Audience: Yuri Leclerc

[probe]

Comments

[aubins]

[ in that case: ]

It tastes pretty nice. I don't really have something to compare it too though, but... you said this was really popular? [ he can see why ]

...

You should be able to opt out of that shit any time. But it's complicated when it's work related.

[probe]

Yup. I like it better at Ota's house but maybe that's cheating.

[she shrugs.] We know what we're signing up for when we start working, you know? It's okay.

[aubins]

Literally homemade instead of shop made? There's something different about cooking for yourself versus eating at an inn, that's for sure.

[ he pulls a face. ] You can do things because you have to, or know what you're signing up for and still be unhappy when other people do it too, Little-A.

[probe]

His family owns a diner, so it's sort of the same thing as having a shop make it. But more personal. [yeah.]

I knooow. I told you, I don't work there anymore. But some of my friends still do.

[aubins]

[ he reaches out and tugs the edge of her hood gently. ]

Good. For you at least.

[ it's clearly something he feels strongly about. ]

[probe]

[she laughs.]

Are you really that worried for me?

[aubins]

That kind of stuff can mess with you, Little-A. If it gets too bad.

[probe]

...I know. [she knows yuri's background enough to know where he's coming from.] I promise I'm okay and I'm only doing stuff I want to do and that I'll only do other stuff when I'm ready for it.

[aubins]

[ ... ]

...

This is getting a bit too parental for my liking.

[probe]

You started it! [amused all the way.] If you don't want to be a dad, you can be like a cool advisor or something.

[aubins]

I'd be a terrible dad. Cool advisor sounds like a much better title.

[probe]

You're a little too young to be my dad anyway. So cool advisor it is! [she squints thoughtfully.] You're not that much older than Ota anyway.

[ota is not cool by any stretch of the imagination, but she adores him anyhow.]

[aubins]

How old's Ota, then?

[ he would be cool even if he was actually old enough to be her dad, probably. maybe. ]

[probe]

He's twenty-four. But you wouldn't always know it.

[yuri with ye old dad jokes though.]

[aubins]

Young for his age? Ah, it's not a bad thing if you have the luxury of it. People get told to grow up way too fast sometimes.

[ and the ye olde dad quotes, apparently. ]

[probe]

Yeah. Hm...let's see. [she reaches into her cloak and pulls out a cell phone? it's different than her usual phone that everyone has and she's unlocking it to flip through a few things before showing yuri a picture.]

That's him. And Mizuki, too!

[aubins]

[ he'll lean over the table to get a better look at the picture. and wow, she's not kidding about ota not seemingly like his age. ]

He looks like he's around 18, not his mid-twenties. Is the other girl a friend of yours too?

[probe]

Yeah, that's about right. [she says, despite being 18 herself. but there's a nod.] Mizuki's only twelve, but sometimes I feel like she's way more mature than I am. We're pretty close.

[aubins]

[ a BABY. ]

She has a mature look about her? How do you all know each other -- I get Ota's a friend of yours, but where do you know Mizuki from?

[probe]

Oh. She's my manager's daughter, so she hangs out at the studio sometimes and we spend a lot of time together.

[you know. the dead manager she just mentioned like 20 minutes ago.]

[aubins]

[ lawd. ]

... the one who-- [ hm. ] Sounds like what happened had an effect on a lot of people.

[probe]

Yeah...it's a whole chain of events that's changed everything. But it'll be okay.

[aubins]

... I hope so. Sounds like it's been difficult for multiple people.

[probe]

Yeah...but at least the case was solved, finally. That's the most important part. And Mizuki has Date and us.

[aubins]

[ he will nod like the names mean anything to him. ]

That's better than having no one to turn to.