2019-04-26 - After The Rain, There Are Cookies
| Title: After The Rain, There Are Cookies | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Summer uniforms are supposed to be in fashion, but the weather doesn't agree. On a rainy day, two girls walk from Juuban to a nice warm bakery. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Juuban Public School | |
| OOC - IC Date: 2019-04-26 - June 01, 2015 | |
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> It's Raining Somewhere Else - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrvDq4Py1QE
Some days, some weeks, things just seem quiet. Classes pass by without incident, club activities are routine instead of dramatic, and there seems to be very little to shake up the world of those leading a mostly-normal life. Tests have been written, grades have been agonizing, love confessions have been attempted and failed miserably, and generally...
Generally, life goes on.
It's not without incident, though. Little things, almost distant events. Like the late blooming of the World Tree, or a pasta lesson gone horribly awry, or rumours of terrorist attacks downtown, or a recent tragic announcement from Ohtori.
So here Marinette stands, at the front doors of Juuban. She tried to go to her club meeting, she really did - but some of the seniors were in a tie-dye mood, and the odor was just a little overpowering today. Better, perhaps, to go home and work on some homework or a personal project - even if the skies outside are weeping tears of sorrow.
For a moment, she tugs at the short sleeves of her summer uniform, a dark look furrowing her brow. "...It's not that it isn't elegant, just...kind of chilly on a day like this. Isn't June supposed to be sunny?!"
She almost seems to be yelling at her bag for a moment - but that's crazy, a schoolbag can't answer. Nothing alive could be hiding in there. ...though maybe something is hiding. Marinette peers inside, as if addressing her books. "Didn't you...umbrella? My umbrella is in here, right?!"
Outside, the rain is pouring down in rivers, and the middle-school student is working herself up into a panic. "Oh no - now I'm going to get drenched, and someone's going to have to take pity on me, and I'll get overwhelmed with another ridiculous unrequited crush and wind up tripping over two ridiculously handsome boys-"
A somewhat absurd panic, admittedly.
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
As the days past by, the seasons pass and time crawls into the beginning of June. Crawls by, in the case of one Juuban student, after the chaos that was only a month ago. The blooming of the World Tree opened up a can of worms with Yuhira and Wakatuski, but Yuhira seems to finally be letting the dust settle over her likeness to that of a certain mouse-suitted individual. The everyday routine of school, juggling club activities and meeting with friends hasn't been shaken up in the last few weeks.
The relative normalcy of it all is a nice change of pace, and one Niramo doesn't mind enjoying.
Not that life in Tokyo is never dull, far from it. The lack of magical-based chaos, of monsters to whack and bystanders to save, has been a point of discussion with those she knows is in 'the know', but it's almost like a vacation in itself.
A loose ponytail sways from side to side as Niramo is walking towards the front doors of Juuban. While normally she would be watching yet another repeat of animated shows from decades gone by with the rest of the Anime Club, she had to excuse herself quickly Takk started to get a little too into the duel of Ronin Samurai versus Shadow Lord Z. There's only so many times she can fake a sneeze and try to silence the Kwami at the same time.
"For someone who acts like they doesn't seem to understand emotions, you get a little carried away..." Dark green eyes playfully glare at her closed bookbag, but surely she's just wondering about a friend of hers.
Her one-sided mild rant is cut off as the doors come into view, and Niramo makes a face as stares at the downpour on the other side of the glass. It's like the weather knew when they were going to change to the summer uniforms and wanted to make things as miserable as possible! "It doesn't look like it let up any..."
Pulling free her collapsible umbrella from a side pocket on her bookbag, Niramo opens it up and takes a step forward towards the doors before Marinette catches her eyes. Marinette's panics are somewhat legendary from how quickly they can escalate and occur at the drop of a hat. This one seemed to be about...a missing umbrella turning into a romance manga plotline?! Better if she heads this off before Marinette starts adding time-traveling children to the mix.
"Marinette-san, did you misplace your umbrella? I'm taking the subway today, but I can keep you dry if you want!" Niramo never has put in much stock about how sharing an umbrella supposedly leads to you finding your soulmate, but her life is too busy to think about love. Besides, it'll be innocent between the two of them!
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
There's a voice calling out from behind her, and Marinette stiffens on the spot. How many people would have overheard her rant - how many people might misconstrue (or correctly construe) what she said?
If it's Adrien who heard what she side, then she might have to just perish on the spot. As one does.
Mercifully, Marinette is spared at least a little bit of embarrassment, heaving a visible sigh of relief at the sight before her. "Oh, it's just you, Niramo-chan. Yeah, my umbrella is hiding on me, or maybe I forgot it, or maybe it got stolen. I just don't even -"
She slumps for a moment. "Honestly, that'd be a big help. I know clubs are supposed to keep going for a while, but I just can't handle the Fashion Club on a day like this. I kind of want to go home and design a better raincoat or something. Of course, I'd probably forget that too...are you sure it's not too much trouble?"
There's a quiet little roar as the downpour seems to build itself back up, and Marinette can only rub the back of her head. "...I can offer baked goods? I'm sure my parents are making fresh cookies today!"
She really doesn't like the cold and wet.
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Seeing Marinette turn around in her panic only to visibly deflate in relief upon seeing her has the Jubann giggling, though hopefully Marinette won't get the idea it was about her panic attack. Well, not completely about her panic attack, anyways. The completely opposite from Wakatuski in that regard, unless you get her talking about computers. It's like a switch gets flipped then.
Wait, now she's the one getting sidetracked...
A mischievous smirk forms on Niramo's lips, and she raises an eyebrow. "Maybe it was borrowed by a 'ridiculously handsome boy'? Don't worry about it, Marinette-san! I'm sure it'll turn up, maybe back at home?" A little bit of teasing can go a long way, and Marinette always seems like she can take it in good nature. She always seems to bounce back from her panics, after all.
Designing a new raincoat catches Niramo's attention, and she tilts her head just a bit. "Can you really make a raincoat yourself? It can't be as easy as just cutting out some fabric from a roll of cloth, right?" She tried knitting a circle once, but somehow tied her hands together.
Her mom never did get the needles free from that tangled ball of yarn...
Shaking her head from side to side, the ravenette holds up her umbrella a little more. "It's fine, really! I would stay as well, but...uh, some of the club members were getting a little too rowdy, and I have social studies homework I keep putting off. I don't mind!" It would keep the homework at bay a little longer, and---
Wait...cookies? Fresh cookies on a cold, wet June day? Helping someone in need is it's own reward, but surely a little bonus like this is just a benefit of being good, right? "W-well, I don't want to bother about the cookies, but...if you're offering, it would be rude of me to refuse!" Niramo glances back out towards the downpour waiting her, but with some sugary baked goods waiting out there, it makes it worth it to be in this mess.
"We better hurry, then. Don't want to give the weather a change to get worse, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
At the teasing, Marinette can only bury her face in her hands. "You heard that...." Still, it's light teasing, and as expected Marinette is able to bounce back in relatively short order. She sighs, shaking her head, and carefully closes her bag so no water will get in. "Honestly, I probably just left it at home, next to the pictures-"
Marinette shuts up in a hurry, clearing her throat. "Right! Rain. Probably going to get worse, given the way my luck goes sometimes - so yeah, home sounds pretty good. If you're willing to be bribed?" She gestures to the doors with a giggle, then pauses to rub her arms.
Definitely should have brought a coat.
It's June, and it's raining, and it's far more miserable weather than it has any right to be. Still, Marinette is in slightly brighter spirits as the two of them walk. A teasing grin finds its way onto her face as she hops over one puddle. "I'm sure rudeness is the only reason you're taking up that little offer - but honestly, it should be fine. Warm and fresh out of the oven is the best way to have them, and on a day like today I expect there'll be plenty. And if there aren't...well, I can always whip up a batch as thanks."
There's a couple of vehicles on the road, rainwater splashing in their wake as they meander along, and Marinette pauses to think. "So to pick up what I was saying earlier - it's not quite that easy, unless you just want a poncho. Which is definitely an option, to be sure, but it's kind of nice to have something a little more dramatic. It's not the first coat I've made - though admittely the last one was a winter coat, and I gave that one to Sa- Someone I kind of admire?"
She's blushing. Just a bit, but she's blushing at the memory. "Stop me if I'm babbling, seriously stop me."
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Niramo's smile grows softly at Marinette taking the teasing in stride, but a small part of her notices the quick change in subject when Marinette mentioned pictures. Maybe she actually did have someone in mind when she was thinking about a 'ridiculously handsome boy'? Maybe Marinette was a bit of a stalker and taking pictures of someone she was interested in from afar?
"Bribing is a bit strong of a word. I'm thinking it's more like a token of friendship?" Not that she's close with Marinette, persay, but she wouldn't mind changing that for the future. Having another normal friend who doesn't know a thing about magic would be nice!
Rain drums on the fabric of the plain black umbrella, giving temporary shelter from the worst of the rain. Already Niramo is missing the blazer from the winter uniform, but already had everything back in the closet when she saw the rain outside this morning. Besides, dad had plenty of umbrellas for her to 'borrow', so it's all good! "What? Of course it is, Marinette-san! Besides, perfectly good cookies go bad after a few days, so...think of this as cleaning inventory!"
Everything has a good excuse when it comes to sweets!
It takes a good deal of willpower not to shudder when Marinette offers to bake if she needs to. She always thought the rumors about the fire breathing demon cat were just Ohtori urban myth, but to see it in action? Mikoto didn't deserve that suffering...neither did the pasta, now that she thinks about it. It was so young, so innocent, and a mixture of unlabeled spices and exotic experimenting turned it to the side of darkness. "I-if you do have to make some, i'll help. Things taste better when you share the work, right?"
The rain is soaking into her shoes a little, but it's not too bad when the wind dies down. Weather like this is just asking for a good book and a warm blanket to make everything better. "Ponchos can be dramatic, maybe if you add add those thin twin cloak-tail things to the back?" Niramo flails a free hand in demonstration of the proper term of fashion, showing just how knowledgeable she was on that front. "I usually tend to wear what's comfortable over what's fashionable when i'm not at school, but you have a point about the coat. A friend of mine tries to teaches me how to look better, but I think she's finally starting to given me up as a lost cause on that front."
That same small part of her catches the last-second correction by Marinette, but she doesn't think about prying. Someone she admires...someone like Kasagami? There might be a reason she Marinette doesn't want to say her possible senpai's name, but it's none of her business, even if her curiosity wants to be sated. "Marinette-san, you're fine, really! Someone I admire has a coat that she wears often, and she makes it look very dramatic. Sometimes I wonder if she sleeps in it, honestly. Knowing her, she might wear it in the middle of summer just because it will make her stand out."
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It's still damp, still chilly, but with an umbrella overhead it's not quite as bad. Unfortunately it's terrible weather for summer fashions, which Marinette was too optimistic about picking out; as they walk along the road, she hugs her schoolbag close to herself.
"Split the difference and call it a token of gratitude. I'd rather bring a box of macarons for a token of friendship...and one of these days, I hope I can bring in a box and have it survive." She hangs her head in honest despair for a moment - the last attempt met an unfortunate fate in traffic. A worthy sacrifice, but still...
Niramo might not shudder - and even if she did the damp chill might mask the reason - but Marinette can pick up on the doubt in her voice. "Cookies I can handle! I have a recipe. I have a very strict recipe! But that's an absolute last resort, yes. It should be fine - Maman tends to keep the bakery well-stocked, and just insists that anyone ducking in from the rain pick up something..."
Marinette rubs at her arms again when the wind picks up, cringing. "Ponchos are all well and good, but - well, you've seen me, right?" She gestures at herself emphatically. "I'm the kind of person that trips on air, something flowing enough to wrap around me would be a death sentence! Sleek coats for me all the way - it's about the cut, and making sure that water flows where it's supposed to..."
She frowns for a moment, looking Niramo up and down - and then sighing despite herself. "As cute as our summer uniforms are, they don't say a lot about anyone's sense of style, huh? Anyway, don't worry about it too much - it's kind of a, how would I put it, a confidence thing. You'll look better in something you're happy wearing! So just - pick what appeals." There's a pause, before Marinette gets a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Though on that note...Ao or Aka?"
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
While the umbrella is a great shield against the rain, it does little against the dropping temperatures and wind when it chooses to bite at exposed skin. And with today being the first day of the summer uniforms, it's a brutal time to change indeed. The best that can be done is to just grin and bear it, but having someone she can speak to out in public is a big help, after all!
Marinette appears to recall her previous box of cookies all too well, and Niramo just shakes her head. "I'm guessing that's just how the cookie fumbles?" While it's a shot in the dark, Niramo has seen Marinette's more 'graceful' movements, so it's a safe bet on the pun. Teasing and wordplay might be a good distraction, too!
She may not have shuddered, but she doesn't hide her wince when Marinette picks up on her doubt. "Well, okay, Marinette-san. Besides, the pasta wasn't really your fault. The labels were terrible and...well, Usagi-san did somehow make pancakes explode in the class before the last one, actually. There's a reason why baking soda doesn't go in batter!"
Marinette's preference on her coats fits her well, and so does her advice on fashion. Finally, someone that agrees you don't need extravagant dresses for social events! "Oh, absolutely. Even during the winter, I'll take being a little cold over having a poofy coat that you can't walk in. Sleek and simple tends to work best for me!" Niramo's school uniform fits her fashion choices as well. Nothing has been added to the uniforms, but they still look clean despite the storm around them.
Marinette's next question catches Niramo completely flatfooted, and she almost stops in place before she realizes it would be bad manners to let Marinette get wet. Ao...and Aka? Yuhira has gone on about those fashion lines from time to time, but she often tends to tune her friend out until she gets back to a subject she can understand well. Ao was the one with the silk linings, right?
Knowing Marinette wants an answer, she can only give a shrug of her shoulders. "Is neither a good option here? I mean, I know I can get a membership card since I go to Juuban, but...they both seem to be about dressing to impressing? I usually just get the cheapest plain clothes I can buy..."
It does leave more money for new figurines or books, but Marinette is likely going to be scandalized by this...
<Pose Tracker> Marinette Dupain-Cheng [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Niramo's pun elicits a loud groan from Marinette. "Please stop. For the love of mercy, don't make any of those kinds of jokes around my Papa - he'll join in, and then we'll never hear the end of the baking jokes." She turns, a stern look on her face. "I've heard too many, I guarantee the first one will be something along the lines of 'rising to the occasion is the yeast I could do'. And please, let that pasta stay buried..."
The staring means that Marinette isn't watching her footing as closely, and there's a significant splash as she steps into a particularly deep puddle. She looks down, face wrinkling at the sight. "...at least we're close. It soaked right through, because of course it did..."
A sigh.
"Well, we're close anyway - just down the block there." Marinette gestures to where her family's bakery stands out with brightly lit windows and a faint smell of chocolate and butter. "I'll be glad to get there - I'd rather have the poofy coat if it just means I could get warm! I really, really do not like the cold..."
There's something that could be a sound of agreement from her bag.
Niramo's answer does catch Marinette flat-footed, and only the fact that there's a horrible amount of rain has her catching up in time. "I mean - admittedly, the clothes themselves are a little pricey, I just got a couple of accessories. It's...I don't know, trying to explain why fashion is the way it is is like trying to explain why someone might like math."
As they reach the doors, Marinette pauses to give Niramo a wry look. "I think I might see why your friend gets frustrated, though. Well, if you ever do want to impress someone, then I'll do my best to help! And in the meantime - come in, it looks like there's a tray just out of the oven!"
And at some point, Marinette is absolutely going to slip a few warm cookies into her bookbag, because that is what normal people separated from magic do.
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The sight of Marinette's home so close is a port in the literal storm, a chance to dry off before she would need to brave the weather to head home herself. The rain might be pouring, but it doesn't mask the smell of baked goods. "Wait, your parents run a bakery? I just thought your mom was doing a bake sale for tomorrow..." It does explain how Marinette would know how to bake cookies, at least!
At least Niramo isn't the only one caught off guard by the question of AoAka, and another giggle breaks through despite the out of season storm. "I think that might be for the best. Thank you again, Marinette-san. I knew it would be rude to refuse!"
And if there are more cookies disappearing from the plate than what two girls can handle, the blame can be focused on someone else entirely. Bookbags make a great hiding hole for friends of even smaller statue.
