2022-02-13 - Cake and College
| Title: Cake and College | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Mikoto, Fuu, and Ren catch up at Lindem(sic) Baum. They talk about their plans for the future, and also, the wonderful future of arcade games ahead of them. And, of course, the complications of family. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Linden Baum | |
| OOC - IC Date: 2022-02-13 - 2016-01-13 | |
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
It's a nice, lazy Sunday, and a message appears on several girls' phones sometime in the afternoon:
> Lets get cake!!!!!! > Cake at lindem baum!!!!!!!
Apparently, it's as easy as that for Mikoto to reach people, in the new year. After her scare over Christmas, she's finally gotten comfortable going outside on her own again, and has used these terrible powers in order to enact the finest crime of all: inviting some friends she hasn't seen for a while out to afternoon tea.
Assuming, here, that 'afternoon tea' means 'cake', because they're teenagers, and no one can tell them what is and is not appropriate afternoon food.
She slips her phone back into its handmade cosy, and bounds off to the diner --
Which is, appropriately enough, enjoying plenty of activity on a Sunday afternoon. Luckily for Mikoto, she's well-recognised amongst the patrons of the Germanic diner, so she manages to get a table anyway. She goes ahead and orders some cake while she's waiting, so that there are plates with slices all laid out. ... and a couple of empty plates in front of Mikoto, where she snacked on the cake before anyone got here...
But she sent out an open call, so she's sure people will get here before she feels the need to eat all the cake.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
It was indeed a lazy Sunday. And Ren was doing absolutely nothing by laying around. Splayed out on her bed and staring up at the ceiling, she contemplates taking a light nap when her phone goes off. A text message? Sitting up she rubs her eyes and grabs her phone off the stand next to her bed, opening the message to see it was from none other than Mikoto.
"Cake?" Ren says aloud, blinking a bit. She then smiles and types out a reply.
> <Oh yeah! Sure thing! Be right there!>
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of cake, meaning there was no way she could've turned Mikoto down. Hoping up off the bed she began to get ready...
About twenty or so minutes later Ren walked into the Linden Baum diner, squinting as she peered around for Mikoto. She spotted her soon enough and hurried on over, a bright smile and a wave given to the girl once she got close enough, plopping down in the seat across from her.
"Hi! Oh, I see you got started without me!" She teases, knowing how hungry Mikoto usually is --especially for cake.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Seeing the message from Mikoto surprises Fuu Hououji far less than it probably should. Fuu has been exceptionally scarce in social and magical circles for a while - a mix of school, club, and family obligations coming thicker and faster than bears much consideration, but she's finally managed to start clawing her way out of those proverbial woods.
When she arrives at Linden Baum, Fuu is wearing a white blouse under a dark green sweater, and a knee-length skirt which nearly matches the sweater's hue; her legs are clad in white stockings, and brown boots keep her feet warm in the Tokyo winter.
"Mikoto-san, Ren-san, it's been quite a while!" Fuu greets the other two as she spots them. "I'm sorry I've been out of touch for so long, things kept piling up on top of me. I couldn't even plan for a birthday party this year ..." She permits herself to look frustrated for a moment, then smiles anew.
"How have you been?" Fuu asks, resting her hand on the back of a free chair. Presumably she'd be fine to just sit down, but manners dictate at least giving Mikoto (or Ren) the chance to invite her to join them. Even if that was implicit from the text.
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Yup!" Mikoto agrees, cheerfully, when Ren immediately notices the empty plates. She is utterly shameless about her love of cake. But she's sure to point out, waving Ren in: "There's more cake!"
Mikoto, after all, has studied at the foot of the noble Kyouko Sakura's throne, and knows the vital importance of providing enough snacks.
(It helps that they are literally inside a diner. There are basically unlimited snacks.)
Mikoto, for her part, is wearing an obnoxiously pink sweater with a cartoon cat embroided onto it, and a cold-weather-practical combination of white tights and polka-dot yellow-pink skirt. And when Fuu appears, she gestures to her, too, energetic wave melding easily into come-here hand-flapping. "Fuu, Fuu!"
Her eyes go quite wide, in real dismay, as Fuu reveals -- she wasn't able to plan for her party. "No! That's no good!" Mikoto declares, shoving, like -- three whole plates of cake slices at Fuu, that will solve the problem. "We'll make a party for Fuu, too!" Mikoto has strong feelings on birthday parties! After all, Fuu helped save hers, too.
But she brightens up, soon enough. "I've been good!" Mikoto says, which is true if incomplete -- her most recent experiences have been good ones, and apparently that's what weighs the scales, for Mikoto. After a moment she turns to the other girl, and presses: "Ren, Ren! There's new dancing machines in the arcade, did you see?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ren laughs at Mikoto's response, nodding. "Yes! Thank you so much for the invite! I didn't know how hungry I was for cake until I got your message!" She clasps her hands together and tilts her head a bit. "Truly what we needed today, huh?"
Then Fuu arrives! Ren's eyes light up upon seeing the girl. "Fuu-san!" She really hasn't seen her in awhile! "I'm so glad you came! We need to catch up!" Despite them going to the same school, seeing one another isn't all that easy, especially when said school is Infinity.
"Oh no!" Ren has the same reaction as Mikoto more or less when hearing that Fuu was so busy she didn't even get to do a birthday party! Mikoto, being ever so thoughtful, shoves cake in Fuu's direction, earning a laugh from Ren. "Yeah! Have some cake to make up for it!"
When Fuu asks them about how they've been faring, Ren answers, "Yeah! Been doing alright! Focused on the end of school. It's hard to believe I'll be graduating soon..." She trails off, getting a bit of a wistful look in her eyes before shaking her head and turning to Mikoto, who has excitedly addressed her about arcade matters.
"I did! I haven't gotten to try them, yet, but I've been hearing how challenging they are! I want to give 'em a shot!"
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"It's not like we didn't celebrate it at all," Fuu says wryly as she settles into her seat. "My parents weren't about to let my birthday pass unnoticed, after all, nor Kuu-neesan. I just didn't have the chance to invite anyone from outside the family to celebrate it with us. But I appreciate the thought, however belated it might be," she smiles to Mikoto.
She picks up her fork, sectioning off a bite of cake from one of the slices. "Are you planning for college next, Ren-san, or are you not decided yet? You'll be graduating with quite a prestigious degree, although I can well imagine wanting to figure out what you'd major in before you apply."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Today! Tomorrow, too!" Mikoto agrees, cheerfully, on the matter of cake and when it is required. There may be the terrible impression that Mikoto thinks they need cake...
... all the time.
Alas, they can't eat cake every day, despite Mikoto's clear advice. But Mikoto is still encouraged to hear Fuu did get to eat cake for her birthday, here assuming that her birthday being noticed involved birthday cake. When she assures them that her family was looking out for her, Mikoto -- well, there's a flicker of something, in her eyes, a little wavering of her smile. Momentary flinch reaction. It lasts only as long as it takes for her to remind herself that Fuu's family is perfectly nice, and she beams, again. "Good!" Mikoto chirps, reassured. "I'm happy it was good when Fuu's family helped."
(There was that excitement, during Mikoto's party, but she never ended up explaining precisely what that was about. ... not widely, anyway.)
She turns to Ren, with eyes just as wide. "Like Mai!" Mikoto says, in realisation. "So that's why Ren's busy..." Mikoto has been doing quite a lot of helping* with revision for those perilous entry exams, herself.
*mostly just hanging off of Mai's side reminding her to take breaks and eat snacks, really.
"Too busy for the arcade...? ... it's okay!" Mikoto assures her, reaching over to grab another slice of cake herself. Big spoonful. Nomph. "It'll be there later!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Oh good! I'm glad your family got to celebrate it with you!" Ren says happily, then takes a fork and uses it to break off a piece of cake, spearing it and then bringing it up to her mouth to take a bite. It's delicious. She wonders when's the last time she'd had cake, chewing and savoring it. Probably... Mikoto's birthday party? Yeah, that seems about right. She swallows and grins a bit sheepishly at Fuu's question.
"Ahhh... I've been thinking about it and it might work best if I entered Infinity's university program. You know, since they have a..."
She looks around as if wondering if anyone might be listening, then leans forward, a serious look on her face.
"...Magic Program." She says lowly, nodding sagely before leaning back, using her fork to take another piece of cake which is then shoved into her mouth to be consumed. "Though, you know, I don't know what I'd tell my parents if I went that route. They've been really interested in my plans since the school year started, and it's only grown a lot since then..." Mikoto and Fuu might not know this but Ren's parents are both scientists and thus very academic-minded. Not to mention her older brother who is currently studying Science himself at Tokyo University, earning top marks like he has his entire life. Thus, there's a lot of pressure on her...
"...But it's good to know Mai-san is studying hard, as well." Ren says, trying to forget her "troubles" for now. "Annnnd, as soon as it's all over we can definitely go to arcade." She nods at Mikoto, "Promise!"
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Fuu winces slightly as well in tandem with Mikoto's flinch; she's ... somewhat aware of Mikoto's own family situation, particularly when it comes to her 'lord brother' - one individual with whom Fuu still needs to have some words, specifically very *pointed* ones, should the opportunity ever arise. But there wasn't really a way to completely dodge the topic of family, and Fuu makes a mental note that she should have Mikoto meet the other Hououji's sometime.
"Oh yes, Mai-san is a senior as well, isn't she?" Fuu asks, recalling that the redhead is - well, that would make it two years ahead of Fuu herself, but that still sounds about right. "Please tell her I said hello and wished her luck on her exams. I doubt I'm up to that level, but if I can help her study a bit, I'd be glad to lend her a hand. And you as well if you believe you could use it, Ren-san," she adds, her attention shifting to her same-school sempai. "The fact that you're basically set on a college should put your parents' concerns at rest, shouldn't it? And even if you're not studying the same science they might have pointed you at, it's certainly still *a* science."
Fuu pauses, partly to chew another bite of cake, but visibly weighing what she just said. So then she swallows the mouthful of cake, and appends: "Except when it's an art."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Some families are better than others! Like Mai's relationship with her brother! ... okay yeah Mikoto should definitely meet some functional families sometime. That is just 100% right on the money.
Mikoto's party did have some great cake, though, even if it had to be rescued a little.
She leans forward, conspiratorially, to listen to Ren's justification. (Luckily, even though there are a lot of patrons at this family diner, everyone seems pretty occupied with their personal conversations. It's privacy through obscurity!) Her eyes go all wide as she nods, intently, settling back into her seat. She doesn't know that Ren has been raised by real scientists, but she can appreciate the conflict between what she wants to study and what she can tell them she wants to study, because --
Okay, Mikoto just flat assumes Ren's family doesn't know what she's about. After all, her family isn't evil, so according to Mikoto they probably don't know about magic. (Then again, not every family is evil and knows about magic. She can think of at least one girl -- but does that even count? It's magic, but it's not magic...)
"Yup!" Mikoto confirms, on her favourite topic: Mai Tokiha. "I will!" She adds, to Fuu, cheerfully. She nods, eagerly, to the idea of the arcade, too.
And here, she tilts her head. "Infinity can't say it's magic out loud," she points out. "So why not just say it's science?" Mikoto evidently hasn't thought about what happens when Ren's parents ask her about sodium-potassium pumps in the middle of what is supposed to be a biology course.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ren listens intently to what Fuu, then Mikoto, have to say on the matter. She has to admit, talking about it aloud with people who understand makes her feel a lot better about her position.
"Those are good points." She says in response to the both of them. "I did do some thinking... and I've realized I don't think they're quite ready to know about magic yet? I feel like it would flip their whole world view around and I don't know if I want to be responsible for doing that to them..." Of course she could just tell them she's studying Science... but part of her wishes she didn't have to continue keeping the magical side of her life away from her family. But again, their reactions...
She eats another piece of cake, then smiles at Fuu. "Thank you, Fuu-san. I might just take you up on that offer."
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Technically, Fuu should be working out her own college plans as well, for all that she has two whole years before she graduates from high school. Even if her parents aren't applying quite as much pressure as some mothers and fathers might, even if they realize that Fuu has more on her plate than just school and its associated activities.
"I don't think I've ever really heard what your parents do, for that matter, Ren-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Mikoto's college plans:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
And those are Mikoto's college plans!
She listens, though, as Ren talks about her parents being ready to know about magic. "I never had to think about that," Mikoto remarks, and thinks it must be awfully complicated balancing those scales. (She wonders how Mai is doing, all a sudden. Just kidding! It's not sudden. There is a part of Mikoto's brain permanently partitioned to Mai Tokiha.)
"It sounds hard," she guesses. "'Cause they're not part of your life like that." Mikoto nods, firmly. She knows exactly how painful it is to have to lock family out of a part of her life. (That's not the same thing at all, Mikoto!) "But," she adds, because she's had a lot of time to think about things like this "they're responsible for them, Ren. Even if you tell them and they don't like it, that doesn't mean you were hurting them."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Oh!" Ren says, blinking. "I never did speak about them much before now around you guys, huh?" She blushes a bit, setting the fork down. "They're scientists. Physicists, really. My brother is studying the same thing right now. I think he's planning on joining them in their lab." Yuu Aizawa definitely had the brains for it, that's for sure. "I umm... don't think I could follow in all of their footsteps like that." She says as-a-matter-of-factly, smiling slightly.
And then Mikoto says something very nice and helpful, and Ren nods, smile growing wider. "You're right. I just didn't want them to worry about me and have to deal with them possibly trying to stop me. I don't think I would've listened to them if they found out and told me I couldn't use Heraut anymore."
She pauses to look down at the silver ring on her finger, the bronze jewel in the center pulsing slightly. No. Abandoning her duties was out of the question, even if it meant a "normal" life.
"But! We came here to enjoy cake. Not to ponder over my problems. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into something somber."
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Physicists," muses Fuu. "That would probably make learning of magic's reality a more interesting prospect for their sense of the world, wouldn't it?"
She can't pursue that train of thought much further, though, when Ren suggests a change of subject. "Fair enough," she agrees without batting an eye. "I think you were talking about a new game at the arcade when I came in?" The question is split between Ren and Mikoto; either of them could pick up the new thread and run with it. Or they might turn the discussion in yet another direction.
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Mikoto's head cants this way and that. "Physicists... studying psychics..?"
THOSE WORDS DO NOT MEAN THE SAME THING, MIKOTO. Tragically, Fuu's explanation doesn't remind Mikoto of this in the slightest.
She reaches over, and pat-pats Ren on the arm. "It's okay," she assures her. "I don't think I can follow in my family's footsteps neither." She means this to be entirely reassuring. Maybe it is! Despite the... horrific evil implied on one side of that equation.
(And she thinks Ren must be very brave, if she'd just defy her family like that. Maybe she can teach Mikoto a trick or two.)
Mikoto smiles, brightly, taking another spoonful of cake in her hand instead. "Don't worry!" She assures her, again. "'Cause when problems come out, they're not causing problems inside!" She knows an awful lot about keeping the sad things to herself, after all. But when Fuu offers a conversational out, Mikoto leaps on it like a rabbit just leapt into her field of view.
"Yeah! New dancing game! It's real fast, and has two boxes for people playing, too! So you can play together!" Or against each other, but Mikoto, who isn't as competitive as some girls in the realm of video games, doesn't immediately think of that.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
What Fuu points out does make sense. And Heraut is quite mechanical in addition to being magical. She imagines her parents wanting to study him in a lab, though, and isn't sure she's very comfortable with that. Mikoto's mixup of what it is her parents study followed by her proclamation regarding problems earns a giggle out of her, though. If only her parents did study psychics! Then maybe telling them the truth would be much easier for her.
Fuu does turn the conversation to something a lot lighter, and Ren nods eagerly as Mikoto explains further. "A lot of people at school have been talking about it. Even though it's hard, it's supposed to be a really fun way to relive stress!" If getting sweaty and out of breath could be considered a stress reliever, that is. Ren thinks it's perfectly fine as long as you're having fun!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Dancing game, huh," Fuuu muses, savoring another bite of cake as she weighs that. Exercise *is* a known stress-reliever - burning off excess nervous energy, as well as the endorphins that come with a good workout. "It would be worth checking out, at the very least. I'm not sure how well I'd do at it, but there's not much to lose by trying, right?"
On the flip side, high speed and high difficulty don't usually add up to a *relaxing* experience for a lot of people. The fact that Mikoto takes to a dancing game like a duck to water isn't really surprising, and while Fuu's hardly a couch potato, there's a reason why archery - a sport where discipline and mental focus are more critical than physical strength, agility, or endurance - is Fuu's athletic outlet of choice.
Still, Fuu does manage to keep up in gym class pretty well regardless of the specific sport. Unless she sees people having to be *carried* off the new game's dance stages, she'd probably at least give it a try ... maybe when the weather is warmer so she doesn't have to plan around being dressed for cold weather. "Let me know when the two of you want to go?" she asks. "I'm curious enough to see this for myself, and maybe give it a try."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Yup!" Mikoto nods, all eager-beaver, to Ren's confirmation. Her braids go up with the motion, flop back down moments later. She nomphs another spoonful of cake. She requires all this energy so as to recharge her power to do such feats as succeed at frantic dancing games.
Or jump up over rooftops, which is just a thing she does, all the time? Like? The sidewalk is RIGHT THERE, Mikoto?
Her eyes shine, as Fuu decides she'd like to try, too. "Okay!" She agrees, eagerly. "Let's do arcade dancing soon!" Mikoto pauses, and adds, looking to Ren: "But not until Ren's done studying. 'Cause you're coming too, right? Right?"
Mikoto's eyes are big as saucers, smile bright enough to replace the sun which is all obscured by clouds out there today. She just really wants Ren to come dancing.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Mikoto has nothing to worry about. Ren nods. "Of course I'll come! I wouldn't miss it!" She reassures them both, pumping a fist into the air. "It'll be a good reward for passing my exams." Well, at least she seems confident!
"It'll be great! We can make a whole day out of it, even. There's a really good restaurant near the arcade that we can hit up, too. And maybe we can invite some other people and really make it a party, you know?" It's really not a bad suggestion. Everyone could use it as a way to destress from end-of-term exams.
"We'll take over the arcade! Ok, well, maybe not take over but you know what I mean." She laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Yup!" Mikoto nods, all eager-beaver, to Ren's confirmation. Her braids go up with the motion, flop back down moments later. She nomphs another spoonful of cake. She requires all this energy so as to recharge her power to do such feats as succeed at frantic dancing games.
Or jump up over rooftops, which is just a thing she does, all the time? Like? The sidewalk is RIGHT THERE, Mikoto?
Her eyes shine, as Fuu decides she'd like to try, too. "Okay!" She agrees, eagerly. "Let's do arcade dancing soon!" Mikoto pauses, and adds, looking to Ren: "But not until Ren's done studying. 'Cause you're coming too, right? Right?"
Mikoto's eyes are big as saucers, smile bright enough to replace the sun which is all obscured by clouds out there today. She just really wants Ren to come dancing.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Mikoto has nothing to worry about. Ren nods. "Of course I'll come! I wouldn't miss it!" She reassures them both, pumping a fist into the air. "It'll be a good reward for passing my exams." Well, at least she seems confident!
"It'll be great! We can make a whole day out of it, even. There's a really good restaurant near the arcade that we can hit up, too. And maybe we can invite some other people and really make it a party, you know?" It's really not a bad suggestion. Everyone could use it as a way to destress from end-of-term exams.
"We'll take over the arcade! Ok, well, maybe not take over but you know what I mean." She laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"When *are* your exams, Ren-san?" wonders Fuu. "Or are they at the same time as finals will be for me? But yes, a day at the arcade for a larger group sounds like an excellent way to blow off steam after exams are done ..."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Mm!" Mikoto nods, eagerly, right up until Ren suggests --
"-- we can't do that!!" The girl from Dark Fall yelps, glancing nervously to the black case resting by the table. "That's --" a joke. "Oh," Mikoto says, shedding her alarm. She laughs, too, but it's a little nervous.
She looks to Fuu, and Fuu's question, and then looks to Ren, searching wordlessly for the answer.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"They are!" Ren confirms with Fuu. "They'll count for my end-of-year exams and my college entrance exams for Infinity. My parents told me I should have a few other universities in mind just in case, but I'd have to take another exam for those so..." She shrugs, smiling nevertheless. "I don't know if I could focus on studying for two different sets of exams."
Mikoto's reaction garners a confused blink, though once the girl realizes Ren wasn't being serious about taking over the arcade she chuckles.
"No worries Mikoto-chan. We're not staging an actual take over. I don't think the owners would like us very much if we did that."
She picks the fork up again. "Now. Let's finish all this cake before it goes to waste!"
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"That's quite a lot of cake to work through," Fuu remarks - Mikoto *did* order a fair amount without knowing how many people would show up. "But we can probably take some home if push comes to shove. In the meantime ..."
She digs into her next slice. Cake is best when it's fresh, after all, and there'll still be enough to take a few slices home by her estimate.
