2018-12-05 - TIMELINE 1: Coffee, Macarons and Noodle Incidents
| Title: TIMELINE 1: Coffee, Macarons and Noodle Incidents | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Perhaps ice skating wasn't the brightest idea they could have done, but two friends move past their embarrassment and bond over new plans. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Sapporo Winter City | |
| OOC - IC Date: 12/05/2018 - 12/24/2018 | |
.*********************** Earth - Hokkaido Snowy Island ************************.
- +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Sapporo Winter City +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The largest city in Hokkaido, Sapporo played an important role in
introducing Japan to the world at a key point in its history, when it hosted
the 1972 Winter Olympics. This event helped solidify an already strong
association with winter, and Sapporo's famous Snow Festival, celebrated
every February in Odori Park, invites winter into the city itself, which
transforms its parks and streets into a frosty world of ice palaces and
sculpture.
A dense city with relatively low buildings, Sapporo has a strong service and
tourism industry, and visitors can avail themselves of numerous fine hotels,
performance venues, and restaurants. The latter specialize in fresh seafood
(particularly crab) and gourmet ramen, not to mention Sapporo-brand beer,
whose breweries are located in the area. One such brewery has been turned
into a shopping mall, and others can be visited for tours. When the trip is
over and it's time to return to warmer climes, many visitors bring back a
box or two of local "white sweetheart" chocolate for friends and family.
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
Sapporo is practically sparkling in the midday light of Christmas Eve. The day of romance is just around the corner, and the countless students of the Sister Schools seem determined to enact one hairbrained scheme after another. The city is busy, and making bank on tourist trappings.
Still, even with the crowds it's a beautiful place. Even outside the Ice Palace, the winter decorations are glistening on every corner, and many a shop has its doors open to those willing to browse. There's fashion on display, just ripe for review; there's a hundred and one little ramen shops, selling hot meals on a day that certainly warrants them; the cafes are even busier, home to coffee and chocolate both. It's a beautiful place.
Perhaps wishing she could be more enthusiastic, Marinette nurses a cafe au lait. Not quite to her standard, but it's hot and familiar enough to take the edge off of a...frustrating morning. Testament to her recent adventures are a pair of skates next to her; one recently doffed, the other strangely packed with ice. The girl herself has taken off her scarf and coat, with a cursory effort made to shake the snow off of them...but to sadly little avail.
Warmth and time, that's what it'll take, and she gazes into her coffee a moment longer, warming her hands on the cup. Another sip? Not yet; there's something much more important to do. Looking up, with snow still plastered around the collar of her shirt, red-faced from the chill, she speaks.
"Niramo-chan. I am so, so sorry. It just - " She gestures at the air frantically. "Those swans - and then that poor man selling pineapple-flavoured snow cones - and everything with the toboggan - I swear, I didn't mean for any of that to happen!"
There's a sad drip, as a chunk of ice melts itself off of her scarf beside her.
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
Sapporo isn't nearly as big as Tokyo, despite being the capital of Hokkaido and the biggest source of civilization on the island. But after days of skiing, snowball fights and walks through the woods, it is an oasis for those who have lived in cities for much of their life. After all, there's only so much you can enjoy nature before you start to miss a strong signal on a cell phone.
When Niramo had mentioned trying to learn how to ice skate to Marinette and to check out what Sapporo has to offer so close to the holidays, it seemed like such a great idea! Making fools of themselves as they attempted to balance on thin blades, see the latest fashions that have taken root in northern Japan, perhaps track down a old game and top it all off with glorious hot chocolate. And maybe some freshly-polished experience with skiing will allow Niramo to help out her friend?
That last thought was so untrue, it's not even funny.
Sitting across from Marinette in a small cafe and with a large triple hot chocolate, Niramo wasn't looking like her usual self. Sure, she's still smilling cheerfully and her cheeks rosy from the cold, but there's a few things just slightly off. Her large green scarf was missing, and a sleeve of her poofy red jacket has a sleeve hanging on by only half a dozen threads. Those raven locks of hers also looked rather interesting with a half-melted layer of ice giving Niramo an interesting hairstyle, and was stubbornly resisting all efforts to melt completely.
At least hot chocolate always makes things better, despite the odds!
Marinette was trying to hard to shift all the blame to herself, and there was no way Niramo was going to let her friend take all the blame. After all, two can play the blame game! "I know it wasn't, Marinette-chan, and...it's not like I really helped all that much." Those cheeks turn a shade pinker with something besides the cold as the Juuban girl stares down into her chocolate. "I mean, there was those carolers...and the light display. And my scarf didn't really help matters either..."
Breaking out into an embarrased giggle that was quieted with a sip of just-too-warm manna of the gods, Niramo looks up at Marinette and tries her best to flash a comforting smile. "Besides, I think that snow flake looks better as an ice bank!"
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
"That poor, poor scarf...it didn't deserve any of what we did to it." Despite the mourning, Marinette can't help but giggle when Niramo does, and sheepishly answers the smile. Relieved of at least one iota of guilt, she takes a sip from her Cafe Au Lait - and then makes a face.
"...I know I told my mother I'd be fine on this trip, but I'm really missing her coffee right now. And her macarons, they'd be a nice treat right now." She lets out a sigh. "Abstract art aside - and I'm with you on that disaster looking a little better than what it was made to be - I do feel bad things went all..." Another flailing, looking for the right word. "Poofy."
Her eyes flicker to Niramo's sleeve, and she frowns for a moment. "We both know your poor scarf can't be saved..." She glances outside, at where flashing lights seem to illuminate the street. "... but I did bring my sewing kit. I think I can patch that sleeve when we get back to the hotel! Probably. After checking out the shops, assuming you're still in the mood for that?"
There's a sudden rush of cold as the doors open to admit a few more would-be adventurers, seeking warmth and hot drinks - but it's just that sudden frigidity to remind everyone that this is Hokkaido and it's still winter outside.
With a shiver, Marinette takes another sip from her coffee. "...or, you know, we could just stay here until we run out of money for more hot chocolate."
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
Inwardly cheering at seeing Marinette break out of her pity party, Niramo manages to stop herself from breaking into a wider grin. While she will miss her scarf, it can always be replaced. Helping someone who needs a little cheering up with worth the price, and when it's a good friend like Marinette, it just makes it better once they can smile again.
Maybe she can get a new one after Christmas? There was always after holiday sales if you know where to look!
Coffee wasn't exactly something the short ravenette enjoyed, but Sabine had quite a way of doctoring up even the most bitter of coffee and making it tolerable. It's not just the taste that Marinette must be missing, but the love and care that goes into it as well. Maybe Niramo isn't the only one a little homesick, even if her parents are not usually able to spend time with her. "I might not be the best when it comes to cooking rice, but if you want some homemade macarons, do you want to try looking for some ingrediants before we head back? Maybe one of the teachers will let me use their kitchenette if I offered a few cookies as well?" A hand moves up to cover her mouth as Niramo tries to recall if she read up on a macaron recipe. Chocolate macadamia nut cookies come to mind, but she might need to look up a recipe...
The movement brings extra tension to the torn sleeve, and a thread snaps under the pressure. The coat itself looks like a lost cause now, but there's no way Niramo can buy a new coat with what tripmoney she has left. "Well, if you think it can be saved, i'm willing to leave it in your capable hands, Marinette-chan. I...think i'll be more likely to stitch my hand to my sleeve if I tried."
The rush of cold air as the door opens causes Niramo to shiver involuntarily, but she shakes her head in the negative, causing her icy hair to shake off a few icicles. "Of course I am! I might not know as much about fashion as you or Yuhira-chan, but I know you'll hate yourself if you pass up this chance. What if you miss that spark of inspiration that leads to the start of a new fashion line?"
A quick sip of the staggeringly chocolate-filled beverage has Niramo humming as it has finally reached the perfect temperature, and her eyes stray over to the crowded front counter. "Well...maybe we could get some hot chocolate before we leave. You know, to keep us warm from the cold?" It sounded like enough of a good reason to get another hot chocolate before they leave...but she just might be a little addicted to the drink.
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
Rubbing her arms for a moment - since her nice cozy coat is currently covered in snow - Marinette frowns at the door. The coffee's at least warm, though - at least there's that to say for it. She's quick to turn back to her friend, though, nodding at the coat. "I'll give it my best shot - I think I can do something! Though I might need to get some extra cloth - waterproof if I can find it, do you think there's a fabric shop around here?"
She's enthusiastic about the sewing project, at least, even if she's fidgeting. "We could probably swing the kitchenette, too...though don't count on me for macaron-making. I can decorate them, but the last time I tried making meringues, it...." The fidgeting increases. "...I might be banned from that kitchen for all time?"
A long quiet after that revelation, during which she just sips her coffee. Without meeting Niramo's gaze, she finally continues. "...but if you want to bake while I sew, then maybe that's a plan. One more round, and then check out the shops?"
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
Reaching over to tug her sleeve back up into position, despite the fact it's a bit of a lost cause at the moment, Niramo looks out at the beautiful day outside the cafe window. Despite the fact that it's below freezing, it's not holding back the tourists in the slightest and was actually encouraging them on. It's just part of coming to Sapparo at this time of year.
"It might take a few stores, but i'm sure we can find a fabric store, but it doesn't need to be waterproof or anything like that. If it can keep my sleeve on and keep me warm at the same time, it's fine with me!" Maybe a long-sleeve coat with built in air conditioning might be a good idea during the summer months, but it's not exactly ideal during this time of the year. But doesn't Yuhira say that fashion is suffering? The world of fashion is a strange one indeed...
The fact that Marinette was banned from cooking whatsoever has Niramo's eyebrows raising in surprise . Doesn't her parents run their own bakery? "I...well, that sounds good to me, actually! Everyone is better at different things." Oh dear, Marinette is fidgetting quite a bit. It couldn't have been that bad, right? The urge to ask what could have possible have gone wrong was on the tip of Niramo's tongue but...well, it looks like her friend was a bit accident prone, if earlier was an example. It's not nice to pry into other's business.
Niramo raises her cup to take another sip, but becomes distraught when nothing comes forth no matter how far she tips it. She couldn't have possible drinked it all already, it just got to the perfect temperature! Letting out a sigh at the thought she would need to wait a little while longer until she refill her cup, Niramo nods in agreement. "Sounds like a good plan to me. The macarons might be a little rough, though. I never tried to make any before, but there's a first time for everything, right?"
Now's a good time to look up a recipe, as long as they're in the city. Maybe the day can end on a good note after all!
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (7)] has posed.
Marinette takes another sip from her coffee, watching Niramo tug on the torn sleeve. Another frown crosses her face, and she puts a hand on her own jacket for a moment - though the cheerful pink parka seems to have endured the battering a little bit better.
"Hopefully we can find a decent selection - I'd like to match the colour if nothing else!" The cheer in her voice doesn't quite match up with her face, and she glances one more time. "On that note - could we trade coats? I still feel bad about the toboggan part - and I'd like to get a better look at the damage anyway. I mean, my coat might be a little damp, but it's in one piece..."
She turns to brush more of the snow and ice off of her coat, slush splatting to the ground in large globs. It's damp, but...at least the inside seems okay? And it's something she can do.
Not like baking.
...getting distracted shouldn't have been that bad, should it? It was just a few minutes on her phone! At least, probably a few, no more than ten, can ten minutes really be that bad for meringue?!
...she doesn't bake often.
"I mean...we can certainly try! I think I might still have the recipe on my phone - if you want to give it a try, we mostly just need...almonds and eggs." She drums her fingers on the table, then drains her cup. Still, by the end, she's smiling. "But first, in all honesty your hot chocolate looked a lot better than my coffee turned out! So - a mug each, and then we brave the cold? We've got to make the most of the rest of our trip, after all!"
