2014-07-11 - It's Lunchtime
| Title: It's Lunchtime | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Lunchtime at Ohtori should be a time for happy conversations and delicious food! Runealy's bad mood seeks to ruin that - in the name of the bento box, Mikoto Minagi will not forgive you! | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Ohtori Academy Grounds | |
| OOC - IC Date: 10 February 2014 - 7/11/2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Lunchtime at Ohtori is, as usual, a varied affair. It's sunny enough that brave souls are venturing outside, but the vast majority are either partaking of the (admittedly high-class) cafeteria, or going off-campus for their meal. Mai, however, counts herself among the brave today, and is determined to have some company for her lunch.
Mikoto certainly counts as company, right? The table they've claimed is in a quiet part of the grounds, and no one else seems to have sat nearby.
There was barely enough leftover fish from last night's dinner for one helping, and that Mai sent off with Takumi; instead, she's trying something new for this lunch. She's opened up the joint lunch for herself and Mikoto, and has gone so far as to include a few plastic bowls - along with the large bento box, and a full-sized thermos.
"Sorry it isn't much, Mikoto, but I wanted to give this a try anyway. We've got rice, some cold cuts of vegetables, and miso soup - not normally something I put in a bento, but I'm thinking of picking up a couple of small thermoses." Off comes the lid, the contents still steaming; Mai takes a moment to savour the aroma before pouring some into a couple of bowls. "Think it's worth it, or should I stick with what we have been doing?"
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Who would ever NOT go outside? Hell, Mikoto has to be bribed not to hang out in trees instead of going to Maths.
And just for those of you keeping track at home, yes: Mikoto counts. In fact, it's almost like having two people over for lunch -- Mikoto and her good friend Sword von Stabbington, even though Miroku is currently hiding its steel within its case and is making an excellent argument towards its true identity as a set of golf clubs. Luckily, Miroku doesn't eat bentos. Perhaps it prefers other types of food...
"Mai! Like dinner at lunch!", is Mikoto's cheerful response, clapping her hands together as she watches her mealticket unpackify the food. She doesn't seem offset by the strangeness of the new arrangement, sniff-sniffing at the smell of the soup as she watches it poured into bowls. "Looks good, yup!"
That means 'yes', right? Probably.
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
Rune has been acting different in class the last day or two. She shows up, yet looks almost completely unengaged by whatever lessons are being taught; if called upon to answer something, she dead-pans it (and, unusually enough, tends to actually know the answer for once). While the student council and school staff don't get much attitude from her, students with out any special status have: 'move! You're in my way,' and other sharp remarks in the hallways have come up a few times. At the same time, Rune has stopped hiring drivers to bring her something from Midori-ya... something that she usually does either daily, or at least once every three days, almost without fail. She carries no lunch today, thus.
She has also taken to reading from the same book over and over at nearly any opportunity she can get away with it. A book bound in red leather, with no title on it, is in hand as she paces around the outside lunch tables. The book probably isn't familiar to Mikoto, though Mai has seen it before... though it does look several pages thicker than it was last time.
Clad in modified Ohtori uniform and her usual faded red, handmade jacket with gold embroidery (none of this, materials or style, seems local or even modern)... she paces around reading from random pages until she notices the pair.
"Heh." A derisive, haughty noise. Rune is now staring at them. "So that's what you're up to? Well, since you're right here..." Her gaze sweeps from Mikoto, to Mai, back and forth a few times, "Maybe you can tell me about a few things." Not even so much as a 'how do you do' from the princess as she interrupts this meal, uninvited.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Sword von Stabbington - or Miroku, as friends might call him - counts as a third member of the table. Sadly, there is nothing Mai has found that the obsidian blade will eat - but perhaps that's for the best. Still, Mai's human companion is willing to dine, and her enthusiasm is infectious; Mai can't help but grin to herself. "Well, it's just the usual recipe, but it's nice having something hot for a change..."
Soup is in bowls, and Mai is just handing one over to Mikoto when Runealy makes herself known. The orange-haired girl is caught off-guard by the arrival - she's used to Rune approaching quietly - but she tries to recover quickly. "Well, it is lunch hour, and we all have to eat - have a seat, Rune-chan. Is there some kind of problem?"
Almost instinctively, Mai starts rummaging. She's pretty sure she included a couple of spare bowls, just in case, and it doesn't look like Runealy has a pastry today...
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
"Mai soup is good!", Mikoto corrects her companion, as she tries to pass it off as the 'usual recipe'. The usual recipe is /good/. More of the usual recipe!
Unfortunately, before she can start wolfing it down, she hears footsteps ceasing near them and looks up, nigh-automatically. When she's greeted with such a derisive noise, it puts Mikoto on edge; she clutches her bowl a little tighter, lowering it down on the table nearer her person. (This is her soup and you're not allowed to have it.)
"It's lunch," she echoes Mai, though Mikoto sounds much more ruffled. "We're eating now."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
Rune repeats Mai's words with some surprise, incredulous. "A problem?" Then, more confidently: "You know, when you put it like that... there is, and I'll get to it." She notices Mikoto protecting the bowl, looking down upon it twice over. Physically with her eyes, and emotionally with disdain plain to see on Rune's face. "Or should I say you just brought the problem up. 'It's lunch.' That's what you're doing here and now."
Notably, Rune isn't sitting despite the invitation to do so. Instead, she nods to Mikoto and Mai in turn to indicate they're both being asked this question, "Where did you get your abilities? Fire, swords, Kagutsuchi... any of it."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Mai suppresses an exasperated sigh. Mikoto's so defensive of her food, like she's some wild stray cat. Which frankly she kind of is, but Mai can make more food! It's not that big a problem. At least she isn't chasing Chuchu today... She does, however, stop her rummaging when Runealy doesn't sit. Is she not hungry, then?...
...and isn't that a knotty question? Mai looks to Mikoto, hoping the other girl will have a better answer, then turns back to Runealy. "I think I've already told you most of what I know - which isn't much. Honestly, I'm not sure. It just...came up." Memories of a wall and a sword come to mind, but that's not a topic she wants to bring up during lunch. Or, honestly, ever. "At least, that's the case for me - things got crazy, and the fire kind of...happened."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
"Lunch isn't problem," Mikoto protests. "It's lunch time." But, apparently, this person isn't going to take that for an answer.
Even if Mai likes her, right now, Runealy is giving Mikoto some terribly bad feelings. She returns Mai's glance, and the suspicion in her eyes might be a little worrying, all told. She returns her attention to that strange woman, lips set in a thin line.
"They're ours. That's all."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"It just 'happened', huh?" Rune is not impressed by Mai's history... indeed, she's starting to become openly disdainful toward her senior. "You just got lucky and all of a sudden have fire?"
If Mikoto is getting bad feelings about it, they're justified; Runealy stares at her with an edge of anger. It's calm, but expressed as cold disgust. "They're yours. Great."
"So that's how it is. You have all these advantages, and you /say/ there are things you want to do. There /are/ problems, Mai. You're not doing anything about them, though. Instead of fixing them... just look at yourselves." Perhaps Rune wasn't all that interested in pressing for their histories, as she drops the question.
"You could be solving so many things, and I wish I had what you do! I wouldn't be sitting around here wasting time when I could just solve those problems! History is going to laugh at you, you know. There's so much you could be doing, but here you are telling me..."
Her tone turns mocking, doing an intentionally poor imitation of Mikoto's voice. "'It's lunch. We're eating now.'"
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
What suspicions Mai might have are buried beneath worry and shame, as visible in her eyes as the caution in Mikoto's. She wilts under the condemnation, because Runealy has a good point. She hasn't been doing much - fighting monsters that stand before her, yes, but she doesn't patrol like many of the other magical girls. How hard Eri or Sailor Moon or anyone else works...but Mai's concern has always been for the people she cares about.
But then Runealy mocks Mikoto, and Mai's head snaps back up. The guilt is still there, is always there - but ferocity is burning there. Runealy can say what she wants to Mai, but-
"We have things we're taking care of - and our 'advantages' can't help with those. Unless you think having dragons rampaging through downtown is better than the peace and quiet?" Her voice, starting at a simmer, begins to heat up. She glances to Mikoto, then returns to her direct gaze at Runealy. "And we have to live our lives - so yes. It's lunch. We're eating."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Mikoto's face falls, a little, when she's mocked -- but there's anger there, too, and the anger overwhelms her wounded feelings. Mikoto stands in response to the accusations, raising her voice for the first time. "You're wrong! Mai works very hard and a lot! Mai is doing everything she can!" From the tenseness in her body, to the way one hand hovers nearby Miroku's case -- it's clear she doesn't like what Runealy has to offer.
In the end, it's the fact that Mai's own fire doesn't roar up into an inferno which tugs, however slightly, on Mikoto's leash. Her lips are curled into an angry snarl, but her voice quiets, a little, as she nods in agreement with Mai's statement. "Yeah. So go away."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"Maybe it would be," Rune snaps to Mai when the prospect of Kagutsuchi ripping through Tokyo is brought up. "Or maybe you could find some other use for your precious dragon."
Runealy steps back when Mikoto rises and shouts at her, surprised! She starts to say something back, and tenses up as a hand goes near Miroku; Rune has a fairly good idea what's in the case from having helped fight off various monsters alongside her. That's a threat, and one she takes seriously with one hand raised in front of herself. "Summoning Prin-" ...No, apparently this won't be a fight. Mikoto is dismissing her.
"'Go away'?" Tension fades, replaced by haughtiness that quickly gives way to anger. "I will. You just go right on wasting time with your stupid lunch! /I'm/ going to go learn something, so that I can start picking up the slack! Mine, and both of yours too!"
Rune raises her book again, snapping it open to a random page. Then she makes an abrupt spin and begins stalking off while reading through it with jealous intensity.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Find a use for Kagutsuchi? That would be great, except that normal people don't have uses for landscape-levelling forces of destruction. Mai's fury builds up anew - Runealy should know this, right? Know that she's worried about that power, about the potential for destruction? How could she even suggest letting something like Mai's Child rampage around a city of millions?
That passion cools in an instant, however, as Mikoto tenses, and Runealy gathers power to match. "Mikoto-" Her call for calm cuts off, and she flashes her roommate a relieved smile. Good, that's the right approach, that's how normal people solve things. Not through violence.
Through horribly cutting remarks, perhaps. Runealy's parting words interrupt Mai's reverie, and a hurt gaze follows the princess on her way out. Mai murmurs to herself, though loudly enough that Mikoto might hear. "Why would she...."
Desperate to reclaim the mood - and to prevent Mikoto from tearing after Runealy for vengeance - Mai opens the bento box. Her enthusiasm's far less than it was even a few minutes ago, but there's lunch. Rice and vegetables and miso soup.
Having lunch counts as doing something, right?
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
"Mai isn't wasting time," Mikoto snaps. "Lunch isn't wasting time." She doesn't quite understand what Runealy means about 'slack' -- Mai isn't droopy or anything -- but she /does/ know it's an insult.
At least Mai's wishes for a lunch hour undisturbed by blood restrain Mikoto from going after her. As Runealy stalks off, Mikoto lowers herself back down into her seat. She glares at the woman's retreating form until she's sure she's really leaving.
"... she's strange," Mikoto mutters, almost as if in reply. "Wrong." Whether she means that what Runealy /said/ is wrong, or that /Runealy/ is wrong, is really up to interpretation -- because Mai brings her attention back to the food again, and Mikoto nods as she focuses on that once more. "Mai, don't worry," she says, firm, looking up at her companion. "It really is lunch time!"
