtation comes from a guy in a studded leather jacket who flops down in the empty spot next to her and immediately leans into her personal space, draping his arm behind her along the back of the seat.

Hey, ojou-chan, you're pretty cute. Are your eyes naturally that color?

Dorothea gives him an exasperated look and immediately says: ]

I'm not interested.

[ The man leans back in apparent surprise, probably not used to women shooting him down so immediately, but Dorothea's expression is mild as she shakes her head. She's done this a hundred times and it kind of shows.

Don't be so cold, ojou-chan. You're obviously not from here, so you need someone to take you around, right? I promise I'll show you a good time. Just give me a chance.

Dorothea holds up her index finger and types something into her phone, then turns it so he can get a good look at the screen. A translation app reiterates her statement from the moment before in large, clear print: I am not interested. ]

I'm not going to go out with you. Please leave me alone.

[ Their interaction is beginning to draw attention, people openly staring as she continues to rebuff him. She knows this is causing a scene, but she also doesn't care--he's the one who started it, not her, so why should she be embarrassed?

Hey, I'm just trying to be friendly! You don't have to be such a bitch about it! ]

Comments

[choukin]

[ She has a point there, at least, enough that he doesn't try to stop her from pushing that ticket in his hands. He just holds onto it for the moment, studying her. She looks so earnest, it's hard to turn her down at all.

Especially not those striking green eyes. ]

Well, I do appreciate good music. So I suppose I'll take you up on the kind offer.

[ He considers telling her that going by himself suits him better, anyway. He's not exactly a people-person by nature. But he decides against it. No sense in coming off a complete fuddy-duddy.

He nods politely at her in turn, though his head tilts slightly at her question. ]

Nanami Kento. [ A brief pause, and then: ] A pleasure, Dorothea.

[ And then it will be his turn to depart, and consider what he's going to wear to an Opera. ]

[backstreetbard]

[ The New National Theater in Tokyo, known as the Opera Palace, has been the premier performance center in the nation since it's completion in 1997. It boasts some of the most state-of-the-art facilities, and while its main hall can seat well over a thousand, the layout with it's box and balcony seating allows the space to still feel very intimate, to view the stage with ease from all angles.

Guests in crisp suits and elegant dresses file into the sharply-modern facility, ushered to their seats with playbills in hand to the susurration of the orchestra tuning their instruments, allowed a moment to settle in before the lights dim and the performance begins. Nanami's seat, as promised, is practically front and center, only separated from the stage by the orchestra pit. It's not the kind of thing someone would give away lightly, right?

The audience falls silent as soft strains of music rise from the orchestra, the prelude setting a delicate atmosphere with high strings that is soon lifted to a lively tempo with boisterous flutes and woodwinds.

At last, the curtain rises, and there she is: Dorothea shimmering onstage in velvet and jewels, flanked by eager suitors who blow kisses and ply her with flowers. Her voice rings out like a bell, clear and bright. Every expression and gesture is masterful, sweet and seductive as she sweeps across the stage.

The scene is set, partygoers toasting to happiness and health while a young man, Alfredo, declares his love for the courtesan Violetta, only just recovered from a long bout of illness. I prayed for your health every day, he declares, and though she rebuffs his affection, the two are happily in love by the start of act two.

It seems their happiness isn't meant to last, however, when Alfredo's father entreats Violetta to break off their relationship, as her reputation could endanger the marriage prospects of his beloved daughter simply by association. Heartbroken, Violetta eventually relents, but Alfredo misunderstands the situation and scorns her callously.

At the opening of the third act, Violetta is bedridden and frail, her illness returned worse than before. She sings a moving aria bidding a tearful farewell to all her dreams of happiness, knowing her death is imminent. Realizing the error of his ways, Alfredo returns to beg her forgiveness, and the couple sings an impassioned duet before Violetta dies in his arms.

The curtain falls to great applause on this beautiful and tragic scene, rising a moment later for the curtain call. Dorothea is radiant as she takes her final bow, holding her hands high with her costars as they enjoy one last moment in the spotlight for the evening.

The curtain falls one final time and the room brightens, allowing the audience to find their bearings and file out. Before Nanami is able to reach the exit, however, a polite voice announces of the speakers that all ticket holders who purchased special access to the meet and greet with the cast should follow the ushers to the green room. Naturally, Nanami's ticket has that special notation, though he might not have noticed it earlier. ]

[choukin]

[ It's not the kind of thing Nanami does often, but he has an appreciation for many of the arts. Literature is more his forte, but what is opera if not literature set to music, performed on a stage? So he's fine with it. And it's too kind of a gift not to take up with.

Besides, he thinks, maybe, he'll see her at the show. Not knowing just how right he is.

Because consider him shocked when Violetta emerges on the stage, and it is not just any leading singer, but the very woman that he met on the train. It takes him a moment to recognize her, beneath the lights, in her makeup, in her glittering jewels, but he recognizes her quickly all the same. He's close enough to see the verdant green of her eyes, and that is unmistakable.

And because of how he met her, because she offered him this ticket, because he's in the front row - not dead center, but right up close - it almost feels like she spends the night singing to him.

It's a nice dream, after all. That's what he tells himself, when the curtain falls, when he quietly and carefully dabs at his eyes beneath his glasses, and the show comes to a close. When that voice comes over the PA, he's not even sure why he looks at his own ticket - he didn't think twice about it before - but he does. And sees that he has one of the special tickets of mention. That he has a backstage pass.

Well. He'd be a fool to ignore it, wouldn't he?

So he follows the usher towards the green room, his heart running just a bit quicker than it normally might. It feels silly. This is just a meeting. She's being kind, in exchange for another act of kindness - an excessively generous gesture, perhaps, but nothing to read into too much.

Still, when the door opens, and he sees her, he offers a rare, soft smile, and a polite bow of his head. ]

You know, if I'd known you were actually performing, I might have dressed up more.

[backstreetbard]

[ It seems that out of all the guests that evening, only fifty or so opted to add the meet-and-greet to their ticket, meaning that Nanami isn't left waiting too long to speak with her. In the meantime, he's free to observe her as she interacts with the other audience members, how friendly and open she is with everyone she speaks to in her lilting European accent, taking photos with everyone who asks, smiling and holding up peace signs for the camera.

Even so, her face lights up when she spots him in the queue, her cheeks coloring noticeably. ]

You came after all! I'm so pleased. And don't be silly, what you're wearing is perfect. Did you enjoy the show?

[ Noticing who she's speaking to, one of her costars (the woman who played Flora) chimes in:

Ahh, Dori-chan, is this the man you were telling us about?

Dorothea glances away from Nanami briefly to acknowledge her friend, nodding and gesturing to him. ]

Yes! This is Nanami-san, who helped me on the train. Nanami-san, this is Yui-chan, and that's Ayame-chan, Akihiko-san, Izumi-chan, Masao-san, Reina-chan, and Jiro-san.

[ Her costars all sound off their greetings, nodding their heads and waving. He might notice a glint in their eyes, though.

Dori-chan didn't tell us how handsome you are, Nanami-san, Izumi chimes in, a wide grin plastered on her face. Dorothea stands up straighter, her face turning an even brighter shade of red.

Or how tall, Ayame adds. She was trying to keep you all to herself.

Well, Dori-chan is tall, so she needs a tall man, doesn't she? It makes sense she wouldn't want to share, says Masao, weighing in on the situation with a sage nod.

For her part, Dorothea's eyes are wide as saucers, her entire face flushed in mortification as she frantically gestures for her friends not to throw her under the figurative bus in front of an attractive man. Giving a forced laugh, she cuts them off before they can run any more of their loud commentary. ]

Ah! Everyone, that's enough, isn't it? Let's not tease our guest, please, or he won't come back to see another performance! Wouldn't that be a shame?

[choukin]

[ It doesn't come as much of a surprise, seeing her work. Seeing that she looks sweet, delightful, being so kind with all of the people there to meet her. He feels suddenly out of place. This isn't normally his kind of thing, and his heart is racing a little more than he's comfortable with.

But he does want to see her. And how could he not, when she looks so genuinely pleased to see him? Thrilled. He wants to believe he's not just looking into things too much. ]

Yes, I -

[ But he's cut off by her costars coming over as well. Suddenly he's the center of attention, something that he's usually not a fan of anyway, and there's a certain eagerness to how they study him. And a decidedly teasing energy. He does his best to weather it, to just stand there until the comments, the playfulness, and while he doesn't flush much himself, he does stay stiff.

Still, a part of him thinks: she's been talking about him, has she? Enough to make an impact. Interesting. ]

It's quite alright. It was a very impressive show, and I'd be happy to see you perform again.

[ Said with his usual rigid seriousness. Luckily, he knows how to keep himself under control, and give every little away. Not that there's anything to give away. Obviously. ]

Though I do almost wished you'd warned me you were the star. That was quite a shock.

[backstreetbard]

[ Thankfully, Nanami is gracious, apparently unaffected by her costars' banter. He brushes off their teasing and Dorothea can't help but feel a pang of... is that disappointment? He'd helped her on the train, accepted her ticket, and come to her show, pointing to him being a conscientious man with enough appreciation for the arts to sit through a three-act opera.

It's impossible to read him, though. Did he actually enjoy himself? Did he like her performance? Is he saying it was impressive to be polite to her? Would he actually come back to watch her again? Would it even be her he came to see? She'd imagine how the scenario would play out since the day they met: he would tell her how moved he was, how lovely the show had been, and she would slip him her phone number when her nosy friends weren't looking in the hope he'd call her for coffee later.

But it's one thing to go see a performance when you're given a free ticket; it's another thing altogether to go on a date with someone. He might not even be single! What if her friends made such a scene in front of a taken man?! The mere thought is excruciatingly embarrassing, but he hasn't expressed any displeasure, so she simply hopes they won't bring it up again.

He repeats his earlier comment about wishing he'd known it would be her on the stage, and she laughs bashfully. ]

Isn't it more dramatic that way? Did it make you feel a thrill of excitement? [ She is the prima donna, after all. ] I hope it wasn't an unpleasant surprise, at least?

[ Her expression is playful, her eyes sparkling, but there's a hint of something vulnerable in the question. ]

[choukin]

[ It's true that Nanami tends to, well, play things close to the chest. It's part of his personality, and something that's been hardened into him through his time as a sorcerer. He can't afford to be too emotive, to let it out, not when he's in the field. And that has largely colored the way he interacts with the rest of the world, even if she is far less dangerous than a Cursed Spirit.

She may be just as nervewracking, though. In a pleasant way. She's so beautiful it's almost hard to look directly at her, like he's staring at the sun.

Her shy laugh doesn't help. Something flutters in his chest. ]

Yes, I'd say there was definitely a thrill.

[ He says it before he really thinks it through, and he can't help but think that he hears a delighted titter coming from her costars around them. Was that giving too much away? Being too forward? He can feel a heat climbing up the back of his neck.

Still, the last thing he wants to do is hurt her feelings. ]

Believe me. Seeing you could never be unpleasant.

[backstreetbard]

[ Dorothea would insist that she's not dangerous at all. Just look at how dainty she is! She certainly isn't a danger to a man as powerful as Nanami Kento, even with a few years of self-defense training under her belt.

Well, not a danger to him physically. His heart is another matter.

And so is hers! She stands a little straighter, her smile brightening with his confirmation, even if her friends will surely tease her about this for days. Seeing her could never be unpleasant? She can feel her cheeks heating up, and in the flush of adrenaline she says: ]

Then... would you like to see me again sometime? Not here--at a café. I've found a place with the most delicious French pastries, and I just can't get enough of their custom tea blends.

[ Wait. Hold on. Did she just ask him on a date? She just asked him on a date. Oh no oh god she just asked him on a date in front of everyone. Oh no. Oh no oh no.

The fact that she's a seasoned actress is her saving grace, the only thing keeping the visible panic at bay. How could she just blurt it out like that? Is that even normal here? Has she made some grave Japanese dating etiquette faux pas?

One of her costars muffles a noise of surprise, while another hurriedly corrals the rest of them away to talk to other lingering fans so that the pair can have a little bit of privacy. Dorothea maintains her poise, even though she's as red as a cherry by now. Maybe she should apologize for putting him on the spot? Give him an out to decline her offer with the perception of offense? How can she fix this? ]

O-or I... I could write down the name and address of the café if you want to check it out on your own. It really is good. Don't-- I mean, we don't have to...

[choukin]

[ Of course, it's not physical harm that he's at all worried about. Not from her. But he is worried.

Like that. She shoots an arrow straight through him, he thinks, when she asks that so directly, with that smile wide on her beautiful face. It is a fair bit more blunt than most women would be, he is quite sure, especially in the sometimes rigid world of Japanese etiquette. Not, he thinks, that that is necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, it might be refreshing.

As it sinks in what she said, what she offered, she unsurprisingly turns red, begins to stammer, and he decides to just go for it. If only to save her from the undue embarrassment. ]

That would be lovely. Going together, I mean.

[ No mistaking it. He wants to go with her. ]

I love pastries, anyway.

[ So, at least, she doesn't feel too pressured. ]

[backstreetbard]

Oh! That's good, then. Perfect!

[ He wants to go with her! She didn't mess up! Or maybe she did but he doesn't mind? Either way, Dorothea beams up at him, sighing in relief as she digs her phone out of her back pocket. This is better than just writing her number down for him on a playbill that could get lost or torn.

Holding her phone face up, a QR code on the screen, she says: ]

Let's exchange contact info, then. That way we can make plans.

[ Once that's done, she sends him a text with the café's address and a cute 💖 emoji, her actual heart still racing in her chest even though all they've done is agree to meet up for tea and pain-au-chocolat. He's little more than a handsome stranger right now, for all intents and purposes, but something about him leaves her feeling a girlish sort of giddiness that she hasn't felt in a long time.

She can't stay with him too much longer, though, with other people needing her attention for the duration of the meet-and-greet. Nanami receives a polite little bow before she hurries off to work her magic on everyone else she meets, but she texts him again later that evening with her schedule.

It's about half a week later on an otherwise unremarkable Thursday afternoon when Dorothea sweeps into the café in a green mini-dress that swirls around her thighs and knee-high boots that make her seem even taller than she already does. She's punctual--a few minutes early, even--but Nanami is already there. He's easy enough to spot with his shock of blond hair, and she makes her way over to his table with a smile. ]

You're here so early! I hope I didn't keep you waiting very long?

[choukin]

[ She smiles so brightly that it almost hurts. And in that moment, he knows that his fate is sealed. Or, at least, is entirely within her delicate and well-manicured hands. The choice has been taken away from him. ]

Of course. I'll look forward to it.

[ And he does, even if his tone is significantly more dry and reserved than hers might be. He takes out his phone in turn, trading contact information and making sure to save her.

But of course, he has to step out of the line sooner or later. This is an event, and there are other customers. He heads back into the world, his head spinning, feeling like he's drank entirely too much sake and let himself get tipsy, but once again, it's all simply because of her. The effect that she has on him. And now they're making plans. He's going to see her again. Properly.

Will he even survive it? He hopes so.

He's early to the cafe, of course, because he's never the type to leave someone waiting. He's gone for something a little more understated than his occasionally garish sense of style, but is still dressed nicely in a well-fitting suit and a tie hanging around his throat, this time a dark wine color. He sees her immediately when she walks in, having been deliberately waiting, watching, and she all but takes his breath away again. Somehow, she looks even more beautiful like this - not in her full, glamorous Opera makeup, not studded with gems and lush fabrics, but something, he suspects, far more her. He tries not to let himself linger on the flash of thigh she offers, and mostly succeeds. ]

No, not too long, [ he says, rising to meet her - and to extend her chair. He's been there perhaps ten minutes before her, which in the grand scheme of things isn't too much. ] I just wanted to make sure we had a table waiting.

[backstreetbard]

[ Dorothea sometimes battles with herself now that she lives in a culture so different from her own. Punctuality is paramount here, where it's less of an issue to be fashionably late in France. She could tell just by looking at him that Nanami is the type to show up precisely on time, but for him to have arrived nearly twenty minutes early just to make sure they had a table almost seems excessive. Is he that excited to spend time with her or is she reading too much into it?

Nanami stands to pull out her chair for her and Dorothea graciously takes her seat. ]

You're too kind.

[ He's handsome as well--in a severe, angular kind of way, but she likes it. He's been very reserved in their interactions so far, and yet she finds herself hoping that she's reading him right, that he's not going this far out of his way just to be polite to her, or to save face. Maybe things will become clearer over the course of this little date.

The air smells like a delicious mix of baked goods and cream and rich coffee, set to a soundtrack of soft music and chatter. It's like a little piece of home away from home. Dorothea gestures to the display cases full of cakes and pastries of all sorts, one of the walls lined with racks of fresh bread. ]

The fruit tart here is my favorite. What about you? You mentioned liking pastries, right?

[choukin]

[ Part of it is certainly that he's a punctual man by nature. Nanami values his time, values the concept of time more than she will likely ever be able to understand. But this isn't work. This is his time, and he decided that he wanted to spend it on her. If that means sitting in a cozy little cafe waiting for her for more than he necessarily needs to, well, he can live with that.

The coffee, at least, is quite nice.

He waits for her to be comfortably seated before returning to his own chair. She might notice the coffee cup sitting in front of him, half-drank. Truth be told, it helps that this is already his kind of place. He hasn't been here, yet, but he is a bit of a foodie, as some might put it. So she's far from putting him out. Wouldn't be, even if he wasn't so happy to see her just by itself. ]

I am a bit fond of baked goods. More so than most in Japan, I think. [ He wonders, idly, how she's settling into the culture. He knows, from having studied up on her past perhaps a little more than he should, that she's been here for some time - as proven by the quality of her Japanese, no less. But a culture can be hard to adjust to, more than a language. ] I enjoy a nice start. Strawberry, raspberry. Or a croissant.

[ His head tilts a little, studying her. Perfectly focused on her. ] Is it a challenge? Being here, so far from home, I mean.

[backstreetbard]

Ooh, yes, the almond croissants are my favorite kind. Sweet but not too sweet, you know?

[ At his question, she meets his eyes and taps her chin as she considers how best to answer him. It isn't entirely straightforward. ]

It's been... an adjustment. I could barely speak the language when I first arrived, and the people here either love foreigners or they hate them. Sometimes people ask to take photos with me, not because I'm an opera prima donna, but because I'm a tall gaijin with naturally green eyes. I've seen convenience stores and restaurants with signs posted saying they won't serve anyone who can't speak Japanese, but then they still won't even if you can just because you aren't a native.

The hardest part has been learning to understand what people mean when they speak. Not the language, but the nuances and the etiquette. I'm always second guessing myself, wondering if I said something too directly to someone, or didn't respond in an appropriate way to something. Then I think, well, I already stand out, so I might as well just be myself.

I do miss my friends, of course, and my mother--[ By which she means her adoptive mother, Manuela. ]--but we still talk all the time. I don't necessarily miss Paris itself. You might be aware by now, but I was homeless for a few years as a child, so I don't really see a lot of the romance and beauty that other people do.

[ She shrugs and smiles, folding her hands in her lap. ]

Did you google me? Not that it isn't obvious I'm not from here, but people tend to google me after our first meeting.

[choukin]

[ Ah, they have so much in common, at least in food. He's never been the type for a cloying sweetness. Something mild, cut through, suits him much better.

For the moment he settles back, listening to her patiently, carefully, taking her in. Her Japanese really is impressive, for one thing, lightly accented but charmingly so. And he can understand. He was born here, raised here, but tall and blonde as he is, his Danish heritage shows through, enough to get him curious looks at times. It must be worse, to be her.

It would be hard to say his expression changes much, even when she mentions her homeless past. He is usually rather impassive, quiet, restrained by his nature. But there is a slight shift. A disapproving tension to the lines around his mouth. ]

I may have looked into you a little bit. Out of curiosity. [ He feels suddenly uncomfortable, like he trespassed. Like it wasn't his room to look. ] It isn't often one has a date with a celebrity. I apologize if I overstepped. I just find you... fascinating.

[ Among other things. ]