2014-07-28 - Getting To Know You
| Title: Getting To Know You | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Rune invites Ren out one evening. They discuss plans for the future that will hopefully make them better friends. Oh, and there's mention of strawberry cheesecake. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Midori-ya Bakery | |
| OOC - IC Date: 7/28/2014 - 18 February 2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
In the hours after Kinzo's birthday celebration turned into a magical fight, then back into a mostly salvaged party, Rune had time to think that evening. She still had a few hours before she would need to be back at Ohtori, hours that could be spent in any of several ways. Tired but physically unhurt in the battle, she could have plausibly gone patrolling for monsters. She could have studied various advice. Rune could have even just gone back to her dorm to curl up and rest.
None of those ideas really seemed right. Her thoughts flashed back to the haze of the last several days... and then to her first truly clear recollections. Of lots of familiar faces who, even in the face of horrible and obsessive remarks from a princess whose attitude had turned hostile toward them, showed up to help anyway. Then stopped by the hospital afterward. Some of them she could immediately guess why they had done so. There was one person who stuck in her mind though, one she didn't have such a good understanding of.
And so on the evening of the 18th, Rune had done something new. She called (rather than receiving calls from) Ren on her own initiative, sounding much better than she had in previous talks. A few ideas were kicked around, and eventually it was decided to meet at the Midori-ya.
Rune showed up as soon as possible, clad in her modified Ohtori uniform. She's already waiting at a table, and business is slow right now; the place will be closing fairly soon since it's getting into the evening hours. Still, there is no immediate hurry to leave. So Rune sits quietly, just a bit nervous as she tries to take this next step with someone who has been so active in reaching out to her.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Having not too long arrived home herself, Ren set about her usual routine, unwinding from the day's events. She hadn't gotten very far into said routine however before her phone went off. Hmm! Who could that be? A quick inspection revealed the caller to be none other than Runealy Waldia! Ren was reminded then that they had in fact exchanged phone numbers. A smile spread across her face as she answered the call, pleased to have a nice chat with the young princess. The conversation soon turned to a possible meetup, if Ren was free. And with nothing else really on her plate at the moment, she of course accepted, agreeing that Midori-ya would be a fine backdrop for their sudden rendezvous.
It didn't take too long for the high schooler to arrive. Stepping into the mostly empty establishment, she bowed to the clerk before moving on to find Rune already there. Her eyes quickly scan over the younger girl, mind flashing back to her state in the hospital just days before. Of course, she must be just fine if they released her. Still...
"Runealy-san!" Ren greets with a bright wave, sliding into a seat across from her at the table. "It's good to see you feeling better!" Her demeanor is overwhelmingly sincere, not unlike how she was that day in Rune's hospital room.
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
Rune does indeed look much better now. Still tired, but this is 'had a rough day' tired rather than what came about from neglecting her own well-being. Better, but distracted by thoughts. Enough so that Ren's voice jars her back to reality with a startled jolt in her seat! "Huh? Oh, hi!" The wave isn't returned, but only because Ren is already sitting by the time Rune noticed her.
"Thanks! I've been thinking about you a lot lately, you know. About all I know is that you're Nanoha's friend." A few headshakes follow, "And mine too, but I don't even know where to begin! I don't know what you like, what you do, any of that. Would it be okay if I start getting to know you?" <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed. What Rune says is true. She /doesn't/ know much about Ren. And that makes her a bit sad. "I understand. It's more than alright with me." She says in reply, folding her hands in her lap demurely. "We can't be friends if we don't know things about one another." Her smile is still there -- practically beaming at this point. "Umm..."
Yes. Where to begin indeed! She quickly comes up with a reply, however! "I don't know if you know this but..." The ebony-haired teen leans in slowly, face taking on a mysterious glint. "...I'm secretly a magical girl!" She whispers hoarsely. Then, when she can no longer maintain the facade, she lapses into a fit of giggles. Humor is always the best way to kickstart things!
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
Secrets. Conspiracy. Rune leans in to hear Ren's words, primed to learn something sudden and important. Instead, she hears something else entirely and just... leans back, blinking and staring in confusion for a second. "I know, you..." ...are joking around, it turns out. "Oh!" Rune takes the joke in the spirit intended, laughing some too as she comes down from the 'tension high' Ren set up.
"Well, now that I know your deepest secret," Rune plays along with that, "Maybe we can work our way down to the easier stuff?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Yeah. Now that /that's/ out of the way...!" Ren comes down from her giggle high, wiping a few tears away from her eyes. "Sorry. I couldn't resist. My jokes aren't always that good, though." But, she tries, and that has to count for something! "Easier stuff. Right, right."
She pauses for a bit before continuing, "I'm not always the best when it comes to making myself sound interesting to others." Ren admits with a sheepish look. "I'm pretty good at video games. I try to hang out at the arcade every so often to keep my skills up. Some wouldn't find that so admirable, though." Like her parents. Whoops.
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"It's fine!" Rune isn't quite laughing until she cries, but the joke worked well enough at bringing her down to a more relaxed mood. "I wasn't expecting that at all. And don't worry about 'sounding interesting'," Rune's eyes narrow in brief intensity, "You are interesting!"
Then talk of arcades comes up, and some recognition - very warped recognition - flashes on her face. "I've been to those a few times. Keeping your skills up... do you have a special nickname at them? I know someone who's probably the 'Sometimes Invincible Rabbit', and there's an 'Invincible Phoenix' out there too." It might sound ridiculous, but there is no comedy or acting here; Rune is seriously asking if Ren has a heroic name at game centers.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"A special nickname?" Ren repeats. She doesn't. But it's something to consider for the future. She shakes her head. "I'm afraid I don't. And... I haven't run into anyone with one to be honest."
'Sometimes Invincible Rabbit?'
'Invincible Phoenix?'
People sure do come up with odd monikers for themselves.
"We should go sometime. I can show you the ropes, Rune-san. I'm a pretty good teacher! Just expect to be defeated a lot in the beginning. It's a learning experience."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"Huh... that's weird. They were talking about it like it's pretty normal." Whoever 'they' are. Rune doesn't immediately specify. Ren's offer draws her out of thinking on it too hard, as this is much more interesting. "Most of my learning has been through losing. That probably sounds dumb, but it's true. Doing that in something fun sounds... well..."
It takes only a brief thought before Rune realizes: "I'm okay with that. I can even cover the costs on the game cards, and know how to reclai--" No, wrong word. "Recharge them!" She looks inordinately proud of being able to use basic consumer technology.
"What kind of games do you do, though? I noticed there are all kinds. Some are about dancing, others are fighting one other person... some use your strange 'guns', and others let you drive a steel wa--" Another verbal slip, forcefully corrected: "'Automobile', right. And those are just the ones I can make sense of by looking at them. There might be others for all I know! So which ones do you go for?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Rune's acceptance earns a giddy squeal from Ren. Having someone to play video games with is always a sure-fire way to put her up on cloud nine. "Great! We're going to have /so/ much fun, I promise!" She's practically about to hop up out of her seat with excitement. She thankfully manages to remain seated, though.
"You don't have to worry about the costs. It'll be my treat. Really." She nods, listening then as the different genres of games becomes the next topic. "I stick to mostly fighting ones. It's what I'm good at. Though I can branch out to others. My ability will sort of taper off then." But it's no big deal if they're having fun, right? Right!
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"At least let me cover some of it," Rune requests... her tone starting to crack and lose calmness; Ren's energy is creeping in to her mood. "A little way of saying 'thanks'! It's fine if you're not as good at other kinds, I'd like to see what you do in a bunch of them! Sounds like this takes a lot of practice, anyway? You were even talking about dropping by to keep your skills up, after all."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Well... ok." Ren submits, rubbing the back of her neck slightly. "I don't want you to spend all your money there... I've seen it happen to people." She, thankfully, is a lot more cautious. And less prone to loosing horribly at video games. It's a talent. "Yes. Practice. Lots and lots of it. But if you keep at it you'll be suplexing with the best of them in no time."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"Money's not a problem!" Rune digs around a little in a bookbag, eventually producing... a gold coin. "I can't go completely nuts with what I spend since I have a budget to keep, but it's okay if I show friends a good time every now and then! So really, it's fine!"
Then she recalls something else Ren said and deflates, confused. "What's a 'suplex'?" This may betray a certain ignorance. The word isn't completely alien; Rune was able to say it back just fine, but she still looks baffled.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
The gold coint Rune fishes out makes Ren's eyes widen, mouth falling open simultaneously. "Where did you-" Oh. Right. Princess. Duh! Of course she'd have some kind of currency to get by here. "That's /really/ cool, Rune-san." It must be really nice!
And the other girl's cluelessness about what a suplex is earns another giggle from her. "It's a move in fighting games. I'll explain everything in detail when we go to the arcade."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
"Thanks!" Rune stows the coin, though if Ren was looking closely before that happens then she might notice one of its sides depicts a stereotypical knight's shield with a heart symbol in its center. "Okay... a move in games. Got it." Rune starts to say a little more, getting a syllable in before realizing something: "We haven't ordered anything. Did you want to go ahead and get something? I've already paid them as part of reserving this table." ...Not that reserving tables is typical behavior in a family-run bakery, but Rune seems pleased by having gone to this trouble regardless.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Oh?" They... should probably order something... yes. "We can do that! Everything is so good here." She looks towards the counter, half-expecting to see Nanoha come bustling out of the back. She's such a hard-worker! "I think I may get a strawberry cheesecake. It's one of my favorite things to get here. Really though, anything is great..."
<Pose Tracker> Runealy Waldia [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.
Rune can be heard whisper-repeating 'strawberry cheesecake', perhaps committing this to memory. Then more clearly, "Sure! Get two if you want. 'Anything' is great... more like pretty much everything here is! When I first came here, lots of places wouldn't take my money." No surprise; flashing foreign coins at them is likely to make most business-owners think 'uhhh... wait a minute...'.
"Nanoha and the Takamachis, right here, did. There were some days I probably wouldn't have eaten at all if not for them, until I figured out where I could exchange what I had for your local money. Now I make sure to give them business pretty much whenever I can, and if you want to take advantage of that then you go right ahead!" It's an enthusiastic endorsement on the princess' part.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Hearing that story warms Ren's heart even more than it already is. Yes, Nanoha and her family are pretty great. "I know what you mean. They're always smiling when I come here. I can't help but want to give them as much of my business as possible too."
With that being said.... someone comes over to ask them if they want anything. "Two strawberry cheesecakes, please!" Ren orders, taking Rune's suggestion to heart. "Oh! And some tea to go with it would be nice..."
