View source for 1977/Sundaes and Sword Drills

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/09/30
|Location=Uminari City - Game Center Crown
|Synopsis=Seishi and Hokuto catch up on recent events.
|Cast of Characters=162,71
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Thursday evening in Tokyo, and school is once again in session. Like many Verone students, Hokuto does an excellent job of pretending enthusiasm for this fact. Honestly, though, the thing she's most enthusiastic about is that - since she lives in the dorms - her family can't stop her from ducking out after dinner to go for ice cream and video games. She's out of hundred-yen coins at the moment, so she's done with video games and a little tired from beating out a couple of wannabes from Seishou at Dance Dance Revolution. Leaving the console, she makes her way up the stairs to the 'cafe' part of the Crown...

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As for Seishi, well... she told her father she was going to the library. It wasn't a lie; she ''was'' at the library up until just a little while ago. Until the quiet grew oppressive and the grumbling of her stomach grew too insistent to ignore.<br /><br />A change of venue won't hurt anything, will it?<br /><br />So soon enough, Seishi comes drifting into the Crown with her backpack over her shoulder. Studiously ignoring the much too tempting lure of the game consoles, she starts for the stairs - just in time to see the familiar figure going up ahead of her.<br /><br />"Hokuto, hey!" She quickens her pace up the stairs a little, trying to catch up.

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hokuto pauses on the step, recognizing that voice. It's one she hasn't heard in several weeks, and one that she's missed terribly. She turns her head to confirm that it is who she thinks she is, and a wide grin splits her face as she recognizes Seishi. <br /><br />"Hey, Sempai!" she calls, waving cheerfully. "Good to see you out from the Den of Iniquity, hm? What'd they do, drag you off to Paris for shopping or something?"

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Den of Whatnow?" Seishi answers, laughing. It's followed by a little shake of her head-- "Paris, I wish," she says wryly as she reaches where Hokuto has stopped to wait for her. "Just studying and practice, and some dream business. Which I found some extra backup for, so at least there's that. I need to introduce you sometime."<br /><br />Now that they're face to face, she takes a moment to get a look at the other girl. "What about you?" she asks. "How've you been doing? Your family hasn't been giving you too much grief, have they?"

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hokuto waits until Seishi catches up to her, leaning casually against the railing of the stairs. "Well, a trip to Paris would've been ''nice''," she says, "Or maybe New York... or even London... but no. We ended up spending a week in ''Cairo'', of all places. Michitaka had this deal with this Arab sheik..." <br /><br />She shakes her head. "It was ... not boring, at least. I'll say that for it." She shrugs and waves. "Shall we carry on upwards, then? I think these poor Seishou kids want ice cream, too."

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Glancing back, Seishi realizes that they are indeed blocking the way up off the stairs, and promptly pulls an embarrassed face. "Ah, right, sorry!" Hastily she moves along out of the way, holding her backpack a little closer to her as though to make less of an obstacle of herself. <br /><br />"Want to snag a table?" she asks distractedly once she's no longer blocking traffic. "--seriously, you went to Cairo? That must've been an experience. Did you get to do any sightseeing?"

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I was the one doing most of the work, so I ''insisted'' on a trip out to see the pyramids." Hokuto grins a little wider, and heads on up the stairs after you. <br /><br />"Definitely worth taking the job, annoying as it was." She nods and waves to the half-full Parlor. "Pick any table you like. I'm up for a sundae."

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Wow." Seishi's eyebrows go up, eyes widening a little. "Even if it was for work, that's still really cool. I'm impressed! And maybe just a little envious."<br /><br />A few seconds of consideration, and she makes for one of the smaller tables, stashing her backpack under it before she sits. "I was studying at the library," she says, "but I really just needed a milkshake. I'm glad I ran into you."

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hokuto slides her own bag under the same table, and pulls out a chair to take a seat. "Well, next time I get called on one of these things, I'll invite you along. I could use a friendly face, Arab countries are ''not'' the friendliest to anyone involved in magic stuff. Especially women." <br /><br />She shakes her head. "But let's not talk about that right now, hey? How about something good to build memories on, like some ice cream and a hug?"

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That's a complication that Seishi clearly hadn't thought about until Hokuto brings it up; she looks thoughtful for a few moments before wincing in sympathy. "I suppose it ''would'' be pretty awkward, huh." A little sigh, and she shakes her head again with a rueful smile. "You'd have to convince my father - somehow I can't see him letting me out of his sight for that long."<br /><br />But Hokuto is waving the subject away, and Seishi lets it go with an agreeable nod. "Sounds good to me," she says. "Does that mean we can pretend homework doesn't exist, either?"

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Sounds like a plan to me," Hokuto agrees. Homework can go shove itself in a furnace and light itself on fire, for all that she cares tonight. Besides, hers is ''done''. <br /><br />"As for your father, well, he can go do our homework while we're gone."

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That gets a bark of sputtering, incredulous laughter out of Seishi. "Okay, ''you'' get to sell him on that one," she quips back. "I don't even want to imagine the look on his face if I suggested it to him."

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Only if you buy me ice cream," Hokuto answers, about as deadpan as they come. She's apparently been practicing it. <br /><br />"I want a praline pecan butterscotch sundae, with whipped cream and a cherry on top. No sprinkles."

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Done," Seishi returns without missing a beat - though she, at least, isn't even trying to keep a straight face. "I'm on it, just don't let my bag wander off, okay?"<br /><br />Saying this, she bounces back up out of her chair to go bother Motoki at the counter. It's not all that long before she's on her way back, sundae in one hand and a milkshake in the other.<br /><br />"Praline pecan butterscotch with whipped cream and a cherry, no sprinkles. And if the police don't work out then maybe I'll have a future in waitressing." She drops back into her chair and promptly makes a face. "Sorry, that was way too pessimistic, forget I said it."

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hokuto has no intention of letting either bag wander off, even though her eyes roam towards Seishi's departing back as the older girl heads up to the counter. And continue watching her as she returns. <br /><br />"Ehn, last resort I'll hire you myself, the family keeps wanting me to have a bodyguard. Maybe if I have you beat the crap out of Daichi a few times they'll let you have the job." <br /><br />She flashes a grin, not entirely serious, and pulls the sundae towards her to dig in with her spoon.

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Seishi grins back as she waggles the straw around in her milkshake to stir it, good humor restored. "I'll keep it in mind as a fall-back possibility. You know, just in case. Who's Daichi? I don't think I've heard you mention the name before."

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hokuto savors a bite of ice cream, and nods, grinning. She's at least half serious about the job offer, too. <br /><br />"Daichi's a cousin... one of the clan. Not much spirit power, but he's pretty good with a sword. He's a bit of a jerk, though."

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ahh, gotcha." Seishi muses on this a little as she drinks some of her milkshake. "That's too bad, him being a jerk. If he's good with a sword, though, I have to say you're probably overestimating my ability to take him down a peg - without Akashimaru's help, I'm still a novice." A wry, crooked smile accompanies the words; despite the self-deprecation, her tone is light.

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ah, he's just a bit of a stuffed shirt, really. Real proud of himself and what he can do, that kind of thing." Hokuto waves with her spoon to gesture as she talks. <br /><br />"I still bet you could beat him. I've seen you fight. With and without Akashimaru-sama."

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The smile on Seishi's face warms a little at Hokuto's assertion. "Thanks," she says. "I've still got a long way to go before I can really stand on my own, though." <br /><br />Thoughtful, she nudges meditatively at her straw for a moment. "Well, if it were easy to get good at something quickly, then everyone would do it, right? There'd be no challenge."

:'''{{#var:162|Hokuto Minase| (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hokuto hmmms softly. "Well, sounds to me like you need a training partner. I'm not much with a sword myself, but I wouldn't mind learning." She grins. And pauses to fantasize about spending that kind of Quality Time With Sempai... <br /><br />But, before things get too R-rated, let us return our attention to Ice Cream. And the eating thereof. And the conversation thereupon. <br /><br />"So, how's school treating you? Any interesting classes this year?"

:'''{{#var:71|Seishi Tamashige| (71)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Mostly," Seishi replies, "it's just going to take time. I mean, I have kendo club practice, and Akashimaru trying to give me sword drills in my dreams," she makes a very wry face here, "but it's like trying to get good at anything. It takes time and work. You'd know that as well as anyone, with everything you do, right?"<br /><br />Settling back a little in her seat, she smiles again. "I mean, not that I'd say no to a training partner outside of kendo club. But I'm not in a position to teach anybody anything yet."<br /><br />She brings her straw to her mouth, takes a swallow of milkshake through it. And moves on to the change of subject provided. "Interesting? Hmmm, I don't know... My English teacher this term is funny. Mr. Odagiri? Whenever he speaks English for us he always sounds like he's angry..."
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