November, 2008 (POST-BY-POST ONLY)

[Angela]

Just starting the thread...

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo woke up on his side, his eyes looking immediately to the elegant array of flowers that had been set up in his room, the guest's room. His sheets were all bunched up around him, which he always found funny. He was a pretty deep sleeper. It took a lot to wake him up, and he rarely had nightmares. The fact that he always woke up looking like he had just survived a shipwreck was, well...it probably looked funny.
Kyo sat on the edge of his bed, yawned, and stretched. Looking at the alarm clock he had brought with him, he realized it was nearing mid-day.

11 AM.
What had he been doing yesterday that had made him sleep in for so long?
Well, it didn't matter. Kyo intended to get ready quickly and spend the day out in Pittsburgh. Admittedly, there wasn't as much in Pittsburgh as there was in Odaiba (in terms of technology), but Kyo was still thrilled to be here. He had found plenty of places that he already loved to visit, and he figured there were many more just waiting to be explored.
He wanted to find a place he could call his own. So when he did leave PA for home, he could tell all his friends about it. It was a pretty childish aspiration, but he had high expectations that he would find that one place he could run off to if he ever felt extremely down.

Kyo was ready relatively quickly for his slow start that morning. His outfit was very casual, but suitable for the weather: a pair of thin, dark jeans, a T-shirt, and a loose hoodie.
Hearing commotion in the kitchen, Kyo skipped over to the kitchen doorframe and peered in.
"Hello!" he said brightly.

[Nicholas Wu]

It had been an early morning for Nicholas. He'd spent the night before working on a term paper for his history class and then studying for a test in math--of course, it was the weekend and he had two full days before the actual exam, but he'd decided to do a little studying ahead of time, as well as right before the test. He'd managed to get to sleep by 3:00AM, but instead of being able to sleep in, he woke up at 7:00AM and could not fall back to sleep. There seemed to be so much on his mind--between his job, schoolwork, and making friends (which he had not really attempted yet) that he was too restless to sleep any longer.

Feeling a little exhausted, he had gone downstairs to the kitchen, trying to keep quiet and not wake anyone up. He'd made himself some coffee, then headed back up to his room to do more work for school. The more he got done early, the better.

This didn't last for long. Nic felt exhausted all over again, so after about two hours of work, he went to take a nice, long shower and get ready for the day. By 10:30, he had gone downstairs and was making a small breakfast. He didn't know if Danil and Peter were still home or whether they had gone out while he'd been working, but he decided to make a big enough breakfast for everyone anyway. It wasn't much--just some omelettes and toast. He'd never gotten used to making anything too crazy, even though he enjoyed cooking. Then again, due to his family's income, there had never really been enough ingredients in their house to make anything special.

Nicholas pulled out four plates, piled some of the omelettes into each, then got the toast from the toaster oven and put a slice on each plate. Butter had already been set out on the table, as well as three glasses of orange juice and one of milk--for Kyo, who seemed to have a fondness for dairy products.

He set two of the plates on the table, turned around, grabbed the other two, then turned to place them on the table also. At that moment, he saw someone peering in at the doorway.

It was Kyo.

"Hello!" he said brightly.

Nicholas couldn't help smiling. Kyo looked very happy.

"Um, morning, Kyo. Even though it's kinda late..." He brushed a hand through his hair and looked at the clock on the wall. It was a little past 11. It suddenly occurred to him that, most likely, Danil and Peter had gone out.

Oh well, he thought. Kyo and I can eat the food ourselves.

He motioned to the table setting with the milk glass. "Uh, this is for you, Kyo." Nic took one of the chairs next to him.

There was a moment's silence before he spoke again. He cut a piece of his omelette, then asked, "So...do you have any plans for today?"

[Kyo Suzuki]

It took Kyo a moment to realize that the only person, or well, being who had heard him aside from himself was one of the animals. Nicholas was deaf...How could he keep forgetting? He flushed a little at his own goofiness, but was spared having to grab Nicholas' attention again as he turned around.

He looked happy enough. Kyo relaxed a little. "Hello!" He repeated, stepping forward into the room.

"Um, morning, Kyo. Even though it's kinda late..." He brushed a hand through his hair and looked at the clock on the wall.
Kyo followed the other boy's gaze to the clock and shrugged. "It is okay. We are allowed to sleep in late on weekends, if Danil or Peter do not need our help. We both work-ah hard enough for that, I think."
"Uh, this is for you, Kyo." Nicholas was gesturing to the table, and a rather delicious looking breakfast that had been set out. Kyo couldn't help licking his lips. He had slept in late, gotten ready for something--he wasn't sure what--and now he was quite hungry.
He waited until Nicholas had sat himself then did likewise, picking up the fork and hungrily digging into the meal.

"This is so nice of you to make this for me. I am very appreciative, thank-ah you, Ni-ge-las." He nodded his head in another sign of thanks and happily gulped down some of the omelette.

Delish!

"So...do you have any plans for today?"
Kyo reached out for the glass in front of him, then gasped when he realized what was in it.

"Milk!? You...you put milk in my glass!?" Kyo's eyes were wide with admiration. He really liked Nicholas. He was like the older brother he had never been fortunate enough to have. Nicholas had remembered his favorite drink! Nice! "So nice of you, Ni-ge-las! You remember my favorite!"

He took a sip, wiped away the inevitable milk mustache, then beamed and looked Nicholas' way. "Sorry, I was being so melodramatic-ah. Just very thankful you remember. I wanted to go to the city today. I am interested in exploring more."

[Nicholas Wu]

Nic felt glad for Kyo's company. He'd actually been a little lonely in the big house, especially when the only thing he had to comfort him at the moment was a pile of work--and that wasn't all that comforting.

This is so nice of you to make this for me. I am very appreciative, thank-ah you, Ni-ge-las.

Nicholas blushed. "It's not much, Kyo..." He took a sip of his orange juice.

The two sat for a moment in silence, before Nicholas asked a question. In asking, Nicholas almost hoped that Kyo wouldn't be busy. He wanted to go out, as he had done the first few months when he had arrived here, but this time he wanted to have someone to show around. He and Kyo were still a little distant with each other--or maybe it was just him being distant to Kyo--but they seemed to share a bond nonetheless. Kyo was very open and friendly. He was also very loud, in complete opposition of Nicholas' quiet nature. The two complimented each other well.

Nicholas looked up to see Kyo's response, but Kyo's eyes were glistening, an admiring look on his face. Nic was immediately confused.

"Milk!? You...you put milk in my glass!? So nice of you, Ni-ge-las! You remember my favorite!"

At the strange look on Kyo's face, Nic couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. Kyo looked so happy for that glass of milk, that there was something strangely amusing about it. Not wanting to alarm Kyo though, he immediately covered his mouth with one hand.

"I'm sorry," he said, realizing Kyo had wanted to say something more. "Please continue." He was still grinning and, despite the work he knew he still had to do, he felt a weight lift off his chest.

"Sorry, I was being so melodramatic-ah. Just very thankful you remember. I wanted to go to the city today. I am interested in exploring more."

Nicholas was taking a bite out of his toast as Kyo said this. He suddenly felt a little excited. Kyo's plan fit perfectly with what Nicholas hoped to do!

"Oh, me too," he said slowly. Then, realizing that he wasn't going to explore, exactly, he added, "Uh, I mean--not to explore. But I wanted to show someone around...and just...visit the city."

He took another sip of orange juice. He would like to go with Kyo, but he didn't want to change Kyo's plans. Exploring by yourself was a nice pastime. If Kyo wanted to go alone, then he didn't want to get in the way.

"Uhh, did you want to go...alone?" He asked, cautiously.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo continued to work on his delicious breakfast, a sly smile crossing his face as he listened to Nicholas' not-so-silent giggles. He wondered what he had done to make the other Asian boy laugh so much, but he didn't really mind. He was prone to goofiness and wanted to make friends with Nicholas. He seemed like a cool buddy to have, even if he was a number of years older. Plus, he would be living with him for a while...He might as well get to know who he was sharing the house with!

"Oh, me too," he said slowly.
Nicholas was referring back to the things he had said before about exploring. "Uh, I mean--not to explore. But I wanted to show someone around...and just...visit the city."

Kyo looked up, wide-eyed with joy. He hadn't even really had to ask--apparently Nicholas wanted to go to the city too!

"Uhh, did you want to go...alone?" He asked, cautiously.
Kyo lowered his utensils, dabbed at his mouth with a napkin in a very proper Western likeness, then grinned and pushed his plate away. "Thank-ah you for the delicious meal, Ni-ge-las! This is so kind. And you know, if you did not ask me, I would have asked-ah you! I want to go to the city sooooo much, but I do not think Danil and Peter would like me to go alone."

He looked around to make sure neither of the men was around, then leaned in and whispered, "It is like parent thing, you know? Maybe they are afraid I will get in the drug business..."
Kyo leaned back into his chair and stuck a finger in his mouth to show his disgust.
"I am the drug, smoke, drink-free happy person. I will never do that stuff." Kyo got up from the table and took his plate and glass to the sink. He stopped in the doorframe of the kitchen. "So...that is a yes, sir, Mr. Nicholas, sir! I will go get my jah-ket!"

[Nicholas Wu]

At Nicholas' question, Kyo had suddenly become very excited. He'd lowered his utensils and wiped his mouth with a napkin, then grinned at Nic and pushed his plate away. The happy and somewhat sly look on Kyo's face made Nicholas want to laugh again, but he thought that maybe Kyo wouldn't be so happy if Nic laughed at him twice in a row. Instead, he kept silent and let Kyo talk. He still didn't know Kyo's answer anyway!

"Thank-ah you for the delicious meal, Ni-ge-las! This is so kind. And you know, if you did not ask me, I would have asked-ah you! I want to go to the city sooooo much, but I do not think Danil and Peter would like me to go alone."

He looked around to make sure neither of the men was around, then leaned in and whispered, "It is like parent thing, you know? Maybe they are afraid I will get in the drug business..."

Kyo leaned back into his chair and stuck a finger in his mouth to show his disgust.
"I am the drug, smoke, drink-free happy person. I will never do that stuff."

This time, Nic did laugh. "I...I'm sure they wouldn't suspect you of that, Kyo." He smiled. "And you're welcome for the breakfast...I mean..." he scratched his head. "...it wasn't much..."

He set down his own utensils, picked up his plate and Kyo's (after making sure Kyo was finished), then went over to the sink to rinse everything off. As he was rinsing the dishes, he thought about Kyo's personality. He had never met anyone like Kyo before. Kyo seemed very happy-go-lucky--all the time. It seemed like nothing could upset the Japanese boy. That was certainly the way to be. Nicholas couldn't imagine Kyo ever being sad.

At that point, he realized that while he had been washing the dishes, he had not been looking to see if Kyo was speaking to him. He felt bad, knowing that what he had done was something like ignoring Kyo, even if he had not done it on purpose.

"Ah! Sorry," Nicholas apologized, shutting off the water and drying his hands on a dish towel. "I didn't mean to ign--"

As he turned around, he realized that Kyo was gone. Frowning, he set the dish towel down and wandered into the next room.

***

Nicholas had wandered from one room to the next, until he had run into Kyo, putting on his jacket in the front hallway. He sighed in relief, glad to find out that Kyo had only left to get his jacket. Though he probably didn't seem it on the outside, Nicholas was more than happy to have a companion on this trip into the city.

The two of them were on the train now. They had already passed through the sub-urbs and were entering the city. Nicholas had made this trip too many times now and had become accustomed to it, even though he still preferred the comfortably small sub-urbs in Connecticut to the ones here in Pennsylvania.

The ride into the city, at least, was comfortable. The train wasn't just a subway-style train. It had comfortable, cushioned seats. Nicholas had been gazing out the window for much of the trip, though Kyo had been across from him, sometimes doing the same, but often talking to Nicholas. Nicholas had tried his best to answer all of Kyo's questions, and it hadn't been too hard to do. It was easy to talk to the younger boy, especially because Kyo was not judging Nicholas by his answers. He genuinely wanted to know what Nic thought...how he felt.

Now that they were almost at their stop--Nicholas could see many of the high-rise buildings beginning to surround them, especially since they had just crossed over the water--he looked away from the window and to Kyo.

"So, uh, Kyo? Where would you like to go first?" He paused, then added. "I can try to recommend places, but...if there's any place you really wanted to see, we can go there first."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo was prone to random "happy" outbursts about absolutely nothing, especially--it seemed--this morning, when he was around Nic. He was really comfortable around Nic. The other Asian boy had a very passive, cool nature about him--he was kind of mysterious, as well. Kyo wasn't interested in befriending him because of that, but he couldn't deny that he wanted to find out more...

He and Nicholas were on the train now, heading up into the city of Pittsburgh. They had only just begun their adventure and were a little bit silent now. Kyo had been talking all morning about all sorts of things. He seemed to keep forgetting that Nicholas only understood him by reading his lips--he hoped he wasn't too annoyed with his incessant chatter.
Kyo would have said something more now, but aside from feeling very thoughtful for the moment, he wasn't actually sure if Nicholas felt like talking. He'd been a little boisterous in the morning--he didn't want to scare Nicholas any further into submission.

Anyway, the scenery was entertainment enough. The vegetation and geography wasn't a complete world away from Japan, but it was still different enough to be interesting. Kyo could even see the city now, they were so far along in their journey there, and though it was relatively sparse in comparison to Odaiba, he got the feeling he would be doing a lot of fun things. An enthusiastic, enlightened feeling he couldn't quite explain.

Kyo saw Nicholas look his away before the other young man even spoke.
He replied with a wide-eyed and waiting look in his direction.
"So, uh, Kyo? Where would you like to go first?" He paused, then added. "I can try to recommend places, but...if there's any place you really wanted to see, we can go there first."

"Ni-ge-las...you are too nice. But you are the host, yes? You can show me around, it makes me very happy and honored." Kyo smiled, then paused.
"But if you are interested in the Chinatown, I know I am! American Chinatown--what is it like, I wonder to myself?"

[Nicholas Wu]

"Ni-ge-las...you are too nice. But you are the host, yes? You can show me around, it makes me very happy and honored." Kyo smiled, then paused.
"But if you are interested in the Chinatown, I know I am! American Chinatown--what is it like, I wonder to myself?"

Nicholas smiled when Kyo's eyes lit up at the thought of "American Chinatown." Kyo truly was a good kid. There was something infectious about his positive personality, and Nicholas was sure some of the younger boy's happy-go-lucky nature was rubbing off on him.

He nodded. "OK. I can try to lead around the Chinatown. Um..." He scratched his head, trying to think of the first place they could go to. "I guess...we could just walk around for a while, since we already ate?"

He asked this as a question, but he was pretty sure Kyo would not care what exactly they did in Chinatown, nor where they went while they were there. If anything, the boy was probably just feeling fortunate to be there.

Nicholas quickly looked out the window again and saw that they were nearly five minutes away from their destination.

"Almost there," he said calmly, smiling warmly at Kyo.

***

Once they had finally reached their stop in the city of Pittsburgh, the sun was gleaming high in the sky. The two stepped off the train platform, passed through the station, and entered the city of Pittsburgh officially. The train station they had stopped at was directly outside Chinatown. As soon as they had passed through the front doors of the station, they were greeted by the familiar sights of paper lanterns and other red decor, as well as the smell of Dim Sum and other Chinese delicacies, and, of course, the Chinese fish market.

Nicholas actually felt a warm feeling of "home" enshroud him. Even though he had not lived in an environment like this since he had been 10 years old, there was no denying his Chinese heritage. Truly, he felt more at home here than anywhere else. And what felt better was that not a single person here bothered to stare at him. He and Kyo blended right in.

"Uhh...Let's go this way." Nicholas pointed Kyo in the direction of Chinatown's main street. While the street was bound to be crowded, it was this street that housed all the main shops--bookstores, candy and ice cream stores, and much more. If Kyo was looking for anything in particular, this was the place to go.

As they walked, Nicholas found himself comfortable enough to strike up a conversation.

"So, um, Kyo? How do you like Pittsburgh, compared to your home in Japan?" Nic looked at Kyo, saw the look on Kyo's face, and wrinkled his nose. "You don't like it as much, do you?" He grinned.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo was basically just thrilled that Nicholas was showing him around the Chinatown--and he seemed enthusiastic about it! He wasn't treating the whole affair with the usual dread Kyo would expect someone six years older than him to. Many of the 21-year-olds he knew liked their own age-group. They weren't interested in playing tourguide to someone like little, old Kyo. He was very grateful for Nic's offer.

It was a brilliant day to go exploring. The instant the pair of them was off the train, Kyo looked up into the sky and beamed. The sun was directly over them, casting down nice rays of warmth and painting the city's buildings with an elegant glimmer. Kyo followed Nic out of the train station and right into Chinatown. It was just perfect! The Chinese culture was not entirely different from Japanese culture, and as Nic led him down the streets of Chinatown, Kyo was able to recognize a couple of the scents hanging in the air, as well as recognize many of the characters on shop signs. Thank goodness for the Kanji in Japanese language!

Kyo was so enthralled with the place, when he finally got a chance to look at Nicholas, he realized his companion was equally enthused, though he had been here before. That made Kyo even happier. It was nice to see Nicholas smiling. It didn't seem like the young man had many opportunities to do so, and Kyo did not know enough about his background to make any assumptions otherwise.

"Uhh...Let's go this way."

Kyo did not disagree. He would go wherever Nicholas suggested. The path the other young man had pointed out now looked like a pretty comfy one, full of all sorts of entertainment. Kyo merely nodded, a goofy smile still plastered to his face, and he tagged along after Nicholas as they headed for the street.

"So, um, Kyo? How do you like Pittsburgh, compared to your home in Japan?"
Kyo saw Nicholas look his way, and he couldn't help making a face.
"You don't like it as much, do you?" He grinned.

Kyo laughed. "Well, hahaha, well, I would not say that, so much! Just this is nai--seh--lee different. Odaiba is like cyber city--it is sooooo full of technology. Sometimes it drives me crazy." Giggling, Kyo looked around and took in the colorful sights of main street Chinatown. He waved a hand to gesture to different buildings in the area and turned back to Nicholas. "Here is per-retty cool, can I say this? It is colorful and traditional...nice to have in big Pittsburgh." He smiled some more. "Nicholas, do you come here often?" He paused. "Would you like to eat? You can pick the place and I can pay!"

[Nicholas Wu]

As they walked, Nicholas kept looking down at Kyo, to make sure the younger boy was enjoying himself. After all, though both of them had wanted to go into the city, Kyo was the one who had wanted to go to Chinatown. Nicholas didn't want to just choose any place for them to go and find out later that Kyo had been bored or annoyed.

But when Nicholas looked down at the younger boy's face, he could tell that there was no need for him to worry about whether Kyo would be content on where they were going or not. Kyo was grinning, and he looked happier than ever. It was obvious that Kyo was the type of person who enjoyed everything about life. He was optimistic all the time, and it seemed nearly impossible that Nicholas could upset him with something as simple as what direction they were going in. Truly, Nicholas had been blessed that Kyo was Danil and Peter's other house guest. Never before had he had a friend so charming as the boy who was so much younger than him.

When Nicholas asked Kyo what he thought about Pittsburgh, Kyo's response sounded like the naive voice of a little boy. And yet, Nicholas knew that Kyo was quite intelligent.

Kyo laughed. "Well, hahaha, well, I would not say that, so much! Just this is nai--seh--lee different. Odaiba is like cyber city--it is sooooo full of technology. Sometimes it drives me crazy."

Nicholas nodded. When he'd lived in China, he had heard a lot about Odaiba, even though he had never been able to go there himself. His mother had visited there once when she had been a little girl. She often recounted her visit fondly, describing to Nicholas the bright lights of the city and her ride on the ferris wheel with his grandfather. She had really loved it there and told Nicholas that when his father had saved up enough money, they would go back and ride the ferris wheel together. Nicholas knew that now, the only thing that could entertain a person his age was the nightlife in Odaiba, and he wasn't all that fond of partying. Still, he really did want to see the place his mother had loved so much.

Giggling, Kyo looked around and took in the colorful sights of main street Chinatown. He waved a hand to gesture to different buildings in the area and turned back to Nicholas. "Here is per-retty cool, can I say this? It is colorful and traditional...nice to have in big Pittsburgh." He smiled some more.

Nicholas laughed when he listened to what Kyo had to say. Chinatown was colorful. It was partly the bright atmosphere, in addition to the good weather and the comfortable feeling he got from being surrounded by other people like him that made this place so special. He nodded. "You can say that, Kyo. Chinatown is a very nice place to be." He looked up at the balconies of Chinese-style apartments and added, "I would not mind living here either." He probably would have lived in Chinatown, too, if his father had not been so adamant to become an American. But of course, Nicholas did not blame him for that and never would.

"Nicholas, do you come here often?" He paused.

Nicholas looked at Kyo, then looked around at the people passing by. Every once in a while, an American face popped up in a sea of Asian faces. If not China, this place really could be his home. And yet, as comfortable as he felt here, he did not come often--or at least as often as he would like.

"I...come here sometimes," he told Kyo. "But I have only come a few times since I arrived. I think I should spend more time here though..." As he said this, he wondered why he didn't spend more time in Chinatown.

Kyo spoke next.

"Would you like to eat? You can pick the place and I can pay!"

Still thinking about why he only saw Chinatown every once and a while, Nicholas nearly misread what Kyo had said and shrugged. "Sure. I don't mind eating if you want to."

Then, when he saw the grin on Kyo's face, his brain finally connected what Kyo had just said. "Wei!! No way! I can pay for myself!" He looked shocked. He knew Kyo had gotten a job too, but it seemed only fair that he, being the elder, should pay for both of them. He was making enough money. He could do it. He shook his head. "We can go eat if you want, Kyo, but I think it's only fair that I pay for both of us. I took you out, after all." His slanted eyes were wide with confusion and a hint of stubbornness.

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Sure. I don't mind eating if you want to."
Kyo beamed. He was wearing a very sly expression on his face--eyes narrowed slightly, giving Nic this sort of look as if to say, "Heh heh heh...". Kyo even started to laugh once Nicholas realized what he had really said.

"Wei!! No way! I can pay for myself!" Nicholas was pretty serious. Actually, he looked horrified that he had agreed to Kyo's offer. Kyo instantly felt a little bad--in a way, he had taken advantage of Nicholas. The other boy couldn't simply hear what he said--he had to read it all. And if he hadn't been paying full attention, of course he might accidently agree to something he didn't really agree with.
We can go eat if you want, Kyo, but I think it's only fair that I pay for both of us. I took you out, after all."
Kyo recognized the look in Nic's eyes. He was challenging him--in a completely fair and respectful manner--to even try and pay for him. Obviously, Kyo thought to himself with a chuckle, he is not going to go easily. This would be lots of fun. "Oh, Nic-o-san--first, you must pick, ehhh, the restaurant! If you do not, I will close my eyes and most likely choose the most expensive one." He coughed and murmured under his breath in Japanese, "Which I will do the paying for."
He looked up at Nicholas with his same sly glance, this time challenging him to disagree with that.

[Nicholas Wu]

Nicholas recognized a very sly expression as it appeared on Kyo's face. Just as suddenly, it disappeared, only to be replaced by an obviously fake, innocent expression.

"Oh, Nic-o-san--first, you must pick, ehhh, the restaurant! If you do not, I will close my eyes and most likely choose the most expensive one."

Now it was Nic's turn to narrow his eyes. He knew, for sure, that Kyo was up to something. There was no way the boy would make such a suggestion and then so suddenly drop it. No...Kyo was definitely up to something.

As he examined Kyo's expression, he saw the sly look return. Yup. His thoughts were confirmed.

Nicholas had to consider a way to worm out of the situation.

"You know...I don't think I should be picking the restaurant. I eat Chinese food all the time." This was a lie. He and his father hadn't eaten Chinese food in a long time, actually. But Kyo didn't know that. To emphasize his point, Nicholas pointed to himself. "See? Chinese."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo was rather sly, but in a playful manner. He was watching Nicholas just as intently as the other boy was watching him, curious to see if he would catch on. But as Nicholas' eyes narrowed slightly, Kyo smirked. Yes, he certainly was catching on.

"You know...I don't think I should be picking the restaurant. I eat Chinese food all the time. See? Chinese."

Kyo laughed. "Haha, so funny...you think I do not-ah know this? Would be embarrassing, right, right?" He paused and wrinked his nose. "Maybe, ahhh, not so...I do not know. Okay, I stop being the silly one. Let us go to..."

He closed his eyes. Normally, he would let everyone else choose where to go, but considering the circumstances (there was no everyone else and Nicholas was certainly not going to pick), he would just get that awkward part out of the way himself.

He pointed. He wasn't sure what direction. He just pointed.

"Okay, Ni-co-san--may I call you this? Is much easier and nicer-sounding to say for Japanese speaker--wherever my finger points is where we go. Hai?"

[Nicholas Wu]

Ooc: Permission to godplay Kyo!

Ic:
Kyo laughed. "Haha, so funny...you think I do not-ah know this? Would be embarrassing, right, right?" He paused and wrinkled his nose. "Maybe, ahhh, not so...I do not know. Okay, I stop being the silly one. Let us go to..."

Nicholas watched as the younger boy closed his eyes and extended his arm. He was pointing straight out in front of him.

"Okay, Ni-co-san--may I call you this?" he said, his eyes still closed. "Is much easier and nicer-sounding to say for Japanese speaker--wherever my finger points is where we go. Hai?"

Nicholas was speechless for a moment, confused by Kyo's strange behavior. Then he nodded, without thinking that Kyo couldn't see him nodding.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he said, running a hand through his hair. He was going to tell Kyo that he could call him "Nic," if he wanted, but Kyo's thoughts had already switched back to what restaurant they would be eating at. The younger boy was pointing straight in front of him, then spun around, before stopping and opening his eyes.

"There!" he exclaimed, pointing at the place directly in front of him. Nicholas' eyes followed the boy's finger in the direction it was pointing.

The boy had somehow managed to point directly at a restaurant (though, of course, there were many restaurants in Chinatown). This particular restaurant was called "Sesame Inn Chinese Restaurant." The place looked rather expensive, and Nicholas had the feeling--by the name--that it was not going to be traditional Chinese.

But this was where Kyo had pointed, and Nicholas wasn't going to be able to make a decision. So, instead, he nodded to Kyo and said, "Okay," then led the way into the restaurant.

The inside of the building was cool from air-conditioning, the lighting not too bright but not too dim either. Meanwhile, the style of the architecture was distinctly Chinese, with low walls, bamboo paintings lining the outer walls, and tables and chairs decked out in traditional Chinese colors (mainly red). Though the place was obviously aimed towards catching the eye of Chinatown's tourists, the workers were all very Chinese.

"How many?" the hostess at the front door asked Nicholas. He couldn't help thinking that she was very pretty. After seeing that he was Chinese as well, she spoke in their native language.

"Liangge ren, (Two people)", he told her.

The girl nodded, grabbed two menus, and brought Nicholas and Kyo over to a booth located in the far corner of the room. Nicholas thanked her. At least they had a booth with some privacy. Many of the tables were rather close together.

He took a seat across from Kyo, then opened his menu to the lunch specials.

Just as he had thought. Everything was distinctly Chinese American. Still, he didn't think that the food could be all that bad. This place seemed rather pretty expensive--a thought justified by the prices of some of the skimpiest dishes on the lunch menu. Now that they were seated, however, he didn't want to leave, nor did he want to leave without knowing Kyo's feelings first.

He looked up at Kyo and shrugged. "Well...the food isn't really Chinese...But I think it will be good. You want to stay?"

[Kyo Suzuki]

OOC: Permission to Godplay Nicholas!

IC:

Kyo studied the restaurant carefully as they went inside. It certainly was as nice as the outside boasted it to be, and it looked not only very classy, but very traditional, as well.
Well...not that Kyo knew what a traditional Chinese restaurant looked like. He just had his own ideas and the media's misconceptions.

He looked at Nicholas to see if the other boy's face would betray anything, but he was surprised to find that he was more attracted to something else--actually, someone else, Kyo realized, as he turned around.
It was the restaurant's hostess. She was very pretty, and aside from that, she seemed pleasant as well. She was smiling at Nicholas as though the two of them had some kind of private joke between them. Kyo almost laughed. She had Nicholas enthralled.

"How many?"

"Liangge ren, (Two people)", he told her.

Kyo really had to hold his gut to keep from laughing this time. To him, Nicholas looked like he was lost in the land of "love". It was quite funny.

They were led over to a very comfortable table, and Kyo took a seat across from his new friend.

"Well...the food isn't really Chinese...But I think it will be good. You want to stay?"

Kyo shrugged his indifference back. "It does not bother me, Nic-o-san! Anyway, we are here now, no matter, and..." He peered around a pillar by his seat to see the hostess. "...I think you have...what is it called, fatal attraction?"

Nicholas looked surprised, then blushed.

Kyo went on, "That is, you see the big, scary waiter man over there? Hai...he is not so happy that you two immediately get the love connection." Kyo winked and returned to his menu like nothing had happened. The seafood was looking particularly delicious!

[Nicholas Wu]

Nicholas was completely unsuspecting of how Kyo would respond to his question.

Kyo shrugged his indifference back. "It does not bother me, Nic-o-san! Anyway, we are here now, no matter, and..." He peered around a pillar by his seat to see the hostess. "...I think you have...what is it called, fatal attraction?”

At the mention of the hostess, Nicholas was completely taken by surprise. As soon as he read Kyo’s lips and understood what had been said, he began blushing profusely.

Yes, he had thought the waitress was pretty. And perhaps she hadn’t thought he was too bad either. But Nicholas knew he could only look. H e hadn’t been planning to make any moves or anything—he’d never been good at that kind of thing anyway. He opened his mouth to try and explain the situation to Kyo, but the younger boy was still speaking.

Kyo went on, "That is, you see the big, scary waiter man over there? Hai...he is not so happy that you two immediately get the love connection." Kyo winked and returned to his menu like nothing had happened!

Nicholas looked in the direction Kyo had pointed. The younger boy was right. Another Chinese man, about the same age as Nicholas, was glaring at him as he wiped down another table. The other man was of a pretty athletic build, and Nicholas thought he was much better looking than he was. He figured Kyo had the guy figured out pretty well. He thought Nicholas was going to make a move on the hostess.

There’s no need to worry, Nicholas said to himself, She wouldn’t want me anyway.

But, of course, the waiter couldn’t know that. He watched, glaring, as the hostess approached Nicholas’ table. Apparently, she was also going to be Nic and Kyo’s waiter.

“Nimen zhidao yao ma? (Do you two know what you want?)” she asked, smiling in a friendly manner.

Nicholas shook his head. “Bu zhidao, sorry. (Don’t know, sorry.)” He pointed to Kyo. “Ta bu shuo Zhongwen. Women keyi shuo Yingwen, zenmeyang? (He doesn’t speak Chinese. Can we speak English?)”

The young woman stared at Kyo for a moment, then seemed to notice something slightly different about him. She laughed, a bell-like laugh. “Oh, so sorry!” She bowed her head. “I apologize, for this, young sir. I did not realize you weren’t Chinese.” Behind her, Nicholas saw the waiter slamming pairs of chopsticks onto the table he had just washed. He was rather angry.

“So, can I start you off with some tea?” she asked, looking at Nicholas for confirmation.

Nicholas looked at Kyo for his own confirmation, then nodded. “Yes, please. We’ll try to be ready to order by the time you come back.”

The hostess laughed again. “OK, thank you.” She pocketed her notepad and disappeared.

There was a moment’s pause, then Nicholas looked at Kyo.
“Don’t say anything”, he warned, though he was smiling. He realized he had been more talkative than usual with the waitress and figured Kyo had noticed this too. He looked over at the waiter, who was furiously polishing a fork. “I’m afraid that waiter is going to throw a fork at me.”

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo looked back and forth from the waitress to Nicholas, wondering if he should be more embarrassed or more passive about the fact that he had no idea what they were saying. He decided the former, since neither of them gave the impression that his ignorance was anything short of normal. Kyo only felt bad that he was hindering Nicholas from enjoying a nice chat with the waitress in his native language.

The waitress had a very sweet laugh. “Oh, so sorry! I apologize, for this, young sir. I did not realize you weren’t Chinese.”

Kyo shook his head and waved a hand. "It is okay, I am in Chinatown so you may speak in the Chinese language. I will just tell my friend here what I would like, and he can tell you in your beautiful, shared native tongue, hai?" Kyo winked at Nicholas at an angle he was sure the waitress wouldn't catch, then leaned forward across the table, thrusting his menu in Nicholas' face. "This number, please, because my favorite--it is the seaf---wait, no, no...I think another minute need."

“So, can I start you off with some tea?” she asked, looking at Nicholas for confirmation.

Nicholas looked at Kyo for his own confirmation, then nodded. “Yes, please. We’ll try to be ready to order by the time you come back.”

The hostess laughed again. “OK, thank you.” She pocketed her notepad and disappeared.

There was a moment’s pause, then Nicholas looked at Kyo.
“Don’t say anything”, he warned, though he was smiling.

Kyo merely smiled. He figured that was enough.

“I’m afraid that waiter is going to throw a fork at me.”

"You know, Nic-o-san, you could say the mean things about me and I would not know?" Kyo realized he had entirely overlooked Nicholas' words and quickly shook his head. "Iie! Sumimasen! Ano..." He tried to think quick. "If he throws fork, I will dive into the way and protect you. Sumimasen."

There was something of a grand pause, then Kyo turned around to see if what Nicholas had said was true.

Oh yes, it very much was.

The waiter had moved onto a not-quite-so-intimidating butter knife, which was sparkling so brightly from being over-polished that Kyo was almost blinded. His look was semi-comical, assuming he was not actually feeling as murderous as he appeared.

"This is the rough person," Kyo said, turning back around. "What a crazy man. Can I call him that? Crazy man? Not to his face though..." Kyo began playing with his own fork and knife. "Nic-o-san, do you want the laugh? I am very bad with forks and knife."

[Nicholas Wu]

"You know, Nic-o-san, you could say the mean things about me and I would not know?" Kyo realized he had entirely overlooked Nicholas' words and quickly shook his head. "Iie! Sumimasen! Ano..." He tried to think quick. "If he throws fork, I will dive into the way and protect you. Sumimasen."

Nicholas watched as the younger boy turned around to see the waiter for himself. Nicholas saw now that the waiter had moved on to polishing a butter knife, still looking completely angry.

"This is the rough person," Kyo said, turning back around. "What a crazy man. Can I call him that? Crazy man? Not to his face though..." Kyo began playing with his own fork and knife. "Nic-o-san, do you want the laugh? I am very bad with forks and knife."

Nicholas read Kyo's lips and burst out laughing. It seemed Kyo could make him laugh at anything. He was such a funny kid! Nicholas shook his head.

"Don't worry about me Kyo. I can protect myself." He whipped his hands into what he knew was a dragon-style formation. "Kung-fu master!" He chuckled. "Just kidding, of course."

When Kyo made the comment about being bad with a fork and knife, Nicholas at first had no clue what he meant. They had been talking about one thing and his mind didn't make the connection that Kyo had switched topics. Then, he realized that Kyo meant he was bad at eating with the utensils.

Nicholas shrugged. "I can get you chopsticks. It's no trouble. What are you going to get?"

Kyo told him he wanted the Pad Thai dish with shrimp, and Nicholas nodded.

"I don't blame you...the food isn't really...like I said...authentic."

Just as he chose a dish for himself, he saw the waitress approaching, carrying the teapot. She smiled when she saw him look her way.

"Your tea," she said, placing it on the table. She was speaking English, and Nicholas knew it was for Kyo's sake. "All set to order?" she asked as she poured their tea.

Nicholas, completely conscious that he was staring at her and trying not to--even though he usually stared at people to see what they were saying--said quickly, "Ah, yes." He waited respectively until she had finished pouring the tea and pulled out her little notepad again.

He opened the menu and pointed to the "Taste of Thai" section. "My friend would like this--Shrimp Pad Thai." He looked up at Kyo for confirmation, then began flipping through the menu to what he wanted. "I will have this, Amazing Chicken." The meal he had chosen was certainly the farthest from Chinese, but then again, none of the dishes were authentic anyway. This dish sounded good--strips of chicken breast dipped in a light batter and covered in a tangy sauce, "lightly fried to a crisp perfection."

The waitress seemed to think it was funny that Nicholas wasn't ordering a more Chinese-sounding dish, because she smiled. "Alright. I'll try to get those dishes to you ASAP. If you need me, just call me over. I'll be playing hostess while your meals are cooking." She winked at Nicholas and headed back over to the hostess stand at the front of the entrance.

Nicholas watched her leave, unsure if she was flirting with him or not. She seemed to want to talk to him more than she wanted to go back to work. He wanted to talk to her too, but he didn't really know what to say.

Sighing, he turned his gaze away from her and began to pour the tea into Kyo's cup and his own. He looked back to Kyo, who seemed to find this whole thing amusing. "Stop it," he said scoldingly, tossing his napkin at the younger boy when he saw the look on his face. Nic blushed and picked up his cup to sip his tea, trying to think of something else to say to Kyo (because Kyo obviously found Nic's feelings about the girl amusing). But just as he was about to say something, he felt something ice cold pour into his lap. He yelped, spilling his own cup of scalding hot tea all over himself and the table, and nearly jumped out of his seat.

The waiter was standing over the table, holding a now-empty water pitcher. He had somehow missed Nicholas' glass and instead poured the water into his lap. It seemed a strange coincidence that all of the water had landed on Nic.

"Oh, aiya," the waiter said casually, bearing a slight Cantonese accent. He shrugged. "Sorry about that. I seem to have missed the water glass." There was a twisted smirk on his face. He looked over at Kyo and snorted, as if daring the younger boy to do anything.

Nicholas, who was still shocked from the hot tea and cold water, was speechless. He looked up at the waiter with complete confusion and some pain.

At that moment, the waitress came running back. When she saw what had happened, she gasped and grabbed a towel from nearby. It seemed that there was a sudden, comical twist of events, as the waitress bumped the waiter out of the way and dove at Nicholas.

"I'm so sorry!" she wailed, shoving the towel into Nicholas' lap. She tried to rub him down, to dry him off, and Nicholas jumped again. Whether she realized it or not, her actions made him extremely uncomfortable.

"I...uh..." he tried to pull away.

"I'm so sorry!" the waitress said again. This time, she left the towel on his lap. "Please excuse me," she said again, and even bowing a little. "Jack is never usually this clumsy, I'm so sorry for his mistake!"

At these words, Jack immediately looked furious. "Excuse me, Missy? It was my mistake--you don't have to apologize to him for me!"

Missy turned to the waiter. "Well, are you going to apologize? He's my customer, and look what you did to him! Go find yourself another table!"

The two began screaming back and forth, and suddenly Nicholas became very, very embarrassed. He knew for sure now that Jack had done what he'd done on purpose. But he didn't want to stir up trouble. Instead, he said quietly, "It...it's okay..." He shifted in his seat, feeling completely uncomfortable now in his soaked pants. He tried to wipe down the seat with the towel, but it didn't do much.

Missy spun around. "No, it's not okay! I really do apologize! Is there any other dish you want, to make up for this? I can put it on his tab." She motioned angrily to Jack. When the other man heard this, he furiously looked up and gave Nicholas a death glare.

"N-no," Nicholas said quietly, trying to avoid the eyes of the other man. It wasn't his fault that he and Kyo were getting special attention from the waitress now. Jack was the one who had started everything. "It's okay...just...maybe some water please?"

Looking a little startled, Missy stared at him for a moment. Then she turned to Jack. "See? Look how nice he is, not even wanting to take away from my tip! Jerk!" She pushed Jack out of the way and went to get some more water.

Jack watched her leave, then said softly "*ssholes." He gave Nic the finger and slunk away.

When the two were gone, Nicholas sighed and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. He shifted again, trying to find a more comfortable position, but it seemed he couldn't find one.

The waitress, while she was defending Nicholas, seemed to have quite a temper. Even though she had been so friendly before, Nicholas wasn't sure he could handle such a powerful woman. He sighed again. "I wasn't really expecting all that," he said softly.

The waitress returned with another pitcher of water and filled the water glasses of both boys. She then tried to talk a little with Nicholas, continuously apologizing and bashing Jack for his rudeness. But it must have appeared that Nicholas no longer wanted to talk, so eventually she went away. The whole place suddenly had an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Nicholas sat quietly for a while. He let Kyo do most of the talking, unsure of what to say after all the things that had happened in the restaurant. It seemed such a strange coincidence that they would run into someone like Jack. And Missy...well, obviously she wasn't the kind of person he thought she was.

Eventually, their dishes were brought out. Nic's dish was brought out first. Jack was the one to bring their dishes to them. He slammed Nic's dish down in front of him, nearly breaking the chinaware. The glare he gave Nic was definitely a death glare. But he didn't do anything. Instead, he turned around and left.

When he came back with Kyo's dish, he was looking more angry than ever. As he set the dish down in front of the younger boy, he coughed and spat into the food. "Oops. My bad," he said angrily, throwing the plate onto the table. Obviously, he also had a personal vendetta against the younger boy too.

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Don't worry about me Kyo. I can protect myself." He whipped his hands into what he knew was a dragon-style formation. "Kung-fu master!" He chuckled. "Just kidding, of course."

Kyo laughed. "I would believe this, I tell you!" He took a sip from his glass of water.

They talked a bit longer, Kyo gave Nic his order for when the time to actually order the food arrived, and suddenly the waitress was back, looking as pleasant as ever. She had a teapot in hand.

Kyo thanked her when she poured his glass and instantly took a sip from that too, gasping slightly at the hot contents. It didn't bother him too much--he was used to very hot tea and preferred it that way. Better to drink it scorching, he thought, then cold.

Nic gave the waitress their orders.

"Alright," said the waitress, when they were done ordering. I'll try to get those dishes to you ASAP. If you need me, just call me over. I'll be playing hostess while your meals are cooking."

She winked and left the two of them alone. Kyo waited until he was sure she was out of earshot, then winked at Nic. That woman was definitely interested in him. He took another sip from his teacup.

Kyo was enjoying watching a lovestruck Nic. Even more amusing was the fact that he was trying to pour tea into Kyo's already tea-filled cup. The boy didn't say anything, just smirked as tea began to spill over onto the table. How long, he wondered, would it take starry-eyed Nic to realize it? Haha, thought Kyo, maybe this is mean punishment of Nic.

Nic seemed to figure it out for himself, especially when he caught Kyo intently watching him. "Stop it."
Kyo got a napking in the face. He couldn't help laughing into it.

But a second later, his laughter was replaced with a surprised gasp, then yell. Suddenly worried, Kyo tore the napkin away from his face and sat up straight.

"Nic? Nic-o-san, what--?"

But Kyo could tell immediately what had happened once he could see clearly.

"Oh, aiya," the waiter said casually, bearing a slight Cantonese accent. He shrugged. "Sorry about that. I seem to have missed the water glass."

Kyo was the one who gasped now. He looked from one thing to another--first Nic, then the partially wet table, the empty teacup, the now-empty water pitcher, the waiter...What was going on here? Was this waiter actually this jealous of Nic? Couldn't he be fired for such rudeness?
The man looked Kyo's way, as if sensing his indignation and gave him another of his earlier threatening looks.

Kyo found himself looking at Nic again. The other boy looked surprised and in pain.

All of a sudden, the waitress was at the scene. She was uttering all kinds of apologies and patting Nicholas down with a towel. Kyo felt his own face redden. Nic suddenly looked like coming here had been the worst mistake of his life. He was flustered, embarrassed, shocked, and pained all at once. Kyo suddenly felt even worse. He had been the one who'd "magically" suggested coming to this place. And it wasn't even authentic! The only thing this place had to offer was authentic abuse!

Kyo rubbed his eyes and tried not to look Nic's way--it was awkward enough just sitting there and getting glared at by the vengeful waiter. He had no idea what could be done now.

Look, the waiter and the waitress were even bickering with each other now!

Amongst all the yelling, Nic tried to offer some kind of consolation to the waitress, whether he truly meant it or not. As the now proclaimed "Missy" the waitress spun back around to face Nic and attempt to rekindle some admiration from him, Kyo leaned over to the table to offer Nicholas his own, untouched napkin, slipped on the wet table, and sent his fork flying backward over his seat.

Kyo turned around to get it, but found himself facing a wall.
"Honto? I really sent it-ah sailing over this wall?" Kyo shook his head and turned back around. What was the difference? The whole meal was falling apart anyway...

What had he missed?

Kyo turned around just in time to hear "*ssholes" and find a not-very-nice American gesture aimed his and Nic's way. Then the waitress and waiter were gone. Kyo scratched his head. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen now. He looked at Nic as thought the equally-flustered boy could help him figure it out better.

"I wasn't really expecting all that," Nic said softly.

"Watashi mo." Me neither.

When the waitress returned, everything was as awkward as it had been with their last meeting. She gave them some water, but left shortly after when it became obvious that Nicholas had lost all interest in her. And Kyo couldn't blame him. He watched the waitress sulk off to her hostess spot, deciding he was better off not asking her for a new fork just now.

It seemed to take forever before the food was actually brought out. A forever that was prolonged by other guests who had taken particular interest in the two boys who had obviously earned some type of abuse. Kyo made up for the time by making small--significantly small small chat--with Nicholas, and turning one of the wet napkins into a makeshift fan.

When the food was brought out, their beloved waiter was the carrier. Kyo half expected the man to drop their dishes on the way over, yet somehow he made it to the table. Yet, it was obvious "Jack" wasn't over his grudge with the boys just yet. He set Nic's plate down with such force, that pieces of amazing chicken landed all over the table. Kyo actually considered counting the amount to see how much they could deduct from the bill, when it arrived. Yet he didn't expect what happened next.

The waiter returned with Kyo's plate, but right before he put it down in front of the boy, he seemed to need to hack up a lung, right over the food. Kyo watched spittle land in his pad thai and felt himself gag a little.

"Oops. My bad," he said simply.

Kyo just looked at the food for a second. Just...looked at it.
The waiter was admittedly a big man. Kyo wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley. He wouldn't mess with any man that much bigger and rougher looking. But...well...they were in a restaurant, in broad daylight, surrounded by other customers. There had to be something illegal in this country about this whole thing.

Kyo finally mustered the courage to look from his plate, back up to Jack the Waiter. "I am very-ah sorry, Mr. Jack Waiter." He pointed to the gob of spit on one of the pad thai noodles. "I did not order this extra flavor. Please ask the cook to make me a new one, if the trouble is not much."

[Nicholas Wu]

"I am very-ah sorry, Mr. Jack Waiter." He pointed to the gob of spit on one of the pad thai noodles. "I did not order this extra flavor. Please ask the cook to make me a new one, if the trouble is not much."

At the sound of Kyo's voice, the waiter looked as though he were going to explode. He stood still for a moment, his hands balled into fists, a grimace twitching on his face. He looked as though he were ready to knock the Japanese boy out.

Nicholas saw this and thought that perhaps they ought to leave while they could. As much as he disliked being rude in places like this, he and Kyo really did have a reason to leave. And right now, staying was probably going to be much more uncomfortable than leaving would be.

Biting his lip, he looked away from the waiter, reaching down to pull out his wallet. "We'll, uh...we'll just go." He said softly. He set down some money on the table, assuming it was the correct amount for both his dish and Kyo's, if not extra. Either way, he just wanted to get out of there.

He didn't know what Jack thought about it, but he didn't care either. Nodding at Kyo to let the younger boy know they were going, he grabbed up his jacket, slid out of the booth, and began to head towards the door, making sure Kyo was with him.

"I'm really sorry about that, Kyo," he mumbled, keeping his head down and his voice low. He was so intent on avoiding eye contact with others that he nearly walked into Missy, who was standing in front of the door.

"You're...you're leaving?" she asked in Mandarin, a shocked look on her face. It almost seemed like she would cry.

Nicholas was a little surprised by her response.

"Ah, yes..." he said softly, not wanting to just move past her. "Dui bu qi..."

The girl stood quiet for a moment, before biting her lip and giving Nic an annoyed glare. "So that's how it is, then? You're just going to leave?"

Nic nodded. "Well, yeah...But..."

Missy didn't let him finish. Moving aside, she waved him out the door. "You men are all the same. Fine, just go. I don't want to see you here again!"

Nicholas was taken aback by her outburst, but he decided now was the best time to leave, without a word. Putting a hand on Kyo's back, he led the other boy forward. "Come on, Kyo," he said, avoiding Missy's gaze. Boy, did it seem like people really had issues lately. Even his own people...

It felt good to go back into the bright daylight, though. The restaurant had felt so cheap and uncomfortable after a while, and even if they had not eaten, it still felt good to be outside. Although Nicholas was sure they were going to have to find some place to eat.

"I really, really do apologize, Kyo. I'm so sorry you had to see that." Nicholas felt like smacking himself, thinking about what had just gone on in that restaurant. He wrinkled his forehead in distress. "But if it's any consolation, you handled it really well...I mean..." He sighed. What was he saying? Kyo shouldn't have had to handle anything. Not just to go and eat a lunch.

"Maybe we can find another place," Nic added, looking around quickly and hoping to find something better. Anything to get them away from the Sesame Inn.

ooc: >.< Something awful just happened. I'm writing this at 2AM, so my brain isn't thinking clearly. But by accident, I almost wrote Missy saying to Nicholas "I don't want to see you hear again!" Instead of "here again". Oh gosh, the irony... >.<