What good's a theme park anyway? [Minori] [Finished]

Lucius laughed in great amusement. He had hoped for a gem of a story from her, and he had gotten his wish. "Oh wow, that's awesome..."

He calmed down from his bout of laughter with a soft chuckle, then looked at Minori as she turned his own question right back at her. Maybe she did have a bit of a spiteful side if you could make her blush. Tch, her blush was cute too. Though the fact her face matched her hair colour was sort of amusing in an odd way.

Lucius grinned, "How mad would you be if I asked for a different question?"

He paused for just a moment before shaking his head. "I'm kidding. Anyway, I don't really get too embarrassed...though I guess one time was somewhat similar to yours. I had this hot math tutor when I was 14, seriously stunning woman. Dull as a wooden board, but then again she was a math tutor so it could have just been the subject...anyway, she was reading me something out of a text book when I asked to go to the bathroom. She gave me permission, I stepped up, tripped on my shoelaces, fell right onto her and...copped a feel, accidentally,"

Despite his chuckle and slight smirk, he was being completely honest. The incident was a complete accident. Pulling a silly stunt like that on purpose wasn't really Lucian's style.

Minori's cheeks gradually inflated with air as he laughed, brows furrowed while she waited for him to stop. She couldn't actually be grumpy since she was the one who had chosen to tell him that story and had fully expected for him to find it funny, but it wasn't until his laughter fade away did her pout disappear with it.

...And then he asked about requesting a different question. Then the pout slowly began to emerge again up until the point where she realized that he was just kidding. Goddamnit, Lucius.

But to be fair, in hindsight, she would have felt pretty bad if he hadn't found her story funny when she found his to be hilarious. Both hands came up to cup around her mouth, but the stream of giggles trickled through the cracks in her fingers anyways. It took her a good moment or two to compose herself, her eyes shining with mirth when she finally looked back up.

"Gosh, that's terrible! Okay, I think we're even on the embarrassing memories front," she grinned, removing the drink from her bag and twisting the cap open. After taking a sip, she perked up.

"Got any fears?"

Lucius had been so caught up in his own amusement, at both his story and Minori's various reactions, that he forgot to ask his question. Thankfully the girl had been savvy enough to pick up his slack, and for that he had to give her a bit of mental commendation.

Fears. Regular fears weren't even a thing for Lucius. Often times he couldn't tell if he was excited beyond belief or terrified when faced with things most people would easily be able to identify as "horrifying". That's why he wasn't afraid to practice parkour on high buildings, or explore forests at night with only one person or even alone, or track down a gang that once picked on a little girl. There was no THING that truly frightened him.

Yet Lucius sobered for a moment, and realized...that he was wrong. There was a possibility that truly, truly made him terrified. The possibility that all of his ventures and searching for things that interested him would fail, and that he would have to face the horrible realization that...

"Nah, nothing. I'm not even kidding when I say that," Lucius replied with his usual smirk. "How about you?"

He lied. He refused to skip the question, to even let her know that there was a fear he wasn't comfortable with sharing. But the truth was that Lucius feared not belonging anywhere. He was afraid he'd never find a goal to want to achieve, a long term goal that is, or a career he'd enjoy working at, or friends he could truly call friends. He was afraid that he'd wind up lost in a world with no answers for him.

Minori was completely silent, regarding Lucius oddly at his answer. Her eyes searched his face, flicking from his eyes, to his smirk, and then back. Something about his demeanor made her a little doubtful about how truthful he was being, but rather than pry, she let her lips curve into an easy smile. "Oh, okay! As for me, hmmm..."

It was an easy one for her. While she did possess a deeply rooted fear, she hardly thought it necessary to bring it up here. After all, her question--and so the one he had essentially directed back to her--had asked for any fears. And she had a couple of them that she wasn't unwilling to share.

"Millipedes," Minori answered solemnly, "Though I don't wasps either. Or hornets." Or anything really anything that stung or bit humans with the exception of bees.

A fear of insects, hm? Sounded pretty standard, if a bit plain, especially for a girl he supposed. Hmm, onto the next question he had to ask. Lucius didn't want the game to go on for TOO long, much as he was enjoying it. After all they still had to go on at least one ride before the park started to close for the night.

"Okay, we each get one last question before we make our way to the rides. Have you ever been in love?" Lucius wasn't sure why he asked this question. It was more tame than embarrassing moments, he thought. He also didn't really care IF Minori had ever been in love or not.

He knew his own answer to this question: definitely not.

She idly wondered what ride they'd be going on when she was caught off-guard by the question. Brows shooting up, she gave him an incredulous look before letting out an awkward laugh. "Well, that was unexpected." Very much so, in fact. However, it wasn't a question that she felt entirely uncomfortable answering.

"I would say no," Minori answered honestly, "I mean, like I said, there was a boy I had a crush on...but that was about the extent of my feelings. Don't think I'd ever call anything that I felt love though." It was a word with such heavy connotations too, so she wasn't one to just throw it out willy-nilly to describe just anyone.

But now it was her turn! "Okay, last question from me! Um..." She trailed off to iseriously think about it, absently swinging the bottled drink in her hand. After a bit of a delay, she hesitantly asked her question, gaze fixated up ahead at the rides.

"What kind of person do you dislike the most?"

Lucius enjoyed the fact that his question caught her so off guard. That was usually something he tried to do from time to time: be spontaneous and unpredictable.

"I dislike boring people. People who are content with their safe lives and have no desire to do anything really interesting or exciting. I don't like people who have always known what they want to do or are going to do with their lives, too. That's so silly...how do you just know what you want to do from the start? People should explore all of their options before making that decision,"

The reality here was that Lucius really did dislike people he thought were boring. As for people who always knew what they wanted to be or do with their lives...he was jealous of them. How were they able to figure it out without even trying when he's spent so much time trying to figure it out for himself.

Ah, either way, their little game was done. He shot Minori a grin before offering her a hand, giving a mocking bow like some gentleman would, "Now, which ride would you like to try out first?"

Boring people, huh? But could those who were content with the direction their lives were going really  be considered "boring"? If anything, she felt like she would sacrifice almost anything if it meant being completely happy with who she was and with the life that she led. Minori felt the urge to ask him more, but she pushed it down in light of the fact that the last question had been promised to be her final one.

But it had been a fun little game while it lasted; she had learned more about Lucius within the day than some of the acquaintances she had known for weeks. She rolled her eyes a little at his bow, but played along by grasping the edges of her dress and dropping down in an exaggerated curtsy before setting her hand on his.

"I have no preference," she answered automatically, hastily amending herself not a second later, "But if you choose the rollercoaster, I might hate you a little." Her fingers tensed, squeezing his hand a little tighter. She wouldn't say no if he picked the rollercoaster, but she would doubtlessly spend the ride with an iron grip on whatever was within the vicinity.

Lucius grinned as the girl took his hand, and he let her see it too. It was a mischievous grin, one that desperately wanted to see her suffer through the roller coaster that she seemed so nervous about.

"Fine, I'll be kind. No roller coaster today," To be honest Lucius wasn't the biggest fan of rides in general. They were supposed to give people a rush but he had never found them to be all THAT exciting. Still, he wasn't about to go pick something slow like a ferris wheel just because the roller coaster was off limits, "But perhaps we'll come back another time, and you can tackle that fear of yours,"

He led Minori through the slowly dwindling masses at the theme park before seeing a ride that involved strapping up in a seat, rising very high, and then plunging back down the ground twice. It seemed to be called "The Drop Zone".

It looked exciting enough, he supposed.

"How about that one, then?" He asked, pointing towards The Drop Zone.

Going a little wide-eyed, her grip on his hand tightened even further upon seeing his grin. For a minute, she genuinely believed that she was about to be sent to loop-de-loop hell.

But then, for what was definitely not the first time this day, Lucius revealed that he wasn't actually going to go through with it. Wondering how she kept falling for his bait and switches, Minori sighed in relief and let her fingers slacken. "You," she informed him, "Are terrible. But yes, maybe...next time...I'll brave the rollercoaster."

She turned to give it a look that read, "unlikely".

"That one looks fine with me!" Apparently heights were no problem for her. Since she was hanging onto him anyways, she decided to take the lead, pulling him towards the ride at a quick pace. Since the line for the ride looked pretty reasonable right now, she wanted to get there sooner than later; that, and she was becoming well aware that it would probably be time to leave soon.

Lucius laughed heartily, "Oh I know I am, lovely," He said with a flirtatious grin. They were holding hands now, so, there really wasn't much point to holding back some of his original intentions anymore.

He let himself be dragged up to the line up for the ride, only because he found her energy amusing as ever, and glanced at a sign that had the ride's requirements. Apparently one needed to be at least five feet tall in order to ride. Lucius then cast a look at Minori. She was taller than that...right? Yeah, she had to be. She wasn't THAT short.

"I'm glad you agreed to this one...it looks like you just about make the requirements, too," He said with a teasing chuckle.

She gave him a deadpan look, and the look dulled even further when he mentioned the height requirements. "Excuse you, not all of us can be tall!" Minori, who was obviously flustered, used her free hand to point up at him, "And besides...I'm 5'3". I don't just make the requirements. Three extra inches of height is a lot, you know."

It was hard to tell who she was trying to convince more: Lucius, or herself. Reconsidering her rule of never wearing heels to an amusement park, she took a step forward whenever the line to the ride moved, swinging their linked hands back and forth like how she used to when she was a child. Apparently she was doing it by habit because she didn't even seem to notice.

With the line being so short and quick, they were next in no time flat. "Hey Lucius?" she piped up suddenly, her voice soft. For a second, it sounded as if she had something genuinely important to say or ask, and then, "What would happen if you were under five feet and went on this ride? Do you think that you'd just get flung off, or what?"

Minori asking the serious questions here.

Hm, evidently Minori didn't even register his flirting because of his own taunting about her height. Self sabotage to the extreme. Still, the way she was swinging their linked hands was only proof he had more chances.

"Oh your height is fine. I've seen shorter woman than you who were fully grown and everything. You're petite, it has it's appeal," He said as he stepped up with her to take a seat. The ride was easy to strap into: you just sat down, pulled the safety device over your head, and clipped your seat belt. He thought on her question as he did this and looked at her.

"That's the belief at least, though the biggest part of it is an age related thing. If you're not a certain height you're likely not old enough to fill the seat properly. Kids under five feet tall are probably not even a hundred pounds, you know? That's where things get dangerous,"

For all he knew what he just said was complete bullshit. But it made sense to him. He hoped it didn't startle her off the ride or anything.

Apparently his reassurance worked because she seemed to settle down some by the time they walked forward to get on the ride. Adjusting everything to make sure that it was nice and tight, Minori very slowly turned to look at Lucius at his answer to her question. There was a moment of pause.

And then another.

"So you're saying that I'm probably going to rocket off and die," she said in a voice that was entirely too calm considering the content of her words. Despite the fact she hadn't had any fear of heights before this, her grip on the safety device tightened, her knuckles going a little white.

"You sure know how to reassure a girl," was all she managed to offer him--along with a flash of a dry smile--before the bell went off.

"Goodness no, Minori. You're above 5 feet and...you're slender, yes but...you're, you know...womanly? You're not anorexic, at any rate. You're not going to fall off..." He said this genuinely, and it was the first time he really struggled speaking to her all day. He gave her a reassuring smile as the ride ascended slowly. The whole point of the right was the drop to the ground, and the ascension was rather slow.

Lucius reached out from his safety bar and gave the girl a tap on the shoulder. He was a hundred percent certain she would be fine. Nothing was going to happen to her on this right and he knew it. Yet she seemed genuinely concerned and...hm, he felt as though he ought to give one last piece of reassurance...

When the ride hit the top, though, Lucius gave Minori a wide grin.

"Or you might. We'll find out soon enough," And with that the ride descended rapidly, Lucius laughing at both the sensation and his own mean joke. Of course again, he knew he'd be fine, so to him this was some harmless teasing to make the ride that much more exciting for her.

The ride would slow and stop just before the bottom, but it almost feels like a free fall until then.