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Because Occult Doesn't Equal Love; [Closed; Ayane and Saito]
Topic Started: Feb 9 2009, 04:51 AM (572 Views)
Ayane Isuzu
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There were quite a few things Ayane Isuzu could do in her spare time while locking herself into her dorm room. Watch Anime, file reports, sleep... other things... But while those all had their merits, there was one time-waster she hadn't done in a while, and that was read a good book. It had actually been nearly a year since she'd cracked open a novel to read, and surely by now there were more from her favorite author out. Not to mention, a bookstore was a perfect place to just get lost between the shelves where no one cared who you were. And even less likely was that anyone looking to read a novel or two had bothered to watch the Hyakuji Manly News.

She'd already searched the 'net for a bookstore that seemed promising, it being just off the main drag in Downtown Hyakuji. It wasn't one she'd been to before, but it was certainly more promising than the weird occult-looking one she'd occasionally passed by in Majikku Mall. After all, while she certainly didn't mind dark horror books... buying them in a place that looked like it belonged in one wasn't exactly her cup of tea.

No, she was much more comfortable in this place, where she cracked the door open and meandered in among the tall shelves of knowledge and fiction without anyone making so much as a comment or sideways glance. With a smile, she put her hands into the pockets of her yellow jacket and wandered to find the Science Fiction section...
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SgtXDNX

Amongst the dark shelves of the small bookstore's Science Fiction section, Saito Hiraga sat leaning back against the shelves with several books in his hands, trying to decide between them.

For anyone who knew him in Hyakuji, it was probably the place they would look for him last, which is exactly what he wanted at the moment. The events of the last few days had made seeing even his friends awkward or just plain difficult. Being around Satsuki made Saito blush and get embarassed, Shiki was constantly busy and Ayane..........he wasn't sure he could face her after what he had seen on the Manly News, especially after the way he'd been acting towards her.

Which made him throw a book up in suprise and quickly put his head down when she walked into the Science Fiction section of the store. ".......morning, Ayane." he said quietly, suddenly very interested in the top book's cover.
Edited by SgtXDNX, Feb 9 2009, 05:39 AM.
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Ayane Isuzu
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She found it! Thankfully, the store was organized properly by author, so once she found the right section and located the right row for her author, it was simple to find the series she was looking for. Besides, the spines of those books were ones she knew. So in that high moment, she answered naturally to the voice calling weakly out to her.

"Morning, Ayane."

"Morning."

Then she blinked. Wait... who? Who was here who'd know her by name? At first, a cold chill ran down her spine at the thought it was someone who'd seen the news, but then she remembered that the broadcast never mentioned her or Aisia's names. The only one they knew was Selene. So it was someone she knew. Someone male. In a bookstore? Hajime? Or...Shiki? No, it sounded too young for Shiki. Hell, it didn't quite seem like Hajime, either...

But there was only one other person in this section, who had his head almost literally buried in a book by Issac Asimov. This was the A-C row, after all, though her author was a C. Curious, she walked over to him and pulled the book down so she could see his face--

--and then froze, her face losing its neutrality and turning to shock. Saito!? Saito Hiraga!? In... a bookstore!? He...reads!? Science fiction, too!? She was in such shock that it didn't even occur to her to worry about anything else. She just was astounded that he would be here, reading Asimov of all people. After all... he was the last person she would've expected to run into here.
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SgtXDNX

Any hope Saito had of simply saying hello and leaving was ruined when Ayane walked up to him and pulled down the copy of I, Robot that he was inspecting the cover of. Her shocked face filled his vision almost instantly, making him back up against the shelves as far as he could go. "Why the suprise? I do like to read, too." he said meekly. After all, being confronted in a bookstore wasn't exactly an everyday occurence for him.

Damnit! Why!? Why is she here!?
Trying to remain calm, Saito brushed past Ayane and went back to the collection of Asimov books he had been looking at. When he reached out to take another book from the shelf, he noticed that his hand was shaking. "Listen, Ayane.........there's something I need to say." he said while sorting through the shelves.
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Ayane Isuzu
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Ayane shook off her surprise as he brushed past, deciding that he actually had the right idea. So she turned to the shelf and pretended not to see him while reaching for a copy of Ender in Exile. Card was one of her favorite authors, even if he did only do soft scifi. And this was his newest work in a series she'd followed for years. If she could get engrossed in it, then this would just blow over. Still... she couldn't help but glance over the edge of the cover at him. Saito... reads Asimov... she thought to herself, still midly shocked. Sure, he was right to get a little defensive at her thinking he had no place in a bookstore, but even so she never expected him to be someone who'd read something of this genre and...thickness.

Then he crushed any hopes of them being able to just find a book to read in silent ignorance of one another. "Listen, Ayane.........there's something I need to say." She didn't look at him. Behind her Card novel she bit her lip, but her body didn't even flinch when he spoke up. She just pretended to be more interested in the book than she was him. It was partly true, after all.

"I'm listening."
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SgtXDNX

"I'm listening." Ayane had stuck her head into a book and didn't even look up from it to reply, seemingly uninterested in whatever he had to say. ".......I saw what happened at Doki Doki Land on the news. All this time, I didn't realise that you were all so selfless...risking your lives for complete strangers. It's not an easy thing for us as people to do, but someone has to, right?" Swallowing to clear his throat, Saito turned around and looked at her, his head slightly lowered and pointed at the floor. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is..... I'm sorry for being such a jerk constantly."

With that off his chest, Saito quickly exited the aisle and walked over to the G-I section of the store, books in hand. All he wanted to do was go home, put some music on and read until he fell asleep and forgot how stupid he had just made himself look.
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Ayane Isuzu
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"I saw what happened at Doki Doki Land on the news." Now she literally dropped her book, it clattering out of her hands to the floor with a heavy thud. What did he mean? There were other news reports on the incident, of course... and a few copters did catch some of the Strike combat and the ensuing explosion... but of course, the one news broadcast that stuck out in her mind was one she hoped no one had seen, let alone Saito. She flushed red and her body tensed, reacting to her flaring desire to blow something up. That is...until he spoke again.

All this time, I didn't realise that you were all so selfless...risking your lives for complete strangers. It's not an easy thing for us as people to do, but someone has to, right?" Eh? He's...talking about...the Rangers? she thought, once more surprised. This time though, it was a confused sort of surprise, and not a negative one. He was actually...being humble. Then he cleared his throat, turning and bowing in apology. That really threw her off.

"Basically, what I'm trying to say is..... I'm sorry for being such a jerk constantly."

"Saito--" she started to say, but he picked himself back up and tried to walk quickly past her out of the row. Her reaction was barely even conscious: she reached out and grabbed the neck of his sweatshirt, stopping him. "--wait." She had to make sure. She knew this wasn't on purpose at first because neither one of them knew the other would be at a bookstore. They both looked just as shocked to see one another. This wasn't a setup. Still... she had to be sure.

"Saito-kun. If you're being honest, and.. I think you are... then..." she, too, tried to work up the courage to say something similar. After all, it was her who broke the truce they'd made a little while back. Watching him and Satsuki made her angry for some reason, and she ended up retaliating. Lately, as she thought back... she actually did regret it. Especially now that he seemed to be apologizing from the bottom of his heart.

He deserved the same. "I'm sorry too," she said, staring at the floor though she was still holding firmly to the neck of his sweatshirt. "For always being so abrasive towards you. I... don't know what comes over me." She didn't; there was just some aspect of his personality that didn't seem to mesh. It drove her nuts sometimes with annoyance. Right now, though... his humility was overwhelming. It was totally different. It was...

...attractive?
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SgtXDNX

"Saito----wait."
Saito was about to round the corner when he felt a slight tug at the back of his neck. "What th-'" Turning around, he saw that Ayane had grabbed the hood of his sweatshirt to prevent him from leaving. "Saito-kun. If you're being honest, and.. I think you are... then...I'm sorry too," she said, staring at the floor though she was still holding firmly to the neck of his sweatshirt.

Saito was taken aback by Ayane's sudden change of heart. Where was the fiery little girl that he had constantly argued with? I guess this isn't so bad. he quietly thought to himself.

Gently removing her hand from his neck, he bent over and picked up the book that she had dropped before placing it into her hands. "We were both at fault. Here, you dropped this. Be more careful with these books, okay? They're too good to accidentally damage or lose." he said, smiling just a little.
Edited by SgtXDNX, Feb 9 2009, 08:13 AM.
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Ayane Isuzu
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She looked up abruptly as his hand touched hers, pulling it away from his shirt and kneeling down to retrieve Ender in Exile. Then... he placed it in her hand with a smile. "We were both at fault. Here, you dropped this. Be more careful with these books, okay? They're too good to accidentally damage or lose." Ayane nodded sheepishly; what he said was common sense, and yet... the way he said it was different. It sounded more profound for some reason.

"I'll be careful," she said, glancing down at the book in her hands. Then back to Saito. With a bit of a grin, she turned the book around so the cover was facing him and hugged it to her chest.

"What do you think of Orson Scott Card?"
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SgtXDNX

"What do you think of Orson Scott Card?" said Ayane, holding the book tight against her chest, with the cover facing Saito. Haito felt a huge grin light up his face at the familiar title. At least he now had something to talk about that wasn't embarassing and he could rant about for hours."Are you kidding me? The Ender series is part of where I learned basic battle tactics, and the first novel has some.....personal signifigance. That's not important though." Gesturing over to the shelves with the book in his hand, he kept talking. "What about Asimov? Read any of his works?"
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Ayane Isuzu
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Ayane actually beamed a little at Saito's response; while it was a somewhat militaristic thing to say, it wasn't wrong. He'd only be able to say something like that if he'd actually read the books. Not to mention, he seemed plenty in the mood to have a science-fiction conversation. Standing was a little uncomfortable, though. There were benches in between the bookshelves, so she sat down at the nearest one while keeping her attention on Saito. "What about Asimov? Ready any of his works?" Saito asked.

"I've read more of his non-fiction, to be honest. The Relativity of Wrong was a fun essay, but in terms of his science-fiction..." she did something of a 'hmph', like a laugh cut short at the first breath. "I'm afraid I've only read the one in your hands. Reading the book which spurred the Three Laws of Robotics is practically a requirement for anyone. And... I think I've read some of The Best of Asimov, but it was a long time ago."

Now this? This was a conversation she could have! Even if she hadn't read all that much Asimov, it was sci-fi, and hell... anywhere else, maybe AEGIS would've been science fiction on its own. She was practically living it every day. Sci-Fi and Gundam...

She blinked, though it wasn't about anything she or Saito had said. She blinked at her own thoughts.

Hm. I guess Gundam would be considered Sci-Fi...
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SgtXDNX

"I've read more of his non-fiction, to be honest. The Relativity of Wrong was a fun essay, but in terms of his science-fiction...I'm afraid I've only read the one in your hands. Reading the book which spurred the Three Laws of Robotics is practically a requirement for anyone. And... I think I've read some of The Best of Asimov, but it was a long time ago." Ayane now sat on one of the store's small benches, almost grinning as she spoke about the books surrounding them. Saito was amazed that they were sitting in a bookstore talking normally, without a hint of the usual hostility or arguing. Smiling at the thought, he took a seat next to Ayane.

"Fair enough, I've never really enjoyed reading the non-fiction books. I usually read for the distraction more than the science, so it's more things like this and Gundam." said Saito, still clutching the small paperback in his hand and gesturing with it. As he spoke, he leafed through the other books in the stack now perched on his knees. They would probably only last a day or two depending on the circumstances, meaning he'd have to come back soon.
Edited by SgtXDNX, Feb 11 2009, 08:27 AM.
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Ayane Isuzu
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"Fair enough, I've never really enjoyed reading the non-fiction books. I usually read for the distraction more than the science, so it's more things like this and Gundam," Saito responded, taking a seat next to her and thumbing through his stack of novels. It was still a little surprising... he had quite a collection going, but looked as if he'd be finishing them within the week. She really hadn't pinned him for the bookworm type.

Then again, there were a lot of things about him that didn't match up to her first impressions. The more time she spent actually being in the same space, the more she realized that her assumptions were wrong or off. Then again, he still... somehow, managed to prick her nerves every so often. Whether he intended it or not, she still wasn't sure. It left her on edge constantly; she still didn't completely trust the guy.

"Speaking of Gundam... since we're here and all..." Ayane began, leaning back a bit and ignoring the Card novel in her hands for now. She'd read it when she got back, alone. For her, a good book was best read in the comfort of your own home, where you could be absorbed into it. Plus, Saito wasn't at Fudo nor would he ever be. Now was as good a time as ever to get some things off her mind. "You're probably the first person I've met who fights like I do. You aren't afraid of getting hit at all... dashing in and striking even if it's obvious you'll get damaged in the process. That used to be my best tactic... it threw people off to have something just charge at you, get hit, and then just keep on attacking.

"But you do that same thing... only better, somehow." She paused for a moment. It was frustrating...but there was no other way to say it. "You did defeat me, after all." She looked at him out of the corner of her glasses; enough that her right eye was meeting his left. "What's your strategy? What's different between us?"

Oh, how many ways that last question could be answered... It was up to Saito to pick a good one.
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SgtXDNX

"What's your strategy? What's different between us?" asked Ayane, peering at Saito through the corner of her glasses, almost as if she was trying to see into his head. He quickly looked away to the right and started inspecting the store's flooring. The past was something that he didn't exactly want to talk about, but Ayane seemed to be a pretty understanding person.

Sighing, Saito turned and looked directly into her eyes. "It's just an........instinct, I guess you could call it, from experiencing true combat. I'm not very proud of it, but it helps. It's not something you would ever wish on someone." He spoke slowly, unsure of how Ayane would react. After all, he hadn't told anyone else about his life before Hyakuji.
Edited by SgtXDNX, Feb 13 2009, 09:31 AM.
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Ayane Isuzu
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"It's just an........instinct, I guess you could call it, from experiencing true combat. I'm not very proud of it, but it helps. It's not something you would ever wish on someone," said Saito. His face said it all; his response was serious, and he didn't like whatever it was he was talking about.

"Heeh... real combat...eh." Ayane stood, adjusting her glasses a bit and walking towards the counter. She'd only come in to get the one book, she had it, so mission complete. Before leaving the aisle, though, she stopped and turned her head enough that her voice wouldn't miss his ears.

"We're not all that different, then."

Then she nodded a 'good-bye' and walked to the counter to purchase her book. Though she was sure that the walk home would be filled more with pondering what exactly Saito was fighting rather than anticipating Card's latest wordplays and scientific mysticism.
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