Valentines Date [Julian]

    "How'd you guess?" Julian responded wryly, daring to laugh himself. Mae's comment fell on deaf ears, however, as the other two were now so immersed in their pointless shout-fest that they barely registered to shuffle forward with the line. Considering how their fights normally went, it was a wonder they could even do that much.

    At the girl's confession, Julian burst out laughing. Oh geez, he should have seen that one coming. "Yeah, we are. I've known him for...God, almost six years now, I think." He met Casper after the divorce, so...twelve plus six...yup, six years and counting. "Thanks for not decking him, though. I wouldn't hear the end of it for the next few days." Although his tone seemed a little exasperated, Julian's features said everything but. Sure, Casper's whining could get a little...trying, at times, but in the end, the blond knew how to make him laugh and keep life interesting. Besides, the "comfort sessions" (as Cas had taken to calling them) were actually pretty fun; it gave them an excuse to stay indoors and just relax, doing or talking about whatever they pleased. On some level, he actually looked forward to them. Julian was, however, broken from these thought at Mae's innocent question. bending down to her level, he whispered to her, "Yup. Just don't tell Trinny that while Cas is around. Trust me, she'll give you the stink eye for a good long while." It was only fair to warn her in advance. Trinny seemed to have some kind of liking for the pinkette so far, and the little girl really didn't have many girl friends; the last thing Julian wanted to see was for Trinny to break off a possible friendship over something so trivial.

    Julian rose one eyebrow and grinned slightly at the girl's flustered expression. // Geez, she's really nervous about this date thing, huh? // He couldn't help but wonder why, though. After all, they hadn't really know each other very long. Was that why she was nervous? Because he was pretty much a stranger? ...Possibly. Or maybe her crush on him ran deeper than he expected. Or she felt awkward after that whole "I'm saving your life with a purple demon at my side" thing. Which was definitely a possibility there. And he couldn't exactly blame her, either.

    "You know..." he began softly, his tone gentle, "this might be date, but you can have fun. It's not illegal, I swear." He grinned at the end of the sentence, his face lighting up. "I promise I'm not gonna bite or get mad at you for anything, so just relax, okay?"

    That said, he'd look up in time to see that their group was getting ready to board. "Hey, Casper, move." He called, reaching out and giving the blond a light shove. Casper immediately stopped the argument, blinking up at the swings with wide eyes before his face broke out in a bright grin.

    "C'mon Trinny, we're going to grab some lucky seats~!" With that the boy took the little girl's hand and, after the two girls in front of him had passed through the gate, he dashed on ahead with Trinny in tow, laughing brightly all the way as he scurried to a particular pair of seats.

    Shaking his head, Julian chuckled before taking Mae's hand and pulling her forwards. "C'mon, let's get some seats close by to them." Knowing Casper, he grabbed seats 7 and 8. So...the other was already taken...That meant they'd be grabbing 9 and 10. Arriving at the pair of swings just in front of Trinny and Casper, Julian watched for a moment as his friend lifted Trinny into the swing (despite her blushing and protests) before focusing on Mae. "Do you want to inside seat or the outer one? The outer one swings out a little more, just so you know."

"Well, I dunno... I just had a hunch, that's all" The girl laughed together with Julian. If this was a common occurence, then it was kinda funny, although Mae could see how these two could get annoying at times.

"6 years? Oh, dang. That's a long time. You two must be rather close then, eh? How did the two of you meet anyway?" 6 years was quite a long time. Mae was what... 13 by that point? Well, she might've just turned 13 considering her birthday was on the 27th of January, which lead Mae to ask the next question, but before she could even open her mouth, Julian interrupted her. "Well, I would just feel bad afterwards. I'm not a huge fan of violence... He really should try to be a bit more careful. Next time he might not be so lucky." Mae looked at the blond teen in the distance as she spoke before returning her gaze back to Julian. "Speaking of time... When's your birthday?" Sort of a standard question, and Mae didn't know when Julian was born, or heck, even how old he was. She assumed him to be about her age, but, well... Mae was one of the older students at the academy, so anything was possible. "Sure, I'll keep it a secret." Mae nodded in confirmation.

"A-Alright." The girl took a deep breath to calm down her nerves. "Thanks. It's not like me to freak out like this..." Julian was right, she was here mainly to have fun. She really needed to take a breather and calm herself down. It was just the first date after all, why was she so nervous about it anyway? It wasn't like they were going to kiss or anything like that. It would just be awkward and weird. "Now then, let's go have some fun!" The girl grinned at Julian. "I feel more confident now. So, let's get going! We don't want to keep Trinny and Casper waiting for us!"

"Hm... I can take either or, honestly. But if I'm the one who's picking... I guess I'll take the inside one, just to be safe." Mae giggled when she saw Trinny's wild protests against Casper picking her up. Those two really were adorable at times. Moments before the ride was about to start, Mae looked at Julian with a smile.

    "We met in California, at an arcade." A slight smile appeared on his face at the thought. He'd been asked that question so many times that it kept the memory of how the two became such fast friends fresh in his mind. True, they had met in an arcade, although not under the circumstances one would expect. Actually, the first time he'd run into Casper, the blond had been about to get roled into a Skeeball machine. While he should probably look back on that with concern and sympathy (and make no mistake, a small part of him did), he couldn't help but find that particular time funny. Casper, instead of crying or begging or cursing, had just kept making wise cracks and generally pissing off the guys who were a good foot and a half taller than he was at the time. That alone had made Julian stop, and he opted to actually intervene when he noticed the smaller boy's hand inching towards one of the balls near his head. One thing led to another after that, and...well, here they were, six years later. Mae's next comment just fit so perfectly into that recollection that he couldn't help but laugh. Oh, if she only knew how much trouble that guy could get himself into...

    Oh, new question. "October 30, day before Halloween." he responded easily with a smile. "Yours?"

    Since Mae made her decision, Julian nodded and watched as she took a seat. "Need any help?" he'd question. The restraints were pretty simple, but there was no harm in asking. If she said yes, he'd slide her lap bar down and lock it in place before pointing out the seat belt and allowing her to fasten it herself. If she said no, he'd nod and back off.  Either way, once Mae was situated, he'd slide the lap bar up the chains of the swing before sitting down and pulling the bar down again. Then came the seat belt, which he clicked into place easily. After that, it was only a matter of waiting for the attendant to come around and make sure everything was ready to go and everyone secure before the ride began.

    Julian turned to Mae as she spoke, giving her a wide grin that lit up his face. "Yeah. You?"

    It wouldn't be long until the boy running the ride announced an "all clear" on a hidden intercom and the machinery above them began to whir. The ride began slowly at first, just spinning them gently at ground-level. For a few seconds, Julian had to lift his legs just a little so his converse wouldn't scrape the ground in that awkward rat-a-tat way that made him internally squirm. That didn't last long, however. Shouts of surprise and screams of shock chorused all around them as the swing began to ascend, lifting them higher and higher until they were twirling high above the park, able to see practically every inch of the enormous place from their bird's-eye-view. Julian distinctly heard Casper's cry of delight, and he could just picture the teen throwing his arms up high in the air and swinging his legs in a manner befitting his childish appearance. The teen himself just smiled, appreciating the view.

    All too soon, the ride was over, and Julian was undoing the restraints on his seat when Trinny walked up, resting her arms on the back of Mae's seat. "Where to next?"

"At an arcade, huh?" Mae looked between the two teens. There was probably a bit more to it. There always was something else... It would be fun to see some of my friends from Japan visiting here. But eh, I dunno how well they would get around here. None of them are good with the english language. Hehe, I used to help them out all the time during english class. It was always something they did not quite understand, so when problems popped up, they turned to me." Mae shrugged. It had actually brought her closer to her friends in Japan somewhat. "I don't think I'll ever forget the day I told them that I was going to a new school abroad. Needless to say, they freaked out, saying things like "No, don't go! What about us?" And "You're just doing this to score with some foreigner, aren'tcha?". Of course, they were only messing around with me. They knew my reasons why, and took it rather well, all things considered, after calming down that is." The girl couldn't help but chuckle at it. "So, how did your friends react when you broke the news?" The curiosity in her voice was obvious. The more she learned about Julian, the better, right?

"Ah, right at the end of October. I see. I'm born on January 27th. So I guess you're 9 months older than me. Ehehehe..." Mae smiled sheepishly. So she wasn't the oldest Junior. Good to know. Looking at her, it was very difficult to guess her actual age, due to her short height, clocking in at 5'3", which was something Mae had struggled with for a long time. Poking fun at Mae's height (or anything else about her physical appearance for that matter) was mostly followed by a stomp on their toes or something. She rarely resorted to physical violence, but sometimes people could really tick her off if they knew what buttons to push.

Mae shook her head at Julian's question, smiling. "No, I'm okay. Thanks for asking though." It wasn't all that complicated, but it was still really nice of him to ask. He was a really nice guy. Some girls might say "too nice", but Mae was rather fond of it. The guys back in Japan had been so rude. Some of them even stretched themselves into the "asshole/creep" territory. This was such a nice change.

"Mhm!" The girl nodded. "This is gonna be so much fun!" And with that said, they were off. The sight was positively breathtaking. Mae just looked at the scene laid before her eyes with amazement. "It's... Beautiful." Mae was completely taken by the view. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She looked at Julian, her hair blowing in the wind gracefully. "T-Thank you."

Trinny's head popped out right above Mae's seat. "I don't know! Ask Julian, he knows this stuff, Not me!" The girl smiled back at Trinny. She truly was a kid still.

    Broke the-? ...Oh, she meant when he moved! ...Geez, that felt like ages ago. "Mostly a lot of hugs and promises to visit and such. Y'know, all that kind of stuff." he laughed a little at the memories of his little group of friends. Casper was the one he was extremely close to, but there were a few others he hung around. Deborah, for one. Dave and his girl Sunny. And there was of course Tanner. About the last thing he could really remember them all doing was being idiots at the local arcade, acting like little kids, drawing stares from children and laughter from the college guys who ran the place. Fun times.

    After hearing Mae's response, Trinny turned her gaze to Julian and raised one eyebrow expectantly. "Well? I won't be young forever."

    "Cool it Trin." he chuckled, lifting himself out of the seat. "We don't need to rush."

    "I beg to differ."

    "I thought you hated constellations, Trinny!" Casper chimed in, blue eyes wide as he peered at the girl's face. Trinny stared at him for a moment, seemingly frozen...

    Until her hand shot out and she whapped the teen upside the head. "Differ you fool, not dipper."

    The blonde let out a little whimper and held his head with both hands gingerly, his bottom lip quivering slightly. "G-geez, Trin, why are you so mean to me?" He turned to Julian and tugged at his arm, whinging slightly. "Psyyyyyy, control your coussiiiinnnn!"

    "And I should do so why again...?"

    "'Cause then I'll be your best friend!"

    The dark haired teen fixed Casper with a very unimpressed look. Casper in turn held up his puppy-dog eyed look--which, Julian had to admit, the guy had perfected. But he was immune to those tricks by now, and Cas knew it. In no time at all, Casper sighed and smiled widely, taking both Trinny and Mae's hands. "C'mon, ladies! I know a lovely little ride that we can all go on! 'Course, if you don't mind, that is, Candy?" It only took a second for Julian to figure out that Casper was talking to Mae, and even less time for him to deduce where he'd gotten the nickname from. // 'Candy', 'cotton candy'...cute, Cas. //

"Ah. Well, glad it went well for you. I'm not sure if any of my friends will come visit... Maybe Ayane would. We're pretty close, since we basically grew up together at the orphanage. She got adopted around the same time as I did. We talk to eachother a lot every week." Ah, Ayane. She had been Mae's close friend for the vast majority of their lives. They went to the same school, hung out with the same people. Yeah, they were almost inseparable. Until Mae had to move that is. Ayane understood Mae's reason, and supported her all the way. And Mae would've done the same for her in that situation. "She said she might be able to visit me next month. Sure, she's only going to be here for abooout... 3 days... I think? But it's gonna be alot of fun! I'll make sure you get to meet her atleast once before she leaves. I'm really stoked about this, if you couldn't tell!"

Mae giggled when she saw Trinny and Casper bicker. "Geez, Trinny. Wasn't that a little bit un-called for?" she said, chuckling. "Now then, where to g-Wh-what are yo-?!" Mae looked at Casper when he took her hand. "C-Candy?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. What was it with people giving her nicknames? First Top-Cat calls her Sunshine and now Candy? What was so wrong with just Mae? And before she knew it, Casper had dragged them off towards the next attraction. "Y-you can let go now... I'm on a date with JULIAN after all, not you. Hmph." She looked away from him. "Is he always like this?" She pointed at Casper with her thumb over her shoulder, carrying a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

    A pained wince flashed across the blonde's face. "Geeeez, Candy, you sure know where to hit where it hurts! You don't gotta remind me that SOMEONE gets all the luck 'round here!" Casper looked over his shoulder and shot Julian a glare, to which the dark-haired teen merely grinned and waved at. "Suuuure, laugh it up, buddy. Laugh as your bestie wallows in the bachelor life. All alone. Cold. Sad. Waaaasting away-"

    A firm kick to the back of his shin (courtesy of Trinny) made him shut up with a startled yelp.

    "I want a pony." the girl stated lowly, dragging the short boy forwards at a brisk pace towards the carousel nearby. Seeing as how Casper had dropped Mae's hand in shock at the blow he'd received, it was now the two of them once more.

    "In short? Yeah." Julian responded simply, giving Mae a grin. "He's a little insane, I know, but he's got a lot of good points. It all balances in the end." Really, the guy was talented in a lot of things. And he'd proven himself to be a reliable friend dozens of times in the past. As crazy as it might seem, Julian had no qualms about trusting Casper with anything. Hence why Casper actually knew about all the madness he'd gotten involved with in the past few months: the personas, the worlds, all of it. And like the good friend he was, Casper didn't call him insane. He just took it all in, believed him, offered support and suggestions about the next move Julian should take. And, even more amazing, Casper didn't tell a soul. Trustworthy, intelligent, and fun. What more could he honestly need in a best friend?

   "C'mon, those two are going to start yelling at each other if we don't hurry on over." with a light chuckle Julian offered MAe his hand before walking over to the merry-go-round and joining his friend and cousin in line.

    "Ah, Mae." Trinny binked up with her large red eyes, tilting her head. "Which steed shall you be choosing today?"

    "Obviously the pink cat. It's all cute and stuff; they match!"

    "I did not ask for your opinion, you."

    "Hey-!"

    Julian withheld a slight sigh as the two's voices rose. Here they go again...

"Pff, you're not getting out of there with that attitude." Mae chuckled at Casper. "And, is it really luck?" That may be true. For the pinkette it had been love at first sight, but who knows... Maybe it was just Julian's luck? No, that couldn't be it... Maybe it was just luck that caused Mae to meet him in the first place? "And don't worry, Casper. A certain someone I know would be all over you... Trust me." An interesting thought. Casper and Ayane ending up together. It wasn't too farfetched honestly, but... that's assuming Cas could even handle Ayane's... spunk. That girl was a hassle to deal with sometimes, but she's still one of Mae's best friends. Trinny Might not like it that much though...

"Well, everyone have their ups and downs. As you may have noticed... I get easily flustered..." Painfully obvious... Nice job Mae... "Ayane can be a bit much for people to deal with. But once you get to know her well, she's really sweet. She has this uncanny ability of scaring away guys due to how pushy she is. She never gives up though. Which is a good thing... If she didn't constantly flirt with guys every single second... I dunno if she finds it funny, or if it's just an act out of desperation... It could honestly be both." Mae chuckled. "She's hopeless sometimes! But she's really nice and understanding. I haven't told her anything about the incident... but I did tell her about you though. And... Well, she's happy for me of course. She did ask me alot of details though. Like... Bombarding me with them. It's fine though. She only means well."

"Yeah. Let's not keep em waiting." Mae nodded. Seemed like a wise decision to avoid a potential battle to the death between Casper and Trinny. Because lord knows, they would be at eachothers throats if left alone long enough... She looked at Julian. "What do you think? Which one should I take?"

    "Hm...well, Cas has a point about the cat. You two do match." Smiling a little, he pointed to a pair of ornate horse decked out in plaster ribbons and gaudy roses. "That one's usually what everyone flocks to, though. But one of them-"

    Before Julian could finish his sentence, the attendant had already opened the gate to allow them to board, and Casper had grabbed his hand and surged forwards. Despite how much she'd been chewing him out earlier, Trinny followed his lead, snatching Mae's hand and tugging her along as she followed the boys. "Ride with me?" she called over her shoulder, pointing excitedly to the beautiful horses her cousin had been talking about earlier.

    Casper heard Trinny's calls and brought his friend to a pair of animals situated right behind the horses. "Laaaadies, your steeds await!" with a low bow the blond gestured to the horses.

    Julian shook his head lightly at the two before looking at Mae with a smile. "Trinny, you know I'm on a date, right?"

    "Your point being?"

    "Well, people on dates are supposed to do things together, right?"

    "Ah, I see. Well then...looks like this just became a group date." Trinny kept up her pokerface for a moment before smirking. "I jest, of course." With that she dropped Mae's hand and stomped up to Casper before nonchalantly grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him towards the horses she'd been so focused on.

    Well...that was taken care of. He didn't really expect anything different, though. Those two were usually pretty good about things like this, after all. Julian turned to Mae and offered her a hand. "Need some help getting up or are you good?" If she declined his offer, he'd clamber onto his own animal--a lion, apparently--and wait for the ride to begin. If she asked for help, he'd take her hand in his and steady her while she climbed up or, if she was having difficulty reaching the rather tall steps, he'd stop her with a, "here, let me-" and pick her up by the waist before lifting her onto the seat.

"H-huh?" Mae looked at Trinny confused at first. "W-well, aren't I supposed to go with J-julian?" She glanced at her date for a split second. "Geez..." Why did Trinny have to make things so complicated? Was she jealous that Mae had Julian basically for herself? It sure seemed like it. "Is she jealous?" Mae asked Julian quietly, gesturing towards Trinny. She figured Julian would know, as he was related to Trinny, and the two were pretty close on top of that.

Mae couldn't help but giggle when she saw Trinny dragging away Casper by the collar. "Take it easy with him, Trinny." Mae said in an amused tone. "Poor Casper... I feel sorry for him sometimes." The pinkette shook her head with a smile on her face.

"Now then..." Mae looked at the animal in front of her with a contemplative face... How was she supposed to get up there? She was rather short... It was then she saw Casper helping Trinny up by lifting her (much to the latter's dismay(?)) up. She gave it an honest attempt first, but... she was just too short. Julian had probably noticed her failed attempts at getting up herself. "W-What are you-?!" She felt Julians hands grabbing onto her waist, causing the girls face to positively glow red. Before she could say anything else, Julian hoisted her up in the air, helping her up. "T-thanks..." She whispered meekly, looking at him shyly.

    "?" As Mae began to whisper, Julian bent over slightly so as to hear her better. The question made him want to smile, but he managed to contain himself and instead chuckled softly. "Hardly. I think she wanted to ride with you." Trinny would hardly admit it, but the girl tended to latch onto any of the girls Julian hung around. He'd learned that not too long after Sunny and Deborah joined his little group of friends and the little girl practically hovered over the two and shadowed their every move. It was almost cute, if not a little exasperating at times (especially since Trinny refused to stop, although she vehemently denied she was following either girl). Ah well. Maybe Mae would realize that soon.

    Julian made sure the girl was fully situated on the steed before he let go slowly, ready to catch her just in case she wobbled. "Welcome." A bright grin overcame his features in response to her whisper. She definitely had the cute thing going for her; no wonder Casper had been flirting with her earlier. Satisfied hat she was set, Julian backed off and easily hoisted himself onto his animal side-saddle, looping an arm around the gold bar for balance. In almost no time at all, the carousel started to move in a languid circle, playing a tune Julian could've sworn he heard from a children's movie before. He watched Trinny try and fail to hide a wide, innocent smile and Casper hold his arms at his sides as if he was flying; at least the two knew how to have a good time. Occasionally he'd look over at Mae and give her a smile, making sure she was still enjoying herself.

    A couple of minutes later, the ride came to a halt and Julian easily slid off his perch, calling out, "Stay there, alright? Let me help you." to Mae. He closed the distance between the two of them and helped Mae turn in her seat so she was facing him. "Put your hands here, okay?" He used both hands to tap his shoulders. If she held onto him, at least she'd have something to balance herself on. Once she did so, he'd take her waist again and look up at her with a smile. "Alright, down we go." A moment later and he picked her up and off the animal, backing up slightly before carefully setting her on her feet. "There we are. Having fun yet?" he laughed lightly.

"Really? With me? Oh geez... Now I feel bad." Mae said quietly. "That's really sweet of her though. Hehe, she really is a kid." With a chuckle, Mae looked at the little girl that was currently in the process of being helped up on the ride by Casper. "You know... She does remind me alot of one of my friends back in Japan when she was younger. In fact, the two does share some traits even now." Yeah, Trinny really did remind Mae of how Ayane used to be like as a kid before she got all guy-crazy. Very pushy, demanding, yet kind and sweet when the situation demanded it. "Ah, those were the days. I have to introduce you two sometime. If Ayane ever comes to visit that is. I think you two would get along rather well. She might be... a bit much at first, but once you get to know her a bit better, she's a really nice friend to have." Mae owed alot of favors to that girl. The first two years at high-school back in japan probably would've been the worst part of her life, had it not been for her pigtailed friend.

This ride was quite enjoyable in its own way. It didn't quite tickle Mae's sense of thrill and excitement like the first ride, nor did it strike a sense of wonder and awe like the view from the swing had. Yet there was something undeniably charming about it. The pinkette threw glances at Julian every so often, smiling sheepishly when their eyes occasionally met, but overall, she did look like she was enjoying herself. Of course, Cas and Trinny had fun as well, and Mae couldn't help but smile when she saw the wide grin on the little girl's face. That shopping tour with the little fashionista... With a smile like that, how could Mae not look forward to it? Despite her harsh demeanor from time to time, she really was a sweet, innocent girl inside.

The ride slowed down eventually, and once it had stopped completely, Julian decided to come over to help her down. "O-okay..." Mae nodded as she held onto his shoulders. A moment later, he carried her down in the same fashion as before, with both hands holding onto her waist. "T-Thanks, Julian..." She said meekly, fidgeting in place. "Yes I am..."

    "Good to hear." He lingered in the position just a moment longer for his smile to widen before he dropped his hands from her waist and stood up fully, pointing in the direction of the exit gate. "C'mon, before the next wave of kids tramples us." Of course, he was joking. There weren't quite enough kids to get crushed by. Still, it couldn't hurt to move quickly, especially since he could see Trinny begin to pout a little on the other side of the fence.

    Julian held the gate open for Mae before following her through. Immediately Casper and Trinny turned to them. "I don't know about you, but I'm quite famished." As if accentuating her point, the little girl placed a small hand on her stomach and looked at the three teenagers. "Psych, will you and Candy be joining me or shall we part here?"

    ...Hm...that was a good question. They could do with a water break, in his opinion. After all, they'd been running around for a while. As to the food...hm. He could go for a bite, but what about Mae? He fixed his gaze on the pinkette as he tilted his head slightly to the left. "You hungry or you want to hit a few more rides first?"

    If she said yes, she wanted food, Julian would follow Casper to a nearby food vendor that had tables scattered around.

    If she said no, Julian would smile at his best friend and cousin before giving them a small wave. "We'll catch up with you guys later, alright?" After saying his goodbyes, the pairs would go their separate ways, and the dark-haired teen would look at his date questioningly. "So, what do you want to hit next?"

"Yeah... I am kind of hungry. What do you have in mind?" Mae asked Julian and the others. "I can take pretty much anything, as long as it isn't too out of the ordinary..." She smiled. Mae had never been paticularly stingy when it came to food, unlike Ayane. "I dunno what we have here, so pick someplace nice, okay?" And it didn't take Casper very long to find a place to eat. She stood in line together with the rest, standing next to Julian. "I'll have whatever you pick. It's easier that way, as I usually have a tough time deciding what to pick..."

After getting their food, it was time to pick tables. Most of them were already occupied... Mae eventually spotted an unoccupied table, pointing at it with her left index finger. "That looks good, right?" Maybe she would even get an opportunity to ask about what had happened earlier that week... If a good opportunity arose, that is.

    Since the line was so short, the group was served rather quickly. Casper was the one to step up and slap a fifty dollar bill on the counter. "Can I have..." He quickly ordered four different sandwiches and four drinks (the latter he asked Mae what she wanted before ordering) which the cashier took out of a nearby refrigerator and handed to him. The blonde, in turn, passed out the food while the cashier made change. "Turkey and cheese and water for Trinny, ham and cheese for Candy, and the no-fun-stuff for Psy."

    "Vegetables are good, Cas. Maybe you should try eating them someday." Julian snorted slightly, shifting the food in his hands slightly. // Now, where to sit... // Oh, seems like Mae already had that covered. After giving her a smile and a, "Good eye.", he walked over, setting his food down and pulling out a chair for Mae. After she was seated, he glanced at the table and frowned slightly. Three chairs...yeah, they needed four. Were there any unoccupied tables that had an extra seat? He could go grab one right-

    "Psy." the little girl cut off his train of thought. Do you mind if I leave you be for this dining experience? There's someone from school I'd like to speak to. Using both hands (which were full with food), she pointed at a table on the other end of the area where two little girls and an older couple were giggling. "I promise to find you the moment we are done conversing."

    Hm...well, he could keep an eye on her form here. And Trinny had enough sense not to wander off on her own. Not to mention this would actually work quite well. Maybe now he could ask Mae about what happened to her those few days ago. Maybe she could tell him how she got in there in the first place, or offer something useful. "Sure. We'll be right here, so just come back when you're done." Trinny nodded shortly and hurried off just as Casper came over and plonked himself down in one of the last two remaining chairs.

    "Dunno 'bout you, but I'm starved." the blonde sighed, unwrapping his sandwich and taking a huge bite. After chewing and swallowing, he uncapped his Dr. Pepper and took a sip, leaning back in his chair as he did so.

    Julian shrugged lightly and uncapped his own water, taking a few swallows before unwrapping his sandwich. So, how to break into the topic of personas and whatnot... "You seem better since I saw you last." he commented nonchalantly, giving the girl a soft smile. "You feeling okay?""