It's On The House [Rita/Kenichi]

Rita looked at Kenichi momentarily, pondered, and rolled her shoulders. May as well get it off her chest:

"Eh, I got nuffin' to hide. Since I swing both ways, I'll tell ya the woman's name was Kegare, n' she was a fine lady like myself. Ran a "business" and seemed pretty strong-willed and had a grip on things. Maybe I put way too much into her and was projecting my own feelings of needing someone to help me, but it felt right at the time, and I think I just came on way too strong. Lookin' back, I feel like a dork for lack of a better world, but you live, and ya learn, huh?"

Well, that was certainly a mouthful. So much so that the woman needed to take a moment to pause, relax herself and take another hard sip of her margaritas that was being filled up by a waiter nearby. After tipping him some money, she let the alcoholic beverage mix with her joint to let that sweet, sweet cross-high hit and relax her inhibitions before continuing the conversation.

"I'mma keep it real with you, Kennie: I'm a woman that's been focus on my business, my workers, my power, and all that other boring bullshit no one wants to hear about that for so long I lost my grip on some people. So hell, I've just been doing soul searching, and I think it was for the best to figure myself out more before attaching myself to a relationship."

Nodding, she then held her teal gaze on him.

"Does that make sense?"

Kenichi listened to Rita's words with focused silence, slowly chewing away at the second burrito that had been served alongside the woman enjoying her growing number of drinks. To be quite honest, Kenichi could relate to being unable to develop a proper grasp of the way people operated and how easy it was to miss the ideal moment to strike, or even to fall flat on your face. According to her, life had been so busy that the prospect of romance seemed a tricky venture to begin with, and thus it came as no surprise that perhaps she misread the room when it came to this Kegare woman.

Despite the way he tended to pursue looking for his ideal woman, he could certainly acknowledge the importance of what it meant to find oneself before attaching themself to a significant other. He wondered if he was truly prepared to be in a relationship, and what it ultimately required - commitment, in both time, mind, and soul. Was he ready to compromise his freedom a bit? To pursue a woman as boldly as he proclaimed at times?

"I get what ya mean, Rita, that makes a lot of sense," he commented through his chews, nodding his head as he settled against the chair. Setting the half-eaten burrito down so he could speak properly, Kenichi leaned upward, gazing toward the sun before that genuine hazel brown gaze settled onto Rita.

"For one, you gotta take some losses along the way until ya start winning. Romance isn't like combat by any stretch of the imagination, but that's sort of how I've treated everything in my life. A neverending battle between myself and this large expanse we call earth, or the living realm if you want to get a little technical. Sometimes, you have to fall flat on your face, and once ya' learn how to fall, you learn to how to be a little better through each experience."

Kenichi would offer his fist forward, motioning to fist bump the woman as he continued.

"And there's nothing wrong with soul searching until you're ready to explore your affections with anyone else. I commend you for your bravery. I'll be honest, I've experienced my fair share of rejection and strikeouts. Then again, I'm still holding out for that ideal woman. One who can share in my glory and be my equal, either through sheer will or strength, and possibly even both. It's definitely a process, I'll say that much."

Nodding, that analogy made sense to Rita as Kenichi talking about the ups and downs of romance made sense. Like anything else, learning to love is a skill, and any skill takes time to develop, blossom and grow into something useful. And given the fact Rita had never really bothered to open her heart up to anyone, it's natural she'd struggle with such a thing in her mind. Lust came easy to the woman as there were other men and women she fancied at times, but affection was always something so distant, and it was something to work on.

"You aren't wrong, Kennie. Shit, I fucked up by barely gettin' any romantical-type experiences growing into the woman I am. I know I'm sexy and all that bullshit, but after awhile, you realize lust ain't love, and then you are left wondering how the fuck you even love someone without turning into a mess."

After snorting in response to speaking her feelings without care, the woman then took another hard sip of her drink and continued.

"And you have the right idea. I guess a relationship is growing with someone, learning with them, and growing as a couple. Shit takes time and patience, but ya have a better head on your shoulders than you give yourself credit for to be able to be patient with strikeouts. I got fucking depressed, but I never blamed it on her and just tried to fix myself."

Taking a look at the setting sun, Rita nodded.

"Only thing ya can really do is take accountability, analyze the situation, and then make the next one better. And I'm sure you will do the same as you are nice, considerate and stick your necks out for people, and are pretty strong. Women like that kind of shit if you can find someone who ain't a bitch, Kennie."

Kenichi chuckled softly at that the compliments layered within her point of view regarding relationships. He never particularly viewed himself as the impatient type, fully aware of the patience attaining a relationship acquired, equally mindful of the difficulties along the way. He acknowledged the role he currently played in life, and simply ran with the blows. Him likening all of this to combat was a fitting comparison, and with his bold personality, he simply didn't have the time to reflect on misfortune.

His philosophy had always been this - to pursue one's dreams, to overcome that difficult peak, and keep pressing ever onward until one reached the conclusion they sought in life. If that conclusion featured a special someone? Even better. Rita would surely find that special someone, and he'd be there to support her every step of the way. He was her boss, yes, yet that hardly meant he needed to stop there. Finishing the remnants of his second burrito, he followed Rita's gaze towards the sky with his own gaze, hazel eyes drinking in the beauty of that luminous orb of light.

"Well, I'm glad you think so highly of my chances in the dating world, but don't count yourself out either, Rita. You're a fine woman. Full of moxy, full of flare, and you love to have a good time. In time, I'm sure a man or woman will probably want to settle down with someone like you."

And he certainly meant that.

Rita patted Kenichi's back firmly and laughed with him before speaking.

"Oi, I know I'm one hell of a catch, and so are you. And together, we both make a pair of sexy ass mother fuckers."

After taking a sip from her drink, the woman nodded and continued speaking.

"But it's good to hear that from someone else from time to time, y'know? Keeps your grounded and assured that it ain't just your ego propping you up, bahahhahaha."

Rita then grinned before looking at him and asking a question of her own.

" From the looks of it, we both have more of the world to explore. So why worry about settling down, right? Better to relish the world, date around, have sexy times, and then maybe, if on those adventures, we settle down. After this conversation, the conclusion I have is that you are doing the same, right?"

Rita's brazen declaration elicited a bright grin from the martial artist. Following it up with a burst of laughter, he held his head high with a prideful glint in his eyes. Was it the way he would have worded? Nah, he was far too much of a long-winded dork of a man not to express himself flashily. Even so, her blunt way of expressing it motivated him. She was absolutely correct. He was a good looking man with a good heart. He'd hit a homerun one day, and when he did, he'd go running right back to Rita to tell her the good news. Extending his arm, he'd firmly pat her on the shoulder as he nodded his head with resolve, his expression one of absolute determination.

"Of course, it isn't your ego. I've told you plenty of times how much of a showstopper you are, and your personality is just the cherry on top. Either way, I can't deny your words one bit. This world is indeed ours to explore, and we should appreciate the journey. Explore life to our hearts content, and if we settle down along the way, even better. I'm going to relish everything life has to offer, and I'll make sure you do the same, too, Boss."

"Good, I'm looking forward to the future. I really needed to hear that, Kenichi."

With a light chuckle, the woman felt good to be assured that none of her beliefs were driven by just ego alone. Sometimes it's just nice to hear you are valuable, wanted, and good to be around by people. It's a natural human desire to find people that understand you, connect with you, and build a sense of community. And even if Rita had achieved many things, that sense of her humanity still rang strong in her.

Which is why this little moment they were sharing was nice. Very nice. So nice that Rita leaned her head on Kenichi's shoulder and started sipping more of her drink and getting further relaxed and drowsy. With a quiet yawn, the woman nodded and started to close her teal eyes as she felt the effects of her mary jane and booze beginning to hit her body. It relaxed the woman, eased her tensions, and had her melt into Kenichi momentarily.

"You are a good man, Kenichi. Don't forget that."

And with a gentle pat on his head, Rita giggled and started to feel herself drifting off.

Kenichi sincerely enjoyed the moment as well. From his family, to Vanyel, and Rita especially, he would always be a beacon of support in their time of doubt. He was rarely a man who allowed himself to fall low, to contemplate how he could have avoided failure. His was the path of endless pursuit. Always looking forward, never looking back.

If he was asked to protect, he would protect. If he was asked to care, he would care. The people had now found occupying a central position in his life were irreplaceable, Rita included. Even if he hadn't spent the day with a significant other, this was just as good. Reminding someone of how great they were, of how much they mattered to him, had never ceased to invigorate his spirit. She seemed to be getting drowsy now, relaxing her head against his shoulder, patting his head softly before dozing off ever so slowly. Kenichi sighed softly, a pleasant expression clear against his futures.

It was always nice to know someone recognized you, even if you struggled to recognize yourself. Whether love or friendship, the notion still rung true all the same. Until sleep seized his form as well, he gazed at the setting sun, satisfied with the way his Valentine's day had unfolded. Lovely lady on his shoulder, overlooking the sun in the sky, the smell of weed, and nice scenery on the beach. What more could a guy ask for?