2742/The Incredible Shrinking Pengu

The Incredible Shrinking Pengu
Date of Scene:	13 June 2017
Location:	Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - King Penguin Park
Synopsis:	Takara returns to a certain park for the first time since childhood. Andmeets a Naru.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Takara Himura

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Naru Osaka has posed:
It is a rather beautiful day at the park. The sun is shining, there's people jogging and playing catch and walking dogs and there's the sound of children playing on the playground now that the school day is over. Barely over, truthfully, but over sufficiently such that no one looks askance at school aged youth not being at said schools.

It's also a perfect day to take a breather. Probably not much of one, but enough to let a Naru be found under a tree, sprawled out lazily with a sketchbook and a to-go cup of coffee, watching the world go by as she draws.

Takara Himura has posed:
Sometimes it's good to get out and get some fresh air to clear one's mind. Takara has a lot to think about after last weekend's battle, and this park is one of the few things she has strong memories of when she was a child in Japan. She walks along one of the paths leading to the large penguin slide, her cane tapping back and forth keeping her on track.

When she gets there, she runs her hands fondly along the large play structure, and sighs. "Oh, Pengu-tan. You've grown so small."

Naru Osaka has posed:
It really isn't so very far from Naru's choice of shade and the play structure. She glances up at the sigh and the voice that is not the high pitched squeal of overdelighted very small children. There's a smile as she watches Takara run her hands along the structure and a soft little giggle at that reality. So much that loomed so very large in childhood holds true in adolescence, and no doubt will be all the more true in full adulthood.

"Clearly it shrunk in the rain." Naru comments, her voice full of gentle teasing and shared amusement.

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara's grin turns from slight to wide at the comment. "Well, that's what you get when you don't wash your Pengus properly." Her accent has an American drawl to it, which is unsurprising considering her naturally blonde hair and striking so-blue-they're-almost-white eyes. She turns to face the new person, still grinning. "It's been ages since I've been here," she explains.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It hasn't changed." Naru assures with a touch of a laugh. "It hasn't changed a bit since I climbed on it as a little kid, other than the paint fading a bit, and it must have gotten new sand at some point."

There's a moment of quiet before Naru ventures to ask. "You've visited Tokyo often, then?"

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura runs a hand over the play structure again. "Feels smoother, too," she agrees. "I used to live here when I was a kid," the blind girl exlpains. "Moved out to America when I was six or so?" A tilt of her head shows that she's processing some mental math. "Yeah. About that age." She takes a deep breath, and lets it out with a sigh, "We just moved back here after ten years or so out there."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Welcome back, then." Naru offers at that, twisting herself to come from laying in the grass up to seated in the grass. A position more condusive to conversation. "What school are you at? Cant' be Seishou, or I'd think you'd be in my class." She settles her sketchbook on her lap, clearly letting it just sit in the grass unattended is too far from her reach.

Takara Himura has posed:
"Verone," answers Takara. "They've got a good program there for blind students like me. Still getting settled in, though," she admits. "And getting used to this weird culture shock, where everything is so different yet so familiar."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hunh. I didn't know that Verone had a program for blind students, that's pretty cool." Naru hunhs softly and then she wrinkles her nose with a wry little grin. "I can totally imagine. Kinda familiar, but little kid memories, which are completely different. And the city's changed a fair bit in ten years too, which doesn't help at all. I mean, heck, it feels like the city has changed a lot in the last two years, let alone ten."

Takara Himura has posed:
"Yeah," Takara agrees, "It's pretty new and not something that people outside of the community would know about." She dips her head in a nod. "Add onto that that America and Japan is soooooo different culturally." She grins, and scratches at the back of her head, "I mean, Mom was good at trying to keep everything... 'authentic,' I guess, because she knew we'd come back here eventually and she didn't want me to forget my roots. But still," she says tilting her head to face the sun, to feel the warmth on her face.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I've never been to America." Naru shakes her head a little. "I've been to Europe, but not all the way to America. I know what you see on movies and the like.. I dunno.. is it actually /like/ that? It feels so over the top, it can't actually be real, just movie-stupid." She pauses a moment. "Then again, Paris was a little bit like the movies, just not entirely."

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura sucks on her teeth in thought. "I guess it depends on the movie?" she answers. "I mean, I don't really /watch/ a lot of movies because I miss half of what's going on, unless its' really dialogue heavy." A shrug shows that she doesn't feel like she's missing out on much, though. "But, yeah. There's parts of America that's just movie-stupid. I mean. You can't really judge it from that, though. Can you imagine what Americans think of use if all they ever see is our anime?'

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru can't help but giggle at the notion of all of Japan being judged based on anime. "Well. Depending on the anime.. they aren't exactly /wrong/." Monsters, magical girls, dramatic costume changes and unreasonable timing? More accurate than most are willing to acknowledge.

"I'm Naru, by the way. Even if we're not at the same school, I've a bunch of friends at Verone. Rei, just to start. And Daisuke. Alex too, if he's actually got let back in." Naru muses a moment, drifted off in thought on the topic of Alexis.

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura quirks an eyebrow at Naru? "Oho? Did Japan change /that/ much when I was away?" she chuckles. She stands up straight to introduce herself, anyway. "I'm Takara, and I've met Alex. I think. Big guy, built like a brick, and ... German?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Nice to meet you, Takara." Naru offers and then she laughs softly. There's a nod, even if Takara can't see it. "Clearly, you have met Alex. Built like a brick, indeed. Super sweet guy, too, once you get past the blustery. I hope he went back to school."

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura grins in wicked amusement, "Yeah, thats where I ran into him." She smacks her hands together producing a loud clap. "BAM! Ran me right over."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Doh!" Naru winces a touch. "So you know better than most just exactly how built like a brick he is. I hope you didn't get hurt or anything." She pats the ground. "You'd be welcome to join me, although I'm just sitting on the ground being lazy and drawing instead of doing homework."

Takara Himura has posed:
"Hah!" Takara barks out in laughter. "It wouldn't be the first time that somebody knocked me to the ground. Won't be the last." She tilts her head listening to the ground patting and moves her way over to sit in the shade. "When you're blind, you gotta be tough when it comes to running into things, because it happens a lot"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I can imagine. I mean.. just being vaguely oblivious is enough to get knocked around some, I can imagine that you find some things the hard way a /lot/." Naru leans forward a little, elbows on knees, her sketchbook still tucked in her lap. "You need to totally develop spidey senses." She grins at the idea. "Although perhaps swinging from building to building would just be begging for trouble."

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura's laugh is free and light spirited, "Totally. I mean, I can kinda do it if I concentrate." She leans back onto her elbows, getting comfy as she talks. "I'm on the Kendo team, and when I put my mind to it, I can tell what the other guy is doing." A lock of blond hair gets blown by the wind into her face, which she tries to move it by blowing at it. "And a few other parlour tricks, too."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Kendo sounds good." Naru doesn't seem phased by a blind girl doing martial arts. "Hannah keeps pestering me to try kickboxing, but I havne't yet. I tend to prefer solo sports, rather than things with a partner. Although I suppose it is nice to have someone to run with now and then, just not always. How did you get into kendo?"

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura purses her lips before answring, perhaps cryptically, "Swordsmanship runs in the family." She shrugs, "Turned out I had a bit of talent to it despite my disability, and it keeps me in shape." She chuckles, "I mean, what else was I going to do? Track and field? Gymnastics?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Cool. It sounds really empowering." Naru nods at the cryptic, if still reasonable answer. "I mean, I certainly know that just getting in shape was really empowering for me, and I dont have a sword in hand when I do it." She laughs softly. "I'm a runner, and even /I/ think track and field at school is possibly one of the more miserable experiences. It's totally not the same even a /little/."

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura laughs again, the sound light and airy. "I guess. I mean, I never really thought about it that way. It's just something I like to do and that I'm good at."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"If you don't have to actively think about how to find things empowering, and you just randomly take up Kendo, I think you're doing pretty well." Naru declares with a nod and a grin. "Having a hobby you both like /and/ you're good at, that's basically win, though." She stretches her legs out and then sighs softly. "I should probably accept that homework is not doing itself while I sit in the park."

Takara Himura has posed:
Takara Himura chuckles, "Nope. It's not. Mine isn't either," she says, getting up to her feet. "It was good meeting you, Naru!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Good to meet you as well! Take care, Takara. Hopefully I'll run into you again soon." Naru comments as she gets to her feet as well, her sketchbook getting shoved in her bag. "Although I'll aim to avoid doing that literally."