You have to prepare for a fight

[queenscheckmate]

Characters: Kallen and anyone who feels like running into her.
Format: Action or prose, it's your choice!
This log is: Open
Location: Dining hall (before, during, and after)
Summary: After training with Huashi and Kotarou, Kallen decides it's a good idea to eat. Although uh... she decides to pick up a sandwich and can't remember how to eat it.
Warnings: N/A

It's just been a long... a very long day for Kallen. First, she was announced as a Player, then Gino almost damn near passed out on her, and for the finish, training with Huashi mainly so she could get used to the girl's weapon. Kallen had some time ahead of her so she wanted to be prepared. The next day she would spend some time watching some of the other fights.

Kallen looked up at the sky and the sun was fading into the background. She made the decision to head to the dining hall to grab something to eat. She made a mindless choice and picked up a sandwich. Sitting down at a near by table, she stared at her plate and at her food.

Just how was she supposed to eat this?

Comments

RETURN OF THE TEAL DEER.

[warpwhatsir]

Here's a fact about Sulu you may or may not know, Kallen: he doesn't like to let thing stay unfinished.

So when he catches sight of her sitting at the table, staring at her sandwich with all the intensity of a hawk, he bites his lip for a moment, contemplating, before setting his shoulders and making his way over. He's got a salad, himself, and seeing her clearly having some sort of cosmic issue with her lunch is at least a conversation starter.

Another fact: He's having a hard time trying not to be immensely awkward. Handholding aside, there's still that little "I apparently saw you with your shirt off, ha ha will you look at that" memory that likes to pop itself up. He knows it's not real--he knows--but a guy doesn't just forget that kind of thing. But if anything, he wants a professional relationship. Really.

He plops himself down with all the inane grace of a rebellious teenager and says, in the calmest voice he can muster, "Hey." He's done with the avoiding, okay.

\o/!!!

[queenscheckmate]

Kallen almost jumped at the movement, clearly all of her attention was on that sandwich. But when she looked up and saw Sulu, she cast her glance in the other direction.

Believe her, she wanted this. She wanted to speak to him again, she hated them not talking. But-- now was just a bad time. They were both Players, possibly soon to face each other with Kallen's promise dangling in the air. Not to mention the memory of them holding hands pops back into her head.

She nodded and mumbled out a 'hey' of her own. Eye locked on that sandwich though. You have to forgive her for tat.

[warpwhatsir]

This won't do. Sulu's fully aware that them both being Players means that they'll have to fight should they both win their other matches. And he'll have to break his promise. Honestly, he's not sure how he feels about this. Sherlock's his partner this round, maybe he can convince him...

"What are you doing?" he asks curiously, breaking through his own thoughts. "It's not going to bite you." Well. It could. But he highly doubts that'll happen in this time period. Sulu leans forward in his seat, chest against the lip of the table.

[queenscheckmate]

"I just--" She looked up to meet his gaze and then set her eyes on her sandwich. "I can't... remember how to eat it. This... is really stupid isn't it?"

[warpwhatsir]

Something close to a blush settles across his cheeks even though he very clearly fights that. His eyes flick down for a moment, below the table, before they flick back up and he swallows, just barely.

"Oh." A pause. "No. That's not stupid at all."

[queenscheckmate]

She gave him a questioning look... not only to the blush but to his rebuttal. "What makes you say that?"

[warpwhatsir]

"Uh." He leans forward a little again. "Do you... you remember when you said we couldn't remember certain things?" His mouth twitches up into a little, self-deprecating smirk and swivels around in his seat, feet held out. He's wearing socks, his toes poking out from the hem of his pants...

But no shoes.

Nope, those are in his bag. Earlier in the morning he'd gotten frustrated and just stopped trying to put them on, preferring the awkward stares over the hours that could be wasted trying to negotiate with the damn things. Hikaru Sulu does not give up, though, no sir. He just. Delays.

[queenscheckmate]

She head jerked back in surprised for a moment. She had forgotten how to eat a sandwich while he forgot how to put on shoes... or something like that. "I see..."

Kallen sighed. All this tension between them was just silly. She laughed for a moment. "Would you like some help?"

[warpwhatsir]

Not exactly. Rather, he doesn't remember which shoe goes on which foot. Both combinations seem equally right to him. He looks away. Pride is a powerful thing.

"I... would just like to know which shoe goes on which foot. That's all."

[queenscheckmate]

Kallen stood up and walked around to the other side of the table. She took the seat next to Sulu and held out her hand. "Your bag and a pen or marker if you have one on you."

[warpwhatsir]

An eyebrow cocked, Sulu holds out his bag by the strap. "There's a pen in the front pocket."

[queenscheckmate]

She took the bag into her hand and opened it up. Kallen pulled out his shoes along with the pen he mentioned. She flipped them to the underside and wrote a 'L' on the left one and a 'R' on the right one. Then, she handed them to Sulu.

"That should help."

[warpwhatsir]

He can't help but feel like a child as he takes them back, because really. What fully grown man needs someone to write down which shoe goes on which foot? Still, he contemplates the marks for a moment before he slips them on. And now his toes don't hurt, for which he is extremely grateful.

"Thank you," he mutters because, dignity has taken a critical hit.

[queenscheckmate]

"You're--" She got about that far before she realized... what she had done. Of course it has been to help him but it seemed childish now didn't it? He can't remember what shoe goes on what foot, she can't remember how to eat a sandwich or put on a bra. But it's not their fault they don't remember so it can't be childish. Yuki offered to teach her how to put on one. Believe her Sulu, that is more embarrassing.

"You're welcome." A blush fell upon her cheeks as she looked away.

[warpwhatsir]

It's still pretty childish. Regardless, he stretches out his legs once as if to test his shoes out again before he glances over at Kallen's sandwich, sitting their innocently, and then his as of yet untouched salad. He looks over at her.

"Do you like ranch dressing?"

[queenscheckmate]

She set her gaze slightly on him. "I do. Why?"

[warpwhatsir]

He bites his lip again, and then reaches out, catching the lip of her plate between his fingers and switching their plates. He doesn't say a word, just sort of sits there as if awaiting judgment day again.

[queenscheckmate]

She watched as it happened, blue eyes following the plates. She looked at Sulu.

"You sure?"

[warpwhatsir]

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have switched them" His voice is good-natured despite the words.

[queenscheckmate]

He had a point. A small smile and another blush comes to her face as she turned to be in front of her new dinner. "Thanks..."

[warpwhatsir]

He does the same, picking up the bread to peek at what the filling was. "It's no problem."

[queenscheckmate]

"It's ham and cheese with mayo, lettuce, and tomato," she said while he was checking. Kallen picked up the utensils on her plate and began to eat her grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing. Well it's hers now.

She let the silence fill the air for a moment before talking once more.

"I wanted to apologize... about before. I-- didn't realize what I was doing." Ask her if she regrets holding hands with him.