View source for 214/Fish, Foods, and newfound Friends

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/07/23
|Location=Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - Botanical Gardens
|Synopsis=Ayana and Ikiko meet for the not-first-time, and Ikiko finds out that Ayana is not exactly normal. But cheerful and helpful, Ikiko offers her food and friendship, and the two fast find common interests over donuts and sandwiches.
|Cast of Characters=75, 86
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Early afternoon, on a warm July day. The botanical gardens are a popular place to come and just enjoy the afternoon amongst the beautiful scenery. Nearby, at the playground, the sound of children having fun can be heard, drifting past the garden hedges and flowers. It's a peaceful sort of day, with a comfortable breeze and pleasant weather. Surely no bad guy could disturb a day like this.<br /><br />One of those bad guys (or at least a bad guy in training?) has decided to come to the park, herself, although her intentions may be slightly off kilter. While most are wandering through the park to enjoy the scenery, Ayana is layed out on her belly near the koi pond, sticking her face into the water and staring at the fishes beneath the surface ... hungrily. She's dressed in a lovely black summer dress with a rough-cut hem and a blue ribbon tied around the bust. She's abandoned her thin-soled sandals, and is now busily kicking her feet slowly back and forth while she holds her breath and peers at the fish. After a moment, the girl pulls her face back out of the water and gasps for air. Dripping wet, she uses her elbows to hold her up while she continues staring at the fish.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There might be plenty of things to keep busy with during summer break, but taking time off for yourself is fine, especially so soon after the first term ended. Instead of doing her usual 'club' activities of feeding the strays, Ikiko is wandering the park, enjoying the weather.<br /><br />As she walks past the decorative bushes, sniffing at any open flowers, a slight splashing noise from over near the koi pond catches her attention. Wandering over, she spots the girl looking at the koi, water dripping from her face.<br /><br />With a small giggle, Ikiko walks over, looking at the pond. "That's one way of staying cool," she smiles to the other girl.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana doesn't even seem to register the giggling until Ikiko draws near and talks directly to her. Then she blushes and rolls to a sitting position. "Iwasn'tdoinganything," she defends herself, far too quickly, especially given she wasn't accused of anything. She blinks when that realisation sets in, then blushes, "I mean ... uhm. Yeah, well, the water's a little dirty, though. But I was mostly looking at the fish. Are they just for everyone?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata blinks slightly at the odd phrasings. "They're for everyone to look at, yes," she nods, sitting next to the pond and watching the fish. Without food being offered, they don't seem to pay the two girls much mind.<br /><br />"I take it you like koi?" she asks, glancing at the other girl. "There's pretty neat, although I'm not as much a fan of them as one of my friends is."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"... look at," Ayana says, then squints just faintly and looks back at the pond. "Hm. Yeah, I guess I like to look at them," she agrees, then wipes her face dry with her hand, then wipes her hand dry on the skirt of her dress. "What do you prefer, then, if not fish?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I prefer playing with dogs!" Ikiko smiles. "They're friendly and cheerful, and they usually like it when you come to visit." Her smiles dims a little. "There's not really enough space at home to have a pet dog, though. It's why I'm part of the Animal Care club at school -- it gives me a reason to hang out with animals!"<br /><br />She giggles slightly. "Oh, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Ikiko Hisakata, a fifth-grader at Seishou Public School; pleased to meet you!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"... ah," Ayana replies, then frowns thoughtfully and looks back at the water. "Dogs don't like me much. Every dog I've ever met has chased me away like I was evil." She shrugs a little, then looks back to Ikiko. She studies the girl a moment, then smiles and says, "I'm Ayana Moriko. My parents moved here very recently and I don't have a school, yet. Actually they told me I should pick which school I wanted to go to, although I have heard Verone is too expensive. There's an Animal Care club at Seishou?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata nods! "It's rather disorganized, but the club members do like animals, and they do what they can to help out," she explains. "I like it, and being able to help animals makes me feel good." That, and it gives her an excuse to feed the stray dogs of Tokyo, allowing her to keep in touch with her canine friends. Useful for getting info on what's going on around town!<br /><br />"Some people just don't get along with certain types of animals," she admits. "And some people have natural affinities with certain kinds of animals." She looks at Ayana, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Say, what kind of animal do you like?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, that depends," Ayana replies honestly with a grin. "If you mean what animals do I like to spend time with, that would be foxes. They're really cute, and so vocal and energetic, but they're also a lot like cats in that they aren't super dependent on /your/ mood. So if you're sad, they don't get all in your face, they just leave you alone. It's nice. But if you mean to eat ..." she glances towards the water. "I like fish."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Be careful saying that around one of my friends," Ikiko says with a giggle. "She's very protective of koi, and she can be fierce about it."<br /><br />She nods at the comments about foxes. "They /are/ cute," she agrees. "Distant cousins to canines, but with their own charm." A slight pause. "They usually keep themselves hidden, so you don't often see them in town."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"There are a few, though," Ayana replies with a faint shrug. "But they're mostly too feral to see. I mostly visit them at the zoo, or there's a place outside of town where you can go and help pet and feed them. I want to get one as a pet, but my parents won't allow it." She smiles at Ikiko, then glances back to the pond. Putting a hand to her stomach, Ayana lets out a sigh, then asks, "So what's it like at the Animal Care club? Do they tell you what animals to go help or do you get to basically just ... make your own schedule and then talk about it as a group later?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Mostly we do our own things," nods Ikiko. "Someimes we try coming up with group ideas, but we haven't been able to actually get one finished." Much like herding cats, but more socialble.<br /><br />Ayana's movement doesn't go unnoticed. "Are you hungry? I think I could get us some snacks if you'd like," she offers.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana's eyes widen at the offer of snacks. "I'm /starved/," she admits. Rolling to her feet, she dusts off her bum, then grins at Ikiko--showing teeth that are just a little too fanged to be quite normal. "I could eat a whole horse, but I'll settle for just about anything. I don't have any money on me right now." But she does have a cell phone, which she scoops up off the ground from beside where she was sitting. The phone is the latest gizmo, with a case covered in foxes, and a little leash with a fox charm at the end. Apparently she was serious about liking foxes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata blinks slightly -- something about Ayana's teeth seems off, but not in a bad way. More like... it's something she's used to, somehow.<br /><br />Eh, could just be her imagination.<br /><br />"I have some money with me, so I can buy the snacks," she points out. "What kind of snacks did you have in mind? I know there's a donut place not too far away, and they have /great/ donuts!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Donuts are okay," Ayana agrees thoughtfully, "but I'd really like something with protein. Like ... is there a sandwich place nearby?" She motions for Ikiko. "Donuts are fine, though, I guess. I do like sweet things. So what else is there to do at Seishou? Are the teachers nice? I'm not that booksmart so I don't get the best of grades. I don't want detention for it or something."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata thinks for a moment. "I know of a sandwich place, although it's a bit of a walk," she muses as she stands up. "We'd have to go by the donut place anyway, so we can pick some up as a little snack to take the edge off of hunger while we walk."<br /><br />She starts walking with Ayana. "The teacher's I've had are pretty nice, and most of the other students say the same about their teachers" she nods. "As long as you do your best, you should do fine, even if your grades aren't perfect."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Oh thank goodness," Ayana replies as she follows Ikiko towards the exit from the garden park. "That sounds so much better than what my friends were saying about the other places I've been. Apparently if you even get middling grades at Infinity University they will put you in detention and make you relearn the material you didn't do as well on. It's really scary."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata shudders at the description of Infinity University. "They're just saying that to scare you, right?" she asks nervously. "I know you have to either be rich or skilled to go there, but that sounds a bit extreme!"<br /><br />She's suddenly very, very glad she goes to Seishou.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I don't know," Ayana replies with a shake of her head. "It's just what I heard from the students, there. Maybe they were lying to scare me off because I'm too stupid for their school anyways, but if it was a lie to scare me, it totally worked. I'm not going there for any reason. Not even if my parents make me; I'll run away, first." She grins lopsidedly at Ikiko, showing fang again, then asks, "So what other clubs are you a part of? Or is it just the animal club? Do you think they'd let me join if I came to Seishou next term? Oh! Would I be able to join the animal club /and/ be on a sports team of some kind?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata gives Ayana a hug. "It'd be cool if you went to Seishou, because then we could see each other more often!" she smiles. "I'm not an official member of any of the other clubs, but I'm usually willing to help out if a sports club needs a hand with something."<br /><br />She thinks for a bit on Ayana's ideas. "You should be able to join the Animal Care club once you're enrolled at Seishou, yeah," she nods. "Might even be able to help with some of the club stuff over break, although there's not a lot of things going on. Being in multiple clubs is okay, although you might have to balance your time between them."<br /><br />She headtilts inquisitively. "What sports did you have in mind?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana lets out a little squeak at the hug from the shorter girl, then smiles at Ikiko and turns to return the hug with double the enthusiasm. "Maybe I will, then," she says thoughtfully. "But we'll see." As they continue walking, she dwells on the question of sports, then shrugs. "I'm a good runner, and jumper. I dunno, sports always seemed like they'd be fun, but I've never played any. I just thought it could be fun, you know? Do you play any sports?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata squeaks slightly at the enthusiastic response hug, a smile spreading on her face. "I'm usually up for a friendly game of soccer or volleyball, but I'm not always big on organized sports," she remarks. "Being active and having fun are the big things; winning and losing, not so much."<br /><br />She thinks about the strengths Ayana mentioned. "Maybe you should give basketball a try?" she suggests. "There's a decent amount of both running /and/ jumping in that sport!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yeah, maybe," agrees Ayana with a thoughtful look. "I'm not great at throwing, though, so ... maybe not. Soccer sounds like fun, though. I haven't ever played, but I like to watch it. Oh hey, is that your donut shop?" she asks, motioning to a place just a few shops away.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata blinks as Ayana points out a donut shop. She had been so focused on the conversation she had missed the turn for Kaoru's donut stand a couple blocks ago! "Oh, whoops, wasn't the one I was thinking of," she admits sheepishly. "Still, this place has decent donuts, and it's better than doubling back to the other place."<br /><br />She takes a sniff of the air -- they're in luck, a fresh batch just got done cooking! "Come on! A fresh donut is the best donut!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Is it?" Ayana asks curiously. "I've never had them fresh; just rummaged for what's left when no one else wants them anymore." She follows Ikiko into the shop and then pauses and looks down at her feet. "Ikichan ... how did I forget my sandals?" she asks, frowning. "Man, I'm going to get in so much trouble. Oh well," she says, then hops forward and straight up to the counter to peer through the glass. "What kind of donut should I get?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata headtilts at Ayana's odd phrasing, but doesn't ask about it. Instead, she looks over the assorted donuts. "Hmmm... all of them are good, but we probably don't want to get too full now," she muses, then beams. "Oh! I know!"<br /><br />She walks over to the lady behind the counter. "Two jelly-filled donuts, please!" Money is exhanged for donuts, and Ikiko walks over to Ayana, offering one of the donuts. "Here you go! This felt like a good flavor."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana wiggles her bare toes as she accepts the donut, then peers about the confection from both sides before finally sinking her teeth in. So bared, the fangs are a good deal more obvious, now. She eats hastily, taking big sudden bites, and soon the donut is mostly gone--mostly because at least a tenth of it winds up on her chin, her hands, and her dress. She doesn't even bother to /chew/; just takes big bites and swallows them whole like an animal. When the donut's all gone, the girl licks her lips, and then her fingers, then says, "That was really good. Thanks."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata looks slightly askance at Ayana. "It usually tastes better when you chew on it," she says, taking a napkin and carefully dabbing at the donut shrapnel left on the older girl's face.<br /><br />The sight of the fangs makes her realize why they seem both familiar and off: they're similar to her own fanglies as Tsukiko! Someone with teeth like that in their everyday form?<br /><br />Might be some sort of errant curse or the like.<br /><br />Well, as long as it's not causing too many problems, is there a need to bring it up? It'd probably be a good idea to keep a friendly eye on her, just in case the curse (or whatever it is) get worse.<br /><br />"Come on, just a few blocks more until the sandwich shop," Ikiko smiles to Ayana. "We should be able to get a nice meal there!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana blinks as Ikiko wipes off her face, then reaches up to touch her chin. "Woops," she says, then grins at Ikiko. Of her fangs and the attraction they are drawing, she seems utterly unaware. "Why would it taste better if you chew it?" she asks as they start out of the shop. "That seems like such a waste of time. I can still taste it in my mouth now, /and/ it is entirely in my belly. So good."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ah, but you can /enjoy/ the flavor longer when you chew!" Ikiko points out. "Get every bit of flavor from the food, /then/ swallow. Why rush something enjoyable?"<br /><br />The walk to the sandwich shop is a relatively short one. "So, what do you want on your sandwich?" Ikiko asks Ayana as they walk into the shop.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana frowns at the idea of 'enjoying' your food. "But then someone might steal it," he says, then shake sher head. As they reach the sandwich shop, she bounces forward again, wiggling her bare toes as she considers the options. "Umm, ham, and pepperoni, and beef, and egg, and turkey, and mustard," she declares. "Why don't they have tuna?" she asks unhappily. "Oh well."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata gives a slight shrug. To each their own, she supposes. "I'll have pepperoni, cheddar, and alfalfa sprouts on wheat, plain," she smiles to the person making the sandwiches.<br /><br />After a few moments, the sandwiches are ready. Ikiko pays for them, then sits at a table with Ayana, handing the meat-heavy sandwich to the other girl. "Itadakimasu~" she smiles, then takes a bite of the sandwich.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana starts to take a bite of her sandwich without even offering her thanks. But a moment before the sandwich reaches her mouth, she hears Ikiko's call, and it forces her to hesitate. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the familiar knows the phrase and its meaning. She winces at her mistake, then sets the sandwich down and hastily declares, "Itadakimasu!"<br /><br />Saved by the last minute memory! Ayana picks upt he sandwich and takes a big bite, and once again fails to chew. "Mmmmm, tasty," she says after swallowing. "So what are you planning to do during the summer break?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Probably work on my personal club project," Ikiko mentions after another bite or two of sandwich. "Plus hanging out with friends, and at some point I should probably work on my break homework."<br /><br />She thinks for a moment. "How about you? You mentioned that you recently moved here; did you have any plans for this summer?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>With a shake of her head, Ayana admits, "No, just ... trying to learn the city. Where I came from was much simpler, and Tokyo is very confusing at times. What's your personal club project?" she asks curiously. "Do you want any help with it?" She goes back to eating quickly, not heeding Ikiko's advice about savouring the food.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata nods. "I help feed the stray dogs across Tokyo," she mentions. "Not every day, mind you; just the occasional meal to help them out."<br /><br />A sneaky smile crosses her face. "Of course, there's a /lot/ of Tokyo, and several strays scattered across the entire city, so while I don't feed /all/ of them every day, I usually spend /most/ days feeding strays in different neighborhoods."<br /><br />Another bite of sandwich. "Having an extra set of hands would make it easier," she admits. "I'm usually limited by how much I can carry; the more food I bring along, the more I can get done each day, which means the more time I have for other things!"<br /><br />She gives Ayana a bright smile. "Would you like to help? I'm sure the dogs will be more friendly if they think of you as someone who gives them food."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"... oh," Ayana replies, then winces and puts her sandwich down. She drums her fingers atop it, then shakes her head. "No, I'd probably just get in your way," she admits. "Like I said, dogs don't like me. And if I'm offering them food they /really/ don't like me. They just take the food and then chase me off. It's not fun."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata reaches over and pats Ayana's shoulder. "It's okay; I'm sure we can find something else to do together during summer break," she smiles.<br /><br />Although that /is/ a strange behavior for a dog being fed. Well, maybe the dogs from where Ayana came from are more standoffish, and are more wary around people. It could happen.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"... 'we'?" Ayana repeats the word, looking up to meet Ikiko's eyes with uncertainty. "I mean ... are you sure?" she asks. "I don't want to take you away from your project. I really do want to help, I just know it isn't a good idea. But ... but I don't have any friends here, yet. I really would love to spend the summer doing things with you and your friends, if it's alright."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata gives Ayana a hug! "Of /course/ I'd like to hang out with you this summer!" she smiles. "The project doesn't take up all of my time; having help would just mean that I'd be able to spend larger amounts of time doing other things," Fewer trips needed = less time spent travelling to/from locations = less time needed to be spent on her 'project', after all.<br /><br />"I'll be sure to introduce you to some of my other friends," she adds. "I also made a friend pretty recently, and it sounds like I'll be able to meet a friend of hers soon! Maybe all of us can become good friends!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana squeaks at the hug, but doesn't argue it. This time, though, she also doesn't return it. "I'd like that," she agrees quietly, then chews on her lip with those fanged teeth of hers as she considers the idea a bit further. Then, suddenly, her eyes widen, and she admits, "I need to go. Do you have a pen so I can give you my number?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Even better -- I have my phone!" Ikiko replies, pulling out her cellphone. Trading numbers is a cinch, especially when you can doublecheck the info with the other person right there.<br /><br />Still, if Ayana has to go, then Ayana must go. "Take care, Ayana!" Ikiko smiles to her newest friend. "Until we meet again!" She still has part of her sandwich, and being in an air-conditioned building feels nice; staying here to finish her sandwich sounds like a good idea.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana hastily exchanges numbers in her well-foxed phone, then hesitates just long enough to give Ikiko a breif hug. "It was great to meet you, Ikiko-chan," she says, before grabbing what's left of her sandwich and beating feet--literally, since she left her sandals at the park--to run away fast as she can.<br> <br>
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