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Post by Angela on Feb 1, 2009 4:21:45 GMT -5
"Well, as you might imagine, Peter and I had a talk with each other while you were sleeping. We just wanted to make sure you understood everything that happened today," Danil explained, pouring some milk for Kyo. He got some chocolate milk for himself. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask them, and we will answer them he best we can."
Peter sighed, looking at Vaska, who was on his hind legs with his paws on Danil's left leg, trying to get the milk.
"You have the greediest cat," Peter quipped.
"No milk for you, Vaska, you already had your milk for this month," Danil warned, setting the milk back in the refrigerator.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 1, 2009 4:42:16 GMT -5
Kyo refrained from eating the dinner, though the smell was threatening to drive him over the edge. He didn't want to be rude--no one else had started eating yet. But he at least felt comfortable enough to drink some of the milk his hosts gave him. He watched Vaska beg for a while and laughed. He could never have a pet cat--he would dote on it far too much.
"Well, as you might imagine, Peter and I had a talk with each other while you were sleeping. We just wanted to make sure you understood everything that happened today," Danil explained, pouring some milk for Kyo. He got some chocolate milk for himself. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask them, and we will answer them he best we can."
Kyo had guessed they would talk about the whole thing while he slept. There was a lot to talk about. Nothing was still very clear. But he did have one question in particular that he wanted to ask.
"So...I never was able to find out what a suspension is. But it is not like torture...yes?" He mimicked being strung up by his wrists. "Oh yes--and I am just curious...what did you talk about...if I can ask?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 1, 2009 4:55:45 GMT -5
"Oh, Kyo, no, it's not torture," Peter said piteously. "It's when you are forbidden from attending school for a set number of days, in your case two. But if all goes well tomorrow, you should only be out one day instead of two. You should be able to go to school on Wednesday if the other boys confirm your story. As for what we discussed, we looked over the handbook, and went over some things that you told us and then what Mrs. Shaw said. Now, there is one thing that kind of caught my interest, the more I heard this story. Just how far away were you from the students?" he asked.
"Don't be afraid to answer, Kyo. Our position is firm, nothing will change. We just want to know all the facts," Danil explained.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 1, 2009 5:03:51 GMT -5
"Oh, Kyo, no, it's not torture," Peter said piteously.
Kyo imitated great relief, then chuckled. "After a while, I began to think it could not be so harsh..."
"It's when you are forbidden from attending school for a set number of days, in your case two. But if all goes well tomorrow, you should only be out one day instead of two. You should be able to go to school on Wednesday if the other boys confirm your story. As for what we discussed, we looked over the handbook, and went over some things that you told us and then what Mrs. Shaw said. Now, there is one thing that kind of caught my interest, the more I heard this story. Just how far away were you from the students?" he asked.
"Don't be afraid to answer, Kyo. Our position is firm, nothing will change. We just want to know all the facts," Danil explained.
Kyo felt his stomach rumbling and looked down at the food. He very much wanted to eat, but Danil and Peter had not picked up their forks. "Ehhhh...I was very close to the students, which made it difficult to move and not hit anyone. But I cannot remember if I did this. If I hit someone or not. That is what all the worry is over." He looked at a clock on the opposite wall and really did sigh, this time. It was getting late and he hadn't yet called his parents. They would be awake even if he did call really late, but they were as well aware of his time zone as he was and would probably say something if he called too late.
"I think I just want to know my punishment for all of it. I will feel a little better to know and I am sure my parents will ask about it."
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Post by Angela on Feb 1, 2009 5:34:10 GMT -5
"Well, as we said, Kyo, you'll just be grounded for a week from us," Danil said, finally picking up his fork. He looked to Peter, who also picked up his fork and started eating. "Understand, we are not angry with you. We are just as confused as you. I am glad you want to talk to your parents about this." He chuckled. "When I got in fights in school, I never told my father. To this day he still does not know about the fights I got in when I was here without him." Danil put some of the food in his mouth.
Peter chuckled as he ate some of his food. "One time, I got an F on my English mid-term, and I used white-out to make it an A, and my parents never did find out about it."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 1, 2009 23:15:37 GMT -5
"Well, as we said, Kyo, you'll just be grounded for a week from us," Danil said, finally picking up his fork. Kyo nodded--he already knew this. He was just grateful to begin eating. He tried not to dig too much into the food like the cannibal he felt like. The first bite tasted as heavenly as the crepes had the morning he had worked with Peter in the kitchen. "Understand, we are not angry with you. We are just as confused as you. I am glad you want to talk to your parents about this." He chuckled. "When I got in fights in school, I never told my father. To this day he still does not know about the fights I got in when I was here without him." Danil put some of the food in his mouth.
Peter laughed. "One time, I got an F on my English mid-term, and I used white-out to make it an A, and my parents never did find out about it."
Kyo paused in his eating to gape--he wasn't sure he heard correctly. "Honto desuka?" Really? A smile spread across his face--no wonder Peter was so concerned about his well-being in school. Kyo could hardly imagine the man doing something like that! "Peet-o-san, that is so very funny, but very clever." He began to laugh too. "I could not try something such as this. My parents are like kamisama--uhhh, Gods, I think it is called here? Yes...if I tried to do that, they would know, no matter what."
Then he sighed, finishing off the bite on his fork.
"I must tell them. It is my duty to my parents to let them know what has happened, especially since they have sent me here for betterment of education. It is mostly for my bad English," he added, taking another bite of the food. "But I am very nervous to tell them. They will be disappointed in me. But..." He took a sip from his glass of milk, then dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "...I am glad that you are not angry with me." He bowed his head again. "Arigato."
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Post by Angela on Feb 2, 2009 1:10:03 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "I got in many real fights with students at my school when I first came here. The students made fun of me. Peter was often one of them-" He looked to Peter who lowered his eyes.
"I was stupid at the time. I was trying to impress my friends by picking on Danil. It was the 'cool' thing to do."
"I endured about two years of harrassment from Pete before he stopped. In the fall of 2004 he asked me out. We've had some ups and downs, but we've been together ever since, tecdhnically."
Peter paused in his eating to put his arm around Danil, in a loving embrace.
"You are a very noble son," Danil added. "I'm sure if you just tell your parents what you told us, then everything will be all right. It was just a misunderstanding after all. You weren't trying to attack anyone. And unfortunately, I know from experience what an attack is."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 3, 2009 13:24:42 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "I got in many real fights with students at my school when I first came here. The students made fun of me. Peter was often one of them-" He looked to Peter who lowered his eyes.
"I was stupid at the time. I was trying to impress my friends by picking on Danil. It was the 'cool' thing to do."
"I endured about two years of harrassment from Pete before he stopped. In the fall of 2004 he asked me out. We've had some ups and downs, but we've been together ever since, tecdhnically."
Peter paused in his eating to put his arm around Danil, in a loving embrace.
Kyo was quite surprised to hear Danil's story, though somehow he managed to contain himself enough to show no expression. He remained attentive, merely listening placidly as he eat.
It was not the fighting that surprised him (not that he expected Danil to fight, just merely that he knew it happened). He had not yet pondered the relationship between his hosts, and if he had, he imagined that everything in their lives had been perfect, meant to be, maybe obvious at first sight. In a way, though it was almost sad that they had had a slightly tragic beginning, it was kind of magical that they had ended up together anyway.
"That is so interesting a story." He finally smiled, putting down his fork and pushing his plate forward slightly. "Hai, this shows that-ah anything is possible in life, hai."
"You are a very noble son," Danil added. "I'm sure if you just tell your parents what you told us, then everything will be all right. It was just a misunderstanding after all. You weren't trying to attack anyone. And unfortunately, I know from experience what an attack is."
Kyo was still a little fuzzy-brained from his nap. "Again nice of you to say, Dan-o-san, but I have not-ah been the best son to do something silly as this. I think if I--"
He froze. His brain was playing something back to him, something that he had almost foolishly overlooked.
He shook his head as if it would help clear his thoughts.
"You were ah-tack-ted?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 5, 2009 21:29:33 GMT -5
Peter opened his mouth to speak, but Danil interrupted. "Well, any fight can be considered an attack. Attack, assault, fight, beating, it's all the same. I had plenty of them in high school here. Skating is not respected here as muh as it is in Russia. It's popular, but not really respected. My classmates, some of them, thought that being a skater made you less of a man. They also think all male skaters are homosexual. That of course is not true; an occupation does not make a person gay or straight." Danil stopped and chuckled. "I'm rambling now. But really, that's why they picked on me. They did not like anyone different."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 5, 2009 21:41:00 GMT -5
Kyo was finishing off his glass of milk when Danil told him what had happened in his youth. Kyo somehow managed to maintain his calmness, though he was further horrified by what was being said. He set his milk glass back on the table.
He wasn't surprised that there were bullies or people who were probably jealous of Danil's skills. He was probably most horrified that anyone would want to be mean to Danil. Danil, though strict in many aspects, seemed to epitomize "nice guy." He was talented, charming, and nice. Kyo knew such a thing would have been a hit in school in Japan. In fact, he was fairly certain the Japanese girls would have been all lovey-dovey over Danil, calling him a "Prince."
Kyo angled his head to side, smiling a little. "Well," he said cheerily, "in Japan...if you were to go to school in my school, you would be the Prince. How is that?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 14, 2009 1:14:24 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "Thank you, Kyo. That's very kind of you."
The rest of the dinner went by as per usual. Kyo mentioned that he had to get a school uniform, and since Danil had the school handbook, he now knew what to get for him. They would shop for it that evening, he said.
"Now, do you have any homework?" he asked. "Would you like to do that before or after you speak to your parents?"
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 15, 2009 2:46:30 GMT -5
Kyo was pleased that Danil had accepted the compliment. He just hoped it helped to cheer the man up a little.
"Now, do you have any homework?" he asked. "Would you like to do that before or after you speak to your parents?"
Kyo shook his head. "Iie. (No). No homework...just get the school uniform very soon. Perhaps I will call otaasan. I think this is more important. Please excuse me." Kyo bowed his head slightly, keeping to his accustomed formalities, then got up from the table and headed for his room.
He paused at the guest bedroom doorway. Now that he thought about it, it had to be what, around five or six P.M.? A quick look at his watch confirmed this: 5:45 P.M. He knew his parents would be getting up at this point (it would be roughly the same hour, except the A.M. in Japan), but it was a work day, and his dad would have to be off early. He could technically discuss the situation with his mother. He knew talking it over with her would most likely be less stressful than having to tell his father, but he knew it was better he told his father directly. No need to disappoint them anymore than he already had. Besides, it was just generally more sensible to call at a more reasonable hour. They wouldn't want to talk if they were just getting up. Kyo wouldn't be in school tomorrow, anyway. He would have enough time to talk.
Kyo headed back to the kitchen, where Peter was doing some dishes. "I have lree-a-lized...I must call when it is a good hour. Too early to discuss such a heavy topic for my parents, so I will call in the morning tomorrow." Kyo took a seat at the kitchen table, then hopped back up when he realized how rude he was being. "Dishes! I should to help! After, if you can tell me where the store is, I do not mind going to get my uniform. I have my savings."
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Post by Angela on Feb 15, 2009 21:14:02 GMT -5
Peter nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'm inclined to agree. I would not want to be just waking up when my kid tells me from thousands of miles away that he got suspended on his first day of school." He chuckled. "I am not a morning person. Just ask Danil."
"peter gives new meaning to the phrase 'mad as a hornet.' He can't stand it when he has to get up early. Course he has to get up early all the time." He winked at Peter, who rolled his eyes. "But yes, he is a real crab in the morning sometimes."
"Anyway..." Peter said, annoyed, then trailed off.
"It's very kind of you to help with the dishes, Kyo. Would you like some dessert, or shall we get right to it?" Danil had already fixed a small chocolate ice cream sundae with hot fudge and marshmallows, with whipped cream. Peter had a similar one, but with vanilla ice cream instead, and nuts and tiny pieces of Reese's peanut butter cups.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 16, 2009 2:35:52 GMT -5
Kyo laughed and raised his eyebrows. "Patience is virtue, Pee-to-san." (In Japan, patience was of the essence! But Kyo would not mention that here, considering he was not in Japan and therefore had to adapt to American customs). He wiped his hands on a nearby towel, now done helping with the dishes, then decided to help himself to some of the delicious ice cream Danil was offering. He could hardly refuse! He took a bowl from the cupboard and sat down at the table. It felt awkward to be going through his hosts' cupboards and using their belongings without asking, but he figured he would feel equally rude if he just sat there and either refused the ice cream or made them do it for him. It wasn't like he was incapable of doing it himself...Anyway, he felt a little bad that Nicholas was not present. He guessed he was busy with schoolwork or something...
Kyo thanked the two men for the ice cream, and while they ate, they talked about all kinds of different things. Eventually, they got back onto the topic of uniforms, and Kyo began describing the uniforms in Japan, how severe-looking and usually similar they are in most of the Japanese schools, public or private.
"In Japan," said Kyo, taking the last bite of his Reese's ice cream sundae, "the uniform for boys is soooo strict. Must be perfect, not too short, not too big..." He licked the last bit of ice cream from the spoon and set it back down. "It is too serious, I think. I am just happy, well...it is not as serious here, yes? Hai, I am just happy it is not so serious. I can just get the comfortable best uniform." He looked at the clock, not entirely surprised to see that nearly an hour had passed already since he had rejoined the family in the kitchen.
6:45 P.M. Would the fitting store be open? He didn't know. He didn't even know which one would be right. He hadn't been in the room when the teacher mentioned locations for the students to go to, all because he had been stuck waiting to talk to a principal who treated him like some kind of prison escapee. Gah...what was he doing being so self-pitying all of a sudden?
"Da-no-san, may I ask what time this store closes? That is, if it is too late now, tomorrow is fine. I have all day to go do so."
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Post by Angela on Mar 2, 2009 23:10:44 GMT -5
eter laughed. "Oddly enough, when Danil went to the Sports Academy, he said the same thing. Growing up here, we sometimes feel that things are too strict, then people from other countries come and say it's really lenient. Makes people like me appreciate what we have. The first time I got in trouble for being a jerk in school, I just got a warning. The second time, it was the same thing. Third time, it was just a nasty detention, I had t stay after school for an hour. Five of those and I was suspended for a few days and then I straightened up. For a while," he added with a chuckle.
Danil shook his head. "In Russia, he would have been kicked out at the first offense," he said. "Regarding the uniforms, they are not strict at all. In the Sports Academy, I only had to wear the uniform for two years. They were debated upon constantly, and finally they were disbanded because the students and parents gave arguments on both sides, and the school board voted in favor of disbanding the uniforms. We could wear whatever we wanted, within reason. Certain designs were not allowed, for example, and ladies could not wear short skirts or dresses. But everyone dressed very conservatively anyway. I do remember some stricter schools around here. One of them forbade all colors except for five, and I was sad to hear that blue was forbidden."
"Gang colors," Peter explained. "Not a good thing to wear gang colors and not be a member or worse not even know about it."
"Anyway," Danil continued, "the mall closes at 9. We have plenty of time."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Mar 16, 2009 22:53:56 GMT -5
ooc: Don't worry about it! This is your site!!! Just don't let my post get confused, haha! ic: "Hai," said Kyo, "very strict indeed. Russia is similar to Japan in this way, maybe more severe." At Danil's mention of the time, Kyo looked at the clock and nodded. They would definitely have time to go. He considered asking their other roommate, Nicholas, if he would like to join, but he did not know the other boy's schedule or if he had plans, and Kyo got the feeling that inviting him to watch a fifteen-year-old exchange student try on uniforms wasn't really much of an invitation at all. "Hai, okay, if this is good, can go." It didn't take too long to reach the Pittsburgh Mills--not even as long as it did for Kyo to get to school. The instant he saw the place, he thought it looked like on of those old-fashioned American buildings...It was hard to describe. Maybe like something he could read about in Mark Twain? Well, obviously it hadn't been called the Pittsburgh Mills for nothing. And the Pittsburgh Mills was huge, to say the least. It wasn't entirely different from Odaiba, at least content-wise. There were too many salons to keep track of, as it often was in malls and marketplaces in modern Japan. There were dozens of convenience shops, variety stores, and places selling odd little Pittsburgh knick-knacks. The large mini-golf course in the middle of the mall was a very pleasant surprise. Kyo eyed a small, independent-looking video game shop and smiled. He hoped to come back to the mall when he had less to worry about. Right now, he needed that uniform. "What store will we go to?" Kyo turned back to his hosts as they walked. "Also, I wish to give you the thanks for taking me out late to do this. Uniform fitting is not quite a pic-nic-oh."
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Post by Angela on Feb 9, 2010 20:07:37 GMT -5
Danil paused by the massive beautiful lighted fountains in the main area of the ground floor and tossed some coind in the water. Peter dug in his pocket and tossed some too.
"Are you familiar with this idea, Kyosan?" Danil asked, offering him some coins. "If you toss some coins into a fountain, and make a wish, your wish will come true. Peter told me about it a few years ago." He smiled and gestured to the many coins littering the fountain's beautiful floor.
Peter looked around the ground floor, and at the list of clothes acceptable for Kyo's uniform. He'd found them in the school handbook that the secretary - not the principal - had given them on their way out of the school office.
"Well, I think we can head to the Gap or to Old Navy, those are good places to start."
Danil smiled and looked at some vendors in the vicinity. Some of them were selling delicious-looking sweets and treats! Popcorn, cotton candy, fudge, all presumably homemade, with friendly vendors offering samples to those who passed by them. He turned to Kyo. "Did you make a wish?" he asked.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 9, 2010 23:22:44 GMT -5
Kyo was so busy admiring his surroundings, that he didn't notice Danil fishing in his pockets for something. He heard a small plop sound and pivoted on the spot to face the Fountains, recognizing the sound of something hitting the water.
He saw the small ripples and Danil looking into the clear waters and pointed, saying, "Dan-o-san....I think...something maybe has fallen into the water?" He leaned over the smooth rim of the fountain to see if he could catch a glimpse of whatever had fallen in, but found himself a little surprised to see that quite a lot of "somethings" had ended up in this water.
Kyo clucked his tongue. "I think somebody no longer has any money these days..." There was so much change on the fountain floor, he couldn't even begin to start counting it. Seeing it all just sitting there, looking so very out of place, Kyo almost felt like there was some kind of magnet on the fountain bottom which sucked money from innocent passersby' pockets and claimed it for its own. At the thought, Kyo pressed a hand to his own pocket and backed away a little, wondering if such a thing could really be possible.
At that moment, he saw Peter digging into his pockets--or was he stuffing a hand in to keep the change there too?--and Kyo jumped back, his eyes widening. "Uwaa! It is alive!"
Danil brought the situation to light.
"Are you familiar with this idea, Kyosan?" he asked, handing Kyo some coins. "If you toss some coins into a fountain, and make a wish, your wish will come true. Peter told me about it a few years ago."
Kyo accepted the change from his caretaker, protecting it by wrapping his hand into a tight fist, then tried to make sense of what Danil had just told him. "Eto....wish? A wish will come true?" That explanation might have seemed about as frighteningly magical as his first thought of magnetic, living fountains, but he couldn't deny he liked it way more. Opening his hand enough so that he could glimpse the few coins he had, he glanced once at Danil, then at Peter, and tried to think of something good to wish for.
"Ano....." Kyo hesitated, then, coming up with what he thought was a pretty good idea, said, "I wish for the prosperity of the entire Andropov household for this time and always." Then, a little unsure if he was doing it right, Kyo leaned over the fountain edge once more and overturned his hand, dropping three coins into the fountain depths to join their brothers.
"I hope it comes true!" Kyo said with a shrug. He wasn't sure if he'd followed the entire process correctly, or if he was supposed to have been thinking something while wishing or doing something else or...well...if it came true, it came true. "I think that is a very nice tradition, Dan-o-san and Pe-ta-san. It is very hopeful and happy. Thank you for the coins too!"
Peter already seemed to have been at work trying to find the proper place to get Kyo's uniform, which he was grateful for. He had been so boggled by the whole fountain event that he'd lost track of what exactly he needed for his new school.
"Well, I think we can head to the Gap or to Old Navy, those are good places to start."
"Hai, Gap, Old Navy. Sounds good." As they started walking, Kyo took in some of the delicious goods on display in various vendor stands. Kyo actually licked his lips as they passed by. He'd always enjoyed sweets and snacks, but when they were shoved in his face like this, one great thing after another, he almost couldn't help himself. He laughed and pressed a hand to his stomach, which--despite that he'd already eaten--was rumbling presumably for some dessert.
Danil turned to him suddenly. "Did you make a wish?"
Kyo nodded quickly. "Yes-uh. I made the one about prosperity to everyone in the Andropov Household. I think that is a good one, right-o?" He paused to take another look at the snacks, then added, "Dan-o-san, after we finish with the shopping, do you and Pe-tah-san want something delicious?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 10, 2010 6:11:40 GMT -5
Danil smiled lovingly at Kyo's sweetness. It was very kind of him to be so thoughtful, asking for nothing more but the prosperity of his host family.
"That is an excellent wish, Kyosan!" He smiled thoughtfully, looking over at the various vendors. "Certainly! In fact, we can have something now, since we will be walking a little."
Peter clapped Kyo on the back. "That's a really great wish, Kyosan. Usually I wish for selfish things... a new car, trip to the Super Bowl..."
"Right, like we don't have enough new cars," Danil joked. Danil received a few new cars from both Russian and American heads of state for his victory at the Olympics in February, and he'd bought Peter a motorcycle, dirt bike, and truck for various gifts.
Peter chuckled and kissed his husband's cheek. "That's why I make the wishes, cause I know you'll make them come true," he said coyly.
Danil laughed a little, feeling self-conscious about being kissed, even on the cheek, in front of their exchange student. Sure, the boy knew they were gay and together, but how did he feel about actually seeing their affection for each other?
"What would you like to try, Kyosan?" Danil asked, gesturing to the vendors.
"Excuse me, aren't you Danil Andropov, the ice skater?" one of the vendors, standing behind a candy stand, called.
Used to being recognized, and having his name constantly mispronounced by Americans and other non-ussians, Danil smiled at the man. He spoke with a French accent, and had chestnut hair and eyes. He looked to be in his late '20s, and was slenderly muscular.
"Yes, I am," he replied, walking over to the man with Kyo and Peter next to him.
"I'm a great admirer of your skating! Would you be interested in some complimentary treats for you and your party this evening?"
Danil chuckled. "We'd like that very much! What would you recommend?"
"I can give all three of you this little sampler I've created, it has my most popular items. The truffles are milk, dark, and white chocolate, the same with fudge, and these nice little molds are very popular too." He gestured to various intricately-designed chocolate molds, some of teddy bears and other animals, some flowers, and what struck Danil's eye were the molds of the buildings: the Brooklyn Bridge, Mellon Arena, the Golden Gate Bridge, the New York Skyline - with the World Trade Center towes - Mount Rushmore, Mount Fuji - Danil smiled at that - St. Basil's Cathedral, the Palace at Versilles, the Louvre, and various art masterpieces made of chocolate. There were also molds of famous entertainment figures, from Elvis to Heath Ledger, and cartoon characters which included some of Japan's treasures. Indeed, there was plenty more where that came from!
"Did you make all of these yourself?" Danil marveled as he gestured for Kyo and Peter to look.
"Yes, I did," the vendor, wearing a nametag that read Jean-Pierre, replied.
"Monsieur, c'et magnifique!" Danil exclaimed. He was truly impressed. Jean-Pierre beamed.
"Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Andropov! Sadly my business does not do well. I was thinkiing of closing, actually. I offer samples but no one seems interested in them. I suppose the competition is too tough," he said, gesturing to the other vendors close by.
"Well, I can fix that," Danil said with a chuckle. He was about to ask for one of the Eifel Tower molds when he caught sight of something that made him laugh. It was a chocolate mold figurine... of him. Now that he looked closer, there were more skaters to be found. The Japanese skater who got silver in the Olympics right behind Danil, Hiroshi Ando, the Bronze Medalist, Bradley Rodowsky, all arranged on the Olympic podium in their costumes and with their medals. Also featured nearby were British Olympic pairs champions Alice Ordway and Christian Dwight, even his own brother! "Monsieur, you are a genius," Danil admired. Everything had been colored with food coloring but Danil knew that it was all various kinds of chocolate, maybe even fruit and nuts and other such treats mixed on top of the molds for color and extra flavor. "Wait one moment," he said to Kyo and Peter, and Danil stepped away so that he was in view of the main flow of traffic. "Ladies and gentlemen," he called out, "I am Olympic figure skating champion Danil Andropov of Russia, and this man is the most talented chocolateer I've ever seen!" The proclamation garnered a lot of stares, but when Danil went back over and asked for a few molds for himself and his family, along with the samplers, arranged in gift baskets, the customers took notice and went over to the vendor, curious. They started to notice the various molds that Danil was receiving in his baskets - he'd asked for five so that he could give one to Zhenya and one to Parker - and their attention was gotten. Despite Jean-Pierre's offer, Danil still insisted on paying for everything.
"You'll need the money for more supplies," he said with a wink, and handed one of the gift baskets to Kyo, one to Peter, and he carried one of the others. Since they would be shopping still, he told Jean-Pierre to hold the other two until they were ready to leave. At Jean-Pierre's insistence, he'd given them each a small piece of fudge at no charge in gratitude which they could eat then and there.
"Ive never seen such a talented candy-maker," Danil said as they walked away, "and he certainly treated us well! It'll take us months to eat all this!" He chuckled. "Not that I'm complaining. I could always go for chocolate!" He took a bite of his fudge and smiled. It was semi-sweet milk chocolate, creamy, not crumbly, not too sweet, but flavorful and not too dark. It practically melted in his mouth the moment it closed. It was divine! If the rest of the chocolate was as good as that, he was sure to gain fifty pounds by the end of the month! He chuckled and looked at Kyo. "Good thing I'm an athlete! I could get fat from this delicious stuff. Do you like it, Kyosan?"
"I love it," Peter proclaimed. "Best chocolate I've ever eaten."
"As awful as it sounds, I can't wait to bite into Heath Ledger," Danil said with a chuckle.
"Well, why not? Even before he was turned into white chocolate and caramel, he still looked good enough to eat!" Peter said with a laugh. "Tell you what," he added to his husband, purposely referencing Brokeback Mountain even though they both knew Kyo wouldn't understand it, "you look even better to eat." He licked his lips.
Danil elbowed his side, embarrassed, but he smiled, a little giddily, and turned to Kyo, blushing. "Right over there is the Gap. We can go in and see what they have."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 11, 2010 22:27:01 GMT -5
"Certainly! In fact, we can have something now, since we will be walking a little."
Kyo raised his hands to signal no, that it was okay, that he didn't want to inconvenience the pair of men more than he had already, but it seemed they'd already made up their minds. He couldn't quite blame them anyway...The sweets in the stands looked unfathomably amazing.
As they moved closer to the stalls of goodies, Kyo felt a solid smack on his back and turned to find it had come from Peter, who was looking thrilled. "That's a really great wish, Kyosan. Usually I wish for selfish things... a new car, trip to the Super Bowl..."
"Right, like we don't have enough new cars."
Kyo shook his head, smiling. "You don't need to think it is selfish, Pe-tah-san. It is not selfish. You do not seem to ask much for yourself, hai? It is good to get things you want once in a long time." He turned just in time to see Danil receive a kiss from his other caretaker and felt his face flush.
Peter murmured something to Danil, then the other laughed lightly. Kyo turned away, but couldn't help grinning himself. He wasn't blushing because of embarrassment or anything like that. In fact, he had never thought of Peter and Danil as a "gay couple." They had always just been a family, a couple, same as any same-sex couple would be, in Kyo's mind. He was sort of shy about any such lovey-dovey encounters. That was why he was blushing.
"What would you like to try, Kyosan?"
Kyo turned again to face Danil, and sighed. "Can I be the honesty here? There are so many good, yum-wah things...I do not think I can pick. And I am really, really indecisive in things like this." He leaned in close and whispered, "It is my fatal weakness. My parents always try to get me to be more assertive." Kyo laughed.
At that moment, one of the vendors called out to them. Or, more specifically, Danil. And Kyo hadn't even realized who the man was addressing until Danil spoke out.
"Yes, I am."
"Eh!?" Kyo looked at Danil to see where his words had come from and why, but found that his caretaker was already moving for one of the candy stalls. The man behind there was watching Danil closely, a thrilled look upon his own young face. Kyo tagged along after his two caretakers to find out just what was going on.
"I'm a great admirer of your skating! Would you be interested in some complimentary treats for you and your party this evening?"
"Uwaaa." Kyo's eyes widened. He'd known Danil was popular, but this was just exciting! "You are the real celebrity," he murmured under his breath. "Like...like...like Bu-ra-do Pi-to. Hai...even get free treats for your friends and family!"
Danil chuckled at the man's words. "We'd like that very much! What would you recommend?"
The man explained what sort of chocolates were available, and Kyo's mouth started watering. He really didn't mind what kinds were picked out. He was just grateful that the vendor was kind enough to offer them as compliments, especially when it seemed so much work had gone into them.
Danil asked the vendor a question--something Kyo missed out on--then gestured to some of the more intricate chocolates. Buildings, mountains--Mountains!?!?!? Kyo caught sight of Mount Fuji, a beautiful place not too far from his own home, and felt a rush of homesickness all of a sudden. He'd been so involved with everything happening in real life, real time, that he hadn't really had enough time to allow that foreboding and inevitable feeling of homesickness to sink in. Kyo really wanted to ask for the giant mountain chocolate, but held his tongue. The man was offering compliments, and it would be very rude to ask for such a big chocolate piece for free.
Just as Kyo was pondering asking for a small teddy bear chocolate he didn't think would be too much, Danil told him and Peter to wait a moment and stepped away from the vendor stand. Kyo looked on curious, completely forgetting what he'd been searching for, and watched as his host father stepped almost right into the middle of an oncoming crowd.
"Dan-o-san!?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Olympic figure skating champion Danil Andropov of Russia, and this man is the most talented chocolateer I've ever seen!"
Not a minute later, Danil was back to the stand, buying a good number of the vendor's sweets, in addition to getting a few samplers. And not even a minute after that, Kyo felt other people pressing in around him.
Danil's words had been enough. A crowd had gathered around this particular vendor, and more than that, people at the other stalls in the area seemed to be leaving for this one as well.
Kyo shook his head, amazed. "My host father is a hero. Sugoii..." Cool.
He took one of the baskets from Danil after it was wrapped and then accepted a small piece of fudge from the vendor. "Thank you," he'd replied softly, bowing his head and so grateful for the talented man's work (and blown away by Danil's impact) that he'd almost been rendered speechless.
"Ive never seen such a talented candy-maker, and he certainly treated us well! It'll take us months to eat all this! Not that I'm complaining. I could always go for chocolate!"
Danil took a bite of the chocolate, and hoisting the basket over one arm, Kyo did the same. "Umaaaaii! I mean...delicious. Delicious." Kyo remembered. He may have been new to America, but he needed to start practicing using English like a native, not Japanese. Truth be told, he'd never had chocolate like this. It was far sweeter than the Japanese kinds, but rich at the same time. He loved sweets, and he'd had his fair share, but he'd never had anything quite like this.
Completely indulged in the chocolate, Kyo allowed himself to enjoy the taste and search the immediate area of the mall. There were lots of places like this in Japan, but there was a different feeling to them. He couldn't explain the feeling he got from this mall, but it was just...It was lively. Comfortable. It felt nice being in a place with so many people, just enjoying the day.
Somewhere in the middle of his thoughts, Kyo heard Danil's question, but he didn't answer right away. The sound of the fountain was growing more and more distant as they walked, everyone looked so happy...Kyo caught sight of neat looking toy-shop and wondered if they had any of his favorite card games in there.
"Right over there is the Gap. We can go in and see what they have."
Kyo broke away from his thoughts, realizing Danil had addressed him once again. "Hai, it is delicious! Yum-wah." Then, realizing his caretaker had already moved past that question to something else, felt his face flush again and quickly said, "Ah! Sorry, I see it now. Will you both look around while I try to find my uniform?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 12, 2010 1:29:16 GMT -5
Danil put his arm around Kyo lovingly. Such a sweet young man. He saw the boy react to the sculpture of Mount Fuji, and made sure to put one in his gift basket, along with several Pokemon sculptures and molds.
"We'll go and help you, of course, Kyosan," Danil replied. As they walked in, Danil gestured to one of the posters of someone wearing a classy winter outfit. It was Danil himself! "I've done a lot of that," he explained. "You can find me anywhere, really. That's how famous I am," he continued with a chuckle as they walked to the Boys' section.
Peter snickered. "Yeah, but don't let the fame get to your head," he teased sarcastically. He looked at Kyo. "Seriously though, sometimes it does seem like he's a little too full of himself there."
"I'm not that bad," Danil said with a laugh, looking through some racks of simple business-like T-shirts. "Well, Kyosan, why don't you see what you like?" He looked over the handbook that Peter was looking over, and added, "This says that you need khaki shorts for the fall and spring, pants for the winter, and plain white t-shirts - that's really dull!" Danil mused - "- in the fall and white long-sleeved dress shirts in the winter." Danil sighed. "Talk about conformist!"
Peter crinkled his nose. "That principal must have come up with that. What a paranoid jackass."
"Peter," Danil warned, then shrugged. "Well, I agree, but after all..." He paused and donned a comical expression that resembled Principal Hayes' when they spoke in the office earlier. "He knows better than we do!" He tried to imitate his voice as best he could, despite his accent. Peter laughed.
"When will your wives be joining us?" he imitated.
"No foreigner is ever innocent next to a white American!" Danil exclaimed with another laugh. He shook his head. "But seriously, though, just deal with it and rise above it, and you'll be a better peson for it," he advised Kyo.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 15, 2010 21:47:31 GMT -5
We'll go and help you, of course, Kyosan," Danil replied. He led the way into the store and almost immediately gestured to one of the large advertisements. Kyo glanced up and almost burst out laughing.
"I will never forget your face now, Dan-o-san." He grinned. Danil sure did look admirable in the ad. Like one of the "prince-type" guys all the girls in Japan went crazy for. There were a good amount of advertisements in Japan that used Western men over Japanese men (even more so in women's ads, though in that case, Western women were used over Japanese women), and Danil, Kyo was sure, would have fit in perfectly in one of those ads. He sure did make the outfit look nice.
"You can find me anywhere, really. That's how famous I am." Danil was still chuckling as he led the way to the Boy's section.
Kyo looked Peter's way as he started talking. "Seriously though, sometimes it does seem like he's a little too full of himself there."
Kyo shrugged. "I guess it must be really hard not to say, 'Look! It is me, it is me!', you know? Every time that you see yourself somewhere big." Kyo looked around the store, curious of any of the shoppers would recognize one of the store's actual models browsing around.
Kyo busied himself looking at some of the articles of clothing in the shop as Danil continued speaking, laughing once again. The clothing here was made well, Kyo could tell. Long-lasting and durable. It wasn't the most fashionable of clothes upon appearance, but with a bit of mixing and matching....Kyo eyed a red T-shirt which read, "Dood, eye cann spel!" and laughed. Americans were funny, creative people. He wasn't sure if such a shirt would be made in Japan.
This says that you need khaki shorts for the fall and spring, pants for the winter, and plain white t-shirts - that's really dull- in the fall and white long-sleeved dress shirts in the winter." Danil sighed. "Talk about conformist!"
Kyo looked up. "Con-for-mi-su-to?" That was a new word.
Peter looked annoyed. "That principal must have come up with that. What a paranoid jackass."
Danil and Peter started joking about the Principal, and Kyo laughed along subconsciously as he dug through some of the clothes piles to find something suitable for school. He kept running the list Danil and Peter had mentioned through his mind to remember what he needed.
"No foreigner is ever innocent next to a white American! But seriously, though, just deal with it and rise above it, and you'll be a better peson for it."
"Ahhh, hai, hai. Rise above the suspension." He picked up one of the khaki pants and frowned. "I think maybe these are too big. Look. This is large size. I do not see any small!" He bit his lip and put the far too large pants down. "If we cannot find the uniform, they cannot complain, right? They cannot say there will be another suspension, I hope. That--" Kyo stopped short as he caught sight of someone--a girl--standing just a yard or two away, watching them.
Or, more precisely, Danil.
In fact, now that Kyo looked carefully, it seemed that the girl was looking immediately past him and Peter for the talented skater. But there was something about the look in her eyes that unnerved Kyo.
"You do not have any bad fans, hai, Dan-o-san? I mean, fans that will do crazy things-uh?" He turned to look at his caretaker. "There are very serious fans in Korea, who do some amazing things just to be with their idol."
He didn't add in the fact that those fans, it seemed, had the same desperate look in their eyes as the girl watching them now.
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Post by Angela on Feb 16, 2010 21:54:02 GMT -5
Danil looked at Kyo, quizzically. It was an interesting question, but he wondered why he asked it. Then he saw the girl. She was giving him a strange look that concerned him. "Well, yes, I do have some crazy fans...," he admitted, "but most of them are harmless." He did not tell him of the many death threats he had gotten for the last three years. His exchange son certainly didn't need to worry aout that... "I get this sort of response all the time," Danil explained to comfort Kyo, and also tookthe opportunity to explain to him what the word he used earlier meant. "It's because I stand out," he pointed out, "instead of conforming. Remember that word you asked about earlier? When you conform, you suppress..." He paused. Kyo might not know that word either. "You don't do something that makes you unique. You can also do something, or not do something, or even try not to feel a certain way, or hide your feelings, to conform. For example, if a group of kids are smoking and drinking, and they want you to join in 'because it's cool,' then they want you to conform. Your principal wants everyone to be dressed the same, which means he wants you to conform. Meanwhile, Peter is an American football player. His sport makes it seem like those who play it are 'tough,' and being gay is considered being weak. But Peter is both tough and gay. He refuses to conform." He smiled at his husband, who planted a loving kiss on the lips. Danil did not feel uncomfortable about displaying such affection in front of Kyo anymore, and returned the kiss.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Jun 12, 2010 21:38:14 GMT -5
It seemed to take Danil a moment before he noticed the girl Kyo was looking at. Kyo watched his caretaker carefully, curious to see how he felt about the strange onlooker.
"Well, yes, I do have some crazy fans...but most of them are harmless."
"Ahhh, souka..." (I see...) Kyo turned away from the two older men to look at the girl again. She seemed to have gleaned some amusement out of Danil's acknowledgment of her, because a moment later, she disappeared into another part of the store. But she might as well have still been standing there, staring, because the eerie aura was still present.
"I get this sort of response all the time. It's because I stand out, instead of conforming. Remember that word you asked about earlier? When you conform, you suppress..."
Kyo nodded, as Danil paused.
"You don't do something that makes you unique. You can also do something, or not do something, or even try not to feel a certain way, or hide your feelings, to conform. For example, if a group of kids are smoking and drinking, and they want you to join in 'because it's 'cool,' then they want you to conform. Your principal wants everyone to be dressed the same, which means he wants you to conform. Meanwhile, Peter is an American football player. His sport makes it seem like those who play it are 'tough,' and being gay is considered being weak. But Peter is both tough and gay. He refuses to conform."
Danil turned to Peter, smiling, after his explanation to Kyo, and kissed him. Kyo actually grinned at the show of affection, but turned his head so as to give the two their moment. Actually, he much better understood the idea of conforming after Danil's explanation. That described a lot of aspects of Japan quite well. Things were changing, to be sure, but a lot of the culture still relied on focusing on the group, rather than the individual. Kyo had found something of an intriguing but unknown sense of freedom coming to America (and even during summers at home) when he wasn't forced to wear the same uniform to school every day. He had to admit, it wouldn't be so fun having to wear this new school's uniform all the time, but having a feeling of belonging, blending in with the other students here....he didn't mind that.
"Dan-o-san, Pee-tah-san....Maybe if we cannot find anything here, we can just go somewhere else to enjoy. We can always look a little later for this uniform, hai?"
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Post by Angela on Jul 2, 2010 1:47:15 GMT -5
"You know, actually," Peter said thoughtfully, "they have actual school uniforms in an entire section of Old Navy.l I'm sure we can find them there."
Danil hung up the items he was holding and nodded. "That's right! I don't know why we didn't think of that before!" He smiled at Kyo, and the three of them walked out of the store. "Since it's on the second floor, we can play some mini-golf, what do you say?"
Peter laughed. "Mini-golf sounds great! What do you think, Kyo? We'll run in, get you uniforms really quick, then play some mini-golf!"
As they walked to the escalator, they passed a video game machine. Peter's eyes lit up at the sight of it.
"Peter..."
"Hang on! I gotta do this."
Peter went to the machine, and inserted a coin. He waited a moment as the machine came to life. It started playing "Start The Commotion," and Peter began to dance, his feet touching the lighted squares. After a few minutes, the song stopped and Peter waited as another song started playing. This time, it was "Blue (Da Ba Dee)." He looked at Danil, who laughed, but set the baskets of candy on a nearby bench and started to dance, doing it just as Peter had, stepping on the squares as they lit up. As he danced, a small group of people nearby saw him, and gathered around to watch more closely. Before long, the majority of them were clapping in encouragement. Danil laughed but bowed to the group of ten people, and looked at Kyo.
"How about we give you a turn next?" he offered. He pressed a button on the game, and the song "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark started playing.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 5, 2011 16:46:20 GMT -5
"You know, actually," Peter said thoughtfully, "they have actual school uniforms in an entire section of Old Navy.l I'm sure we can find them there."
Kyo blinked. "Really?"
Danil nodded, smiling. "That's right! I don't know why we didn't think of that before! Since it's on the second floor, we can play some mini-golf, what do you say?"
Kyo's face brightened. "Mini golf..." He hadn't played mini golf in quite some time, though he could only recall happy memories from when he had gone, back when he'd been in Japan. It had always been a kind of family time together there. It would be nice to do it in America too, with his new family, even if he was bound to end up playing poorly. The least he could do was give his host fathers a good laugh at his expense.
Peter laughed. "Mini-golf sounds great! What do you think, Kyo? We'll run in, get you uniforms really quick, then play some mini-golf!"
Kyo smiled. "I think it sounds like a good plan! I hope the uniform will not be too much a trouble, though." He got to thinking about Danil's slightly stalkerish fan from earlier. He hoped she wouldn't be too much trouble either. Now that he thought about it, what if she ended up following them to the mini golf and around the playing grounds? He imagined the girl's wide-eyed stare leering out at them from through one of the golf holes and shivered. What an imagination...
They went on their way to the escalator up to the section of uniforms, until Peter stopped suddenly at a video game machine Kyo didn't quite recognize. It looked quite a bit like a DDR style game, though perhaps a much older version. Peter seemed intrigued by it. Kyo was intrigued by the fact that Peter had that kind of interest in games. He hadn't known, otherwise he would have planned to ask to go to arcades with Peter more in the future.
"Peter..."
"Hang on! I gotta do this."
Kyo held back while Peter went on playing, and he was pretty good too, his feet moving rapidly back and forth over the lighted squares in the floor, earning him perfects in the game for nearly every step he made. And when he was done, beaming, he stepped aside, offered Danil a turn, the latter of whom was just as good as Peter, if not even better. Kyo was surprised as a small crowd of people actually gathered around them to watch Danil play, clapping and cheering along their approval. Kyo found himself bobbing to the music too, before long.
When Danil finished, he took his well-deserved bow and Kyo clapped along madly with the rest of the crowd.
"Just like a prince," he murmured under his breath, laughing slightly. Oh how the girls in Japan would go crazy for him....
And then Prince Danil look his way.
"How about we give you a turn next?" He hit a button to set up a new song.
"EH!?" Kyo's eyes widened suddenly, then realizing that there was still a small crowd of people around them, looking on, he brought a hand up to his mouth in embarrassment. "But.....but there are....so many people."
Kyo glanced uneasily around the group surrounding the game machine and sighed. The timer on the game was ticking, and if he didn't want to waste Peter's money, he might as well try. After all, he'd just been thinking about giving his host family a good laugh or two at his horrible golf skills.....what was another ten or so people watching him fail at a version of the DDR game that he didn't know?
Kyo looked quickly at the machine, trying to get a better feel for how it worked, then stepped onto the playing area as the song began. This wasn't all that different from Dance Dance Revolution. Same concepts, same playing style....he just needed to figure out how to coordinate himself and fast.
The music started and Kyo tried to get a feel for the beat. It was pretty steady, nothing too crazy, but he hoped his onlookers, Danil and Peter included, wouldn't expect too much talent from him. In fact, the song progressed and he got through the steps pretty easily, all things considered, but his show was nothing compared to what Danil and Peter had given before. By the time the music was over, Kyo hopped down from the playing platform, blushing and avoiding the gaze of the crowd of people that was still around, all of whom were clapping politely. "I have done....a much more good job before this. I promise." He raised a hand and scratched the back of his neck. "I do not know Marky Mark so well. Is he a regular...ahhh, it's not a Dance Dance Revolution game, but is he a regular for this kind of game?"
Kyo watched one of the crowd members move for the game to try his luck, smiled a little, then pointed to the escalator. "Shall we try to do the mini golf?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 9, 2011 12:22:28 GMT -5
Danil and Peter cheered with the small group of people, Peter chanting, "Go Kyo! Go Kyo! Go Kyo!" over and over as he played. When he was finished, Danil gave Kyo a high five.
"You were great! You don't give yourself enough credit!" he said with a laugh.
Danil went to the bench and got their things.
"Check it out!" Peter said, as he walked with the two of them to the escalator. He stayed beside Kyo and showed him his cell phone, which had captured a video of his performance.
Danil chuckled. "I think we'll get the uniforms now, that way we won't have to worry about them. Then we'll have fun at mini-golf."
"Then maybe we can pig out at the food court!" Peter suggested.
"We just had dinner, you pig," Danil pointed out, rolling his eyes as he nudged Peter in the stomach. The second floor reached, everyone stepped off.
"Yeah, but what about dessert?" Peter asked wryly. "I could go for Aunt Annie's. How about you?" Peter winked at Danil.
Danil laughed, blushing. Peter loved to eat there, all right... He especially liked to eat the cinnamon sugar off of Danil's fingers. Of course, such behavior may not be suitable to show Kyo. Besides, the last time Peter did that, they got such awful looks from so many people passing by or sitting in the area. "Truthfully, that does sound good..." he admitted at last.
In no time they went to Old Navy and found the uniform section. Sure enough, there were still several outfits available in Kyo's size.
"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about," Danil said with a grin. He picked out five of them and advised that Kyo try them on before they bought them. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go mini-golfing!" he said.
"Hey, there's lockers next door, why don't I get us one so we can stash everything in there while we fool around?" Peter suggested.
"That sounds like a brilliant idea," Danil agreed. Peter took their candy and everything else they'd gotten and went to get the locker while Kyo tried on his uniforms. "Do you need help?" Danil asked. How hard could putting on a shirt, pants and shorts be, he thought as he almost laughed at himself, but it seemed like a question a parent would ask anyway.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 10, 2011 14:27:35 GMT -5
As they moved up the escalator, Peter treated Kyo to a fairly embarrassing video of his gameplay for the old-style DDR game. While the "Go Kyo!" cheers sounded pretty cool on the video, Kyo waved a hand at the phone, laughing slightly. "It is kind of embarrassing, not really that good at all. You should see your performance recorded." He leaned in closer to the phone again for a moment, then withdrew once more, still shaking his head. "I look like a fu-railing giraffe. Is that it, fu-railing? I cannot say the "l" sound in that word...We don't have that sound or 'fu' sound in Japanese--it's so difficult for me." Danil chuckled. "I think we'll get the uniforms now, that way we won't have to worry about them. Then we'll have fun at mini-golf."
"Then maybe we can pig out at the food court!" Peter sounded just as enthusiastic about the prospect of food as Danil was about mini-golf. Though Kyo couldn't entirely blame the guy....He'd just eaten, but he was never one to pass up food either. "We just had dinner, you pig." Danil still seemed amused. Peter went on to talk about something related to some woman named Annie, his aunt, if Kyo had heard him correctly, and Kyo considered asking Peter if his aunt owned a store in the mall, but refrained. Now that they had reached the second level of the store, he found himself gazing around intently for the darn elusive uniform. It was all fairly new to him, like this. At his school in Japan, the process students underwent to get uniforms was no less annoying, but done rather differently. It got him to thinking how a lot of foreign visitors to Japan liked to dress in schoolkid clothes, seemingly just for fun. Where they even got some of the stuff they wore, sometimes... Kyo wasn't sure he saw the appeal properly. Could it really be so enjoyable wearing something like that? It was.....a uniform, after all. And within mere moments, Kyo was standing in front of a display for the new uniform he would be wearing. They were ultimately no less formal than the ones he wore in Japan, but he at least appreciated they were different. And available, evidently, in his size. "See? I told you there was nothing to worry about. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go mini-golfing!"Moments later, Kyo's arms were full of potential uniforms for school and he was ushered into one of the nearby dressing rooms. Closing the door to the small room behind him, he laid out the new clothes on a small bench which had been set up in the closet-like room, then glanced at himself in the mirror. He was looking a bit disheveled, truth be told. He wondered if that was because he was still a bit down about what had happened with the suspension and everything or if he was just feeling weird. He had these weird moments now and again. Not just here, it happened at home too. Well, better try these on... Kyo got busy picking up various articles of clothing and setting various others aside, and within minutes, he was just about dressed and content with one of the sizes that had been picked out for him when one of the buttons on his shirt decided to go on a stubborn streak. Kyo glanced down, pulling on the thing to try to get it through the loop on the other side. It was like whoever had made this particular shirt had made the loophole disproportionately sized to this particular button. Kyo heard Peter mention something about lockers, then heard someone take off, and tried to hurry dressing. Confounded button was being so troublesome... "Do you need help?"The button finally popped, popped right off the shirt of his uniform, and Kyo felt his face flush. "Ano...." He hurriedly bent down, scrambling to find the thing and pick it up from the floor. He didn't have the best eye sight. "I am sorry to take some time. One button got stuck..." He decided not to mention the fact that it had actually broken off. He wouldn't put this shirt back on the display--that wouldn't be fair and he'd feel really dishonest to do something like that--but he'd either have to go one button short to school for a few days or get good at sewing quickly once he got home. He saw a small, round glimmer of white and scooped the lost button into his hands before getting back to his feet. "Almost done now." Kyo smoothed down the shirt of the uniform and looked into the mirror available in the dressing room. All in all, he looked a little out of place in the outfit, at least to himself, he did, but he knew he could manage. It wasn't like there was much choice! Anyway, the uniform was comfortable enough and would probably be warm enough come winter too. All this assuming he figured out how to fix the button he'd just ripped off. Kyo smoothed down the shirt again, trying to hide the obviously missing piece, then stepped out of the dressing room for a moment to show his caretaker the outfit. "How does it look, Danyaru-san?" He spun around, then drove his hands into his pockets. "I can get used to it, I think. Aah, actually....is winter cold here?" OOC: Uniform here.
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Post by Angela on Feb 12, 2011 23:45:56 GMT -5
Danil smiled approvingly, and brushed off the shoulders of the shirt. "You look great," he said with a nod.His face crinkled after a moment, eying a spot on the shirt. "Oh, no," he said, shaking his head. "There's a button missing," he said, shaking his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Kyo. Peter or I should have noticed that." He touched the missing button's spot. He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps..." He examined the other buttons. "Perhaps it's no matter. Lily collects buttons whenever she finds them... Perhaps she has one like them. Till then, you have the others and can wear them until we can find a button. I'll sew it on when we get one. In the meantime... we should get a discount for that missing button," he added thoughtfully. He nodded to Kyo. "Go on and try the others on. Let's make sure they're not defective either." He chuckled.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 19, 2011 17:04:48 GMT -5
Kyo blinked. Danil had caught him. "Eh....no no, it is okay...." His voice drifted off. The button was his fault, and by all rights, if anyone was going to have to deal with that, whether by paying for it or sewing on a new one, he didn't think it was fair for it to be anyone other than him. Not that he particularly wanted to do it--it just wasn't fair.
Still a little unsure, but entirely aware that it would weigh on his conscience if he didn't mention it, Kyo stopped in the doorway of the dressing room to go try on the rest of his clothes as Danil had big, his trademark pout on his face. "Ano....Danyaru-san...." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to be the bearer of the bad news, but actually....I knocked the button off when I tried on this shirt. I did it. Maybe all my eating has come back for its revenge, like..." he thought quickly and furrowed his brow. "....like I don't look fat on the outside, but it is just a secret magic illusion and secretly I'm very chunky. Ne?"
Realizing how dumb that probably sounded to his caretaker, even if he did believe in magic of some sort, he shuffled back into the dressing room, casting a half-embarrassed, half amused look behind him at his loving host father once more before closing the door. "Please excuse me."
Kyo was a bit more careful with the rest of the clothes he had to try on, and before long, most everything that was needed for the semester had been sorted out, the articles that fit, into one pile, and those that didn't put back on their hangers to be put back into the store by the workers. Kyo stepped from the dressing room with his new outfit in hand and folded them close to his chest, looking to Danil to see what would happen next, though he had his (admittedly) enthusiastic hopes.
Playing mini golf. Or maybe "failing" at mini golf was the better term in Kyo's case, but he at least didn't mind looking stupid. He just knew it would be fun to spend time with his host fathers, not just for himself after all the hectic troubles at school, but for the two guys too, who he was sure had their own share of problems they wouldn't mind forgetting for a while with their own game of "not-so-failed minigolf."
Kyo smiled. "So does this mean we buy and can go play?" He hefted the weight of his new clothes into one hand while he used the other to fish around in his pockets. His hand closed over his wallet, and he took it out to hand to Danil.
"I brought some extra money with me today to be careful, so you can find the money in there." He paused for a moment, considering something. "And I know you are the kind host who will offer to pay for me, but since it is my expense and it is very expensive, please let me do it. It is my.....obliga.....obl...." He frowned. "It is not your obliga-something. You know what I mean, I think."
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