The Coffee House.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Tetsuo glanced at Neko, but then quickly shied away. He was too ashamed, as well as afraid of what Neko thought about him. Surely she could see that he wasn't exactly a prince charming, and that he must be some kind of pervert. Well, in a way he was, with all of the fantasizing that he did in his room. Still, he knew that it was just too good to be true. Someone like Neko couldn't care about someone like him. Just because it happened in anime and manga, didn't mean that it happened in real life!

And while he heard Michiko, he didn't reply. How could he? He didn't really understand the situation beyond the one he currently faced: Neko trying to offer him a cookie.

[Mistress Guendolen]

"Good point there. Y'know, it's probably just as well you didn't do it the- erm- other way, seeing as they're cardboard, and one stuck in your mouth'd get soggy really fast, then I'd have to get a new pack, and this one's all settled in for me nice...." Elise shuffled the deck around in her hands. "Now, how did that work, again?..." She tried flipping a card across the back of her hand, and only succeeded in dropping them everywhere.

"You can try it... I mean, they're your cards aren't they? But good luck getting it on the first try, it took me a few weeks of practice to get it down, and another month to master it."

[Teddy]

"It's got somethin' to do with your fingers, inner energy and luck..." Gennosuke grabbed a card and it stuck to the back of his hand, then flipped to the palm of it... Anyone paying very close attention to his hand would see small bursts of flame moving the card across his hand.

[Mistress Guendolen]

"Okay, I guess my luck's been pretty good up until now.... I mean, I've been operating on my own for several months now, at least, and no supernatural being has killed me yet! I guess my fingers aren't any better than anyone else's, though then again, I guess they're not any worse, either...." She took up a card, balanced it on ther back of her hand and tried to flip it, concentrating on the movements required.

[Teddy]

Gennosuke stepped back, going back into his 'I can be a quiet somewhat angsty guy' pose. He watched Elise's attempts and tried to hide his grin.

[Mistress Guendolen]

Elise tried a few more times, by now the tip of her tongue sticking out with concentration. Detecting the silence behind her, she glaced backward and, seeing the grin, gave him a little mock-scowl. "Oh, you're really enjoying this, aren't you? At least I know I'm successfully providing you with entertainment...." Then she stuck out her tongue at him and turned back to what she was doing, now quite determined to succeed at least once. I'll show him I can do it too! First he goes and throws my mind off with talking about that- that other way, and now this? I can do this. I just need to try!

[Teddy]

Gennosuke grinned at her again. "I'm enjoying this almost as much as I'm enjoying the thought of kissing you.." His grin got wider, probably blowing ALL concentration.

[Mistress Guendolen]

Elise jerked, fingers flickering wildly, sending the card she was working with flying into the air; it fluttered back down and landed on top of her head, but she didn't notice. Her face had turned bright red, and her initial gasp of shock had subsided only into short, quick breaths, a sound similar to someone who had just stopped running. "Ga- ah- wha- t-tell me y-you- are you- was that- serious?" Oh, Mom was right- just "having to check" is going to get me someday! No matter what the response, I'm probably all but fall off this chair....

[Teddy]

Gennosuke grinned wider and pulled the card off her head, spinning it around his wrist again. "Well... I miiiiiiiight be serious. I might not be. Guess you'll never find out if you don't get over that breathing problem."

[Mistress Guendolen]

She stared at the card flipping so agilely along his hand, then succumbed to a near-comical scowl. "So now you're making fun of me, huh? I wouldn't have had that 'breathing problem' that you describe so nicely if you hadn't just shocked the living daylights out of me, you know!" C'mon, you idiot, stop blushing! I can just feel it, I just know I look like a beet or something.... It- it was a joke. It had to be!...

[Teddy]

"Shock? What's so shocking about it, really? You should've seen it coming, right? And no, I'm not making fun of you... Just... laughing at your expense."

[Mistress Guendolen]

Elise humphed, still scowling at him. "No, as a matter of fact, I didn't see it coming. So there. And next you'll be saying 'I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing near you.' I hate it when people say that.... It's like they don't take you seriously. Just because I'm young doesn't mean they have the right to laugh at me, you know!"

[Teddy]

"Awww... Y'mean ya don't like me? That hurts a bit." Gennosuke was impossible to read at this point, making it impossible to tell if he was being serious or not.

[Mistress Guendolen]

"I never said that! I've been enjoying talking to you quite a lot, actually...." Rats! I can feel myself blushing again! Stop it, stop it! "But- but- I mean, I don't usually talk about this stuff with boys I've just, you know, just met...."

[Teddy]

"I understand fully and completely Elise... Now, all I need to do is make some cash, and I'll be perfectly fine." Gennosuke yawned and started out of the coffee shop, hands in his pockets.