In the evening, there's not that big of a flow of people along the donut stand. Which apparently seems to work just *fine* for the one foreign teenager in a brown leather jacket that has gotten himself leaning against the corner of the stand, with a slightly-nibbled-on-donut held in a hand that isn't stuck into his pocket.
The bruises that some people might remember seeing on him before have more or less healed up, now, but his nose still bears a bandaid on it. And nearby, a black-red Suzuki motorcycle has been propped against a convenient lightpost.
Kyouko's conbenie sells donuts, and she gets to take the extras home for free if they don't sell. This generally fulfills her donut needs, but sometimes one just has a craving for something a little bit.. classier. Conbenie donuts are fine, on a daily basis, but they're no comparison for artisan donuts from an honest-to-goodness donut shop. Or stand, as the case may be.
This is why, on her way home from work, Kyouko has swung by the donut stand in question. She comes wandering up, glad to see there isn't much of a line, looking like nothing particularly special in her standard jeans, sneakers, and black t-shirt. Work uniform- easy to put that orange apron on overtop of.
She walks up to the counter and orders a half-dozen donuts.. picking three for herself and three she thinks Momo will like. She's just turning away, bag in hand, when she catches sight of Alex leaning against the edge of the stand. Red eyes narrow for a moment, until she remembers where she recognizes him from. "Oy," she comments. "You're that friend of Naru-chan's, ain't ya?"
Lacrima is sitting at a table near the stand. She is her usual, long purple hair, pale self. She is eating donuts. In fact. There are five boxes of donuts around her. And they're all empty. She is eating potentially the last donut of these boxes.
She picks up the boxes and places them into a trash can nearby. She spots a familar motorcycle.
"Ah... the German." she says in her usual deadpan manner.
Her eyes scan around as she turns around and spots him. and...
Kyouko Sakura.
She slowly frowns and begins to approach anyways. "Alexis. Was it? Hello Alexis." she says.
Then she merely turns her head to Kyouko. "Kyouko Sakura." she says in regardance. No hello. At least she.. aknowledged her?
She just sucks at this social thing nowadays.
Alex takes a bite out of the donut he has in his hand before he addresses Kyouko, even if his gaze has settled onto her by now. "ANd you," he says after he swallows the mouthful of the pastry. "Are the sparring partner." Another bite. "Small town, I guess."
Speaking of small town,Lacrima's voice comes carrying over to his ears too, and his green gaze flicks over to her. "...Real small," he murmurus on, and lifts the donut-bearing hand upwards slightly. "Yo."
"Yeah, the name's-" Kyouko is about to give her name, when Lacrima walks up from the other side and essentially gives it for her. Her eyes narrow slightly and she turns to regard the pale, purple-clad girl. "Yeah. Kyouko Sakura." She affirms, sounding none-too-pleased to find this particular donut-eater addressing her.
It's not like she had anything in particular to say to Alex anyway, but now that Lacrima is here and obviously wants to talk to him, she can't just walk away immidiately. That would be akin to retreating. So instead, she lifts her chin slightly and says, "Maybe it is a small town.. 'course, these are the best donuts in it, so even if it ain't, it's no surprise to find people here."
Yuzuki Amemori has her crash case protected laptop slung over one shoulder, her headphones around her neck and is wearing her dust mask, heavy hooded hoodie and reinforced denim pants along with a pair of rough looking leather boots with part of the steel toe showing. She ignores everyone else in a desperate bid for donuts, at least two. Preferably more. She fidgets in line and makes her order quickly, then finds it in herself to turn around and see who else is around. There's purple, red and German. She offers a cheeky grin at the German, but doesn't wave. The others though, she asks, "Yooo!" seeming to be in an otherwise good mood kind of thing.
Lacrima head tilts at Alexis. "I'm..." weird pause. "Glad to see you are well. Is it a nice day for motorcycle riding today? At least...." ... "Better than yesterday?" she asks curiously.
He eyes glance over to Kyouko. Frown again.
"And yes, the donuts here are very good." she says matter of factly.
She glances over to Yuzuki and head tilts at her, she looks back to the other two.
"Someone either of you know?"
"I did actually remember your name, shockingly enough," Alex points out to KYouko with a briefly-amused smile, but it fades away pretty quickly with the... uh, "interaction" between Lacrima and her, him sending bemusedly suspicious looks between the two. "Oh, uh..." It distracts him enough that Lacrima's question actually takes hi moff guard briefly. "Much better. Yes."
And then there's Yuzu. He gives her a bit of a *look* first, for... whatever reason, but it is sent away with a quiet sigh soon enough. "Hey, Yuzu," he sends her way thus, instead, and lifts his donut-bearing hand again. "Want a donut?" ... One might assume he's not actually offering the half-eaten one he currently has.
"Yeah? Well good. I know you must meeta lot of people." Kyouko says to Alex, in a somewhat-snarky tone, although it's more chop-busting than it is genuinely mocking. She doesn't seem to be particularly defensive around Lacrima, though it's clear by the way that she subtly shifts away from the shorter girl that she doesn't exactly relish her company.
Then Yuzu is pulling up, and Kyouko turns to regard her with a slightly arched eyebrow. She doesn't know this girl, and so she shrugs. "No, but clearly this kid does." She says, jerking her thumb towards Alex. "Either way. I should be gettin' these donuts home.. My sister'll kill me if they go stale before I get there."
Yuzuki Amemori reaches behind her and grabs her order of donuts, a half dozen at random. She holds them up and says, "Thanks, got it covered though!" and makes her way over to the group. Finding a seat, she bites into her first donut, savors it for a few moments then asks Alex, "How are the coffee burns?" Then coughs and says, "The chemical burns?"
There's a wave to the other two and a grin, "I'm Yuzuki Amemori, student of Infinity. Nice to... sort of meet all of you?"
Lacrima head tilts. "I do not enjoy stale donuts. I imagine. Others may not." she says a little at Kyouko as she looks back at Alexis. "Good. I can really only imagine riding a motorcycle. They don't really intrest me in the driving aspect." she says softly.
Her eyes trace iver ti Yuzuki. "My name is..."
"Norie." just straight Norie. No last name. Besides. She looks nothing like the missing girl right now. Nope.
She looks back to Alexis. "Did you get into a fight?" she asks.
"...You could say that, yes," Alex answers Norie's question with just the briefest hint of sheepishness in his voice and expression alike.
"Oh *yeah*," gets directed at Kyouko then, snarky tone meeting snark. "*All* of them. All over the world. I can *hardly* keep up."
It's finally Yuzu that his attention ends up falling on agian, and largely focusing on too. Mostly on account of what she lets slip there, and his eyes narrow suspiciously. "...Coffee?" He repeats the word quietly, before he shakes his head. "They weren't bad. Didn't even leave a mark for the next morning."
"Well, I'd hate to make things more difficult for you. I know kids like you ain't necessarily got the brains to keep up." Kyouko laughs a little bit, shaking her head.. before turning to start to head down the sidewalk towards home.
On the way, she gives Yuzu a passing smile and a brief wave. "How's it goin'?" But that's all she has time to give, as she has a hungry sister to take care of.
Lacrima is just given a look, as if to say, 'don't cause any trouble', but at least she doesn't say anything out loud. "See you around." This is given in general, before she departs.
Yuzuki Amemori smiles at Alexis and says, "The chemical burn from the coffee shop, the weird guy out there. That one." She's pretty sure that's good enough. He bought that the guy was leaking chemical burn goo anyway! "Still, good thing it didn't leave a mark, burns like that are a pain."
To Norie she smiles cheerily as well, "Oh! Nice to meet you Norie!" She doesn't ask for a last name or comment on anything else right away. Though after a moment she furrows her brow, "Where's that name from anyway?" Nope, she doesn't read the news it seems. Or listen to it even.
Kyouko's smile is also returned, because she's in a good mood. "Going great! Had a fun show, no sandstorms this time either." Then she's given a wave, "Seeya!" before stopping and trying to remember, did she get the name? Oh well.
Lacrima frowns and merely watches Kyouko leave. Her head turns back to Yuzuki as she says. "It came from my parents." she says matter of factly. It is a deadpan snark answer. She doesn't now who Yuzuki is. Anyways.
She looks back to Alexis. "So you got into a fight. With Coffee? Did someone throw coffee on you?..." she asks subconciously brining a hand up to rub it across her shoulder as she seems to be searching her thoughts, eyes running skyward.
She forgets what warm and hot feels like.
"Yeah, yeah, I remember," Alex mutters to Yuzu and waves his hand lightly to her general direction before he blinks his eyes in surprise at Lacrima. "What? N-... no? Not as far as I know?" Another quick, suspicious glance sent to Yuzu. "I just kinda... get into fights a lot in general, I guess.
Yuzuki Amemori looks at Norie at that answer and says, "Clearly. What Kanji does it use?" her tone is a flat tone itself. Though she is coming down off of the excitement from the show finally. With a bite of donut, she says mostly shrugs it off. She wants to be a grouch, she can be a grouch.
"He was burned at a coffee shop. By a funny looking guy. Osaka-san got him taken care of and probably made him all fuzzy blush-y. I took care of the guy, chased him off." With a sword. And by chased off, she means she smacked the youma with it.
"We met him with a broken nose. I think he's trying to see how far the human body cna go before it screams in protest."
Lacrima looks to Yuzuki. "It doesn't use Kanji." she says matter of factly as she looks back to Alexis as she purses her lips, just a moment, before they straighten into that deadpan expression, just ever so softly.
"A funny looking guy?" she asks.
She looks to Alexis. "Ah."
"Does Naru make you blush?" she asks.
Aaaaand Yuzu and Norie collectively nearly cause Alex to choke on his donut. COUGH. "Wh-- Why do people keep saying that??" He mumbles out, with just the FAINTEST hint of red briefly appearing on his cheeks. "That's... I mean, we're friends, that's all... geez..."
"You know," he goes on then, directly addressing Yuzu now. "IT's not like I got my nose broken on *purpose*. Things liket hat just sorta happen."
Yuzuki Amemori twirls her finger and pulls her hoodie off of one arm, then hikes her sleeve and shows a bandage with a faint red line visible. "See, we all get hurt! But in my case, it was once!" And because she overvalued her armor. Something she won't be doing again. She got an earful about it that night from Hakuomaru who kept telling her to dodge any time she tried to argue anything else. Cough.
"Friends huh? I wonder what she'd say if you told her that~" Yuzu just likes watching the guy blush, it's funny. At least she's not being too bad about it. Beat, "Have you gone to a hospital about your nose yet? Last time you hadn't, but I mean, a good idea right?" To Norie, she nods, "Yeah, funny looking creepy-weird. Left black sludge behind." Beat, "I went to a police box after chasing him off."
Lacrima looks to Alexis. She frowns a bit, at him. "If you feel love for this girl. You should not deny it. You are lucky. I can't feel that.... love. or happy. Many things like that." she says gently. "Most positive emotions. Really." she says.
She looks back to Yuzu, who immediatly has her attention.
"...black sludge...?" she asks. She takes a step forward.
"How funny?" she asks.
"Tch," Alex sounds out with a roll of his eyes over Yuzu's words. "So I get into a rough spots often, then. What of it? Like I said, stuff *happens*, but I'm not gonna let a couple bruises or whatever keep me down."
And she just keeps teasing! Alex lets out a groan and mutters, "I dunno, probably the same thing, right?" Eyes snap to Norie. "...OH come on, not you too..." He whines, and buries his face against one hand for a moment. "Why's it gotta be like that when a guy is friends with a girl..."
"You know, funny that..." He says then, more soberly, and with an obviously suspicious tone. "I never actually saw any sludge or anything. Just... looked like a homeless dude or somethin'."
Yuzuki Amemori shakes her head and says, "Nah nah, you just missed it, Osaka pointed it out, remember?" Well she's not sure if she did or not, but that's a good enough lie. He was out of it anyway, right?
The reaction gets a grin from her, "Oh oh, because you do that every time! You should ask her out. Or something, don't take my advice. I'm a music nerd recluse."
Then there's suddenly a Norie stepping towards her. "Haha funny, he folded super quick and was gone just like that. The goo was probably just some kind of oil or something." Totally not coffee, no ma'am.
Lacrima frowns slowly at Yuzuki. "May I ask where this happened?" she asks. Beings that drip 'black sludge' intrest her. Mainly because she's such a thing. And if there could be someone else...
Someone else like her...
Well. Hope isn't a thing she feels. Maybe eagerness. To find out.
She looks back to Alexis. "I am merely stating a fact." she says plainly. "If you do not like her such a way, then you do not. But if you do. You should also not deny it." she says.
"Who knows what may change or happen, in such a short period of time, afterall?" she asks.
Then she looks around.
"I want more donuts."
She walks back towards the Donut Truck for a moment.
"Do what every time?!" Alex asks with a protesting tone and a huff let out-- and speaking of, his cheeks gain ab ti more red again at that particular suggestion. "What are you talking about? She wouldn't do that even if I did." Yeah, that's actually his chosen form of protest.
The further explanation (as it is) is... well, Alex doesn't seem like he's *fully* convinced, but rather than arguing or questioning it further, he instead mutters, "I guess..." He might be leaving that to mull in his head, though.
Yuzuki Amemori watches Norie quietly, "It was out front of the coffee shop, like I've said. The smell overwhelmed everything, it's why I thought the sludge was coffee at first." Which is close enough.
She snrks at Norie's statements to Alex, to which she adds, "You blush and get all embarassed looking. It's funny."
Lacrima softly returns with three boxes of donuts. Three boxes. Three Dozen. She places them on a nearby table and she begins eating. Donut in hand. To mouth.
Mind you she just threw out five boxes earlier.
She looks over to Yuzuki and hrmmmms a bit as she taps her bottom lip. She looks back to Alexis. "A date could be novel." she says softly.
She's already removing another donut from the box. Nomnomnom.
"I have *no* idea what you are talking about," Alex grumbles back at Yuzu. He is totally not pouting. Maybe he is a little. Just a tad.
Norie's return catches the attention of his eye, and he turns to llook at... not at her, but rather at the piles of donuts. And then at the trash bin filled with donut boxes. "Uh..."
Yuzuki Amemori watches Norie go through the donuts with some degree of amazement. "Uh, are you sure you should be eating so many Norie? That can't be healthy..." She then quickly shakes her head and grins at Alex, "Oh come on, you're going to say you're not interested? The way you go red? I bet you'd stammer asking her to a movie too~"
Lacrima says. "I will be fine." she says matter of factly. She technically doesn't have a stomach! This stuff just kinda dissolves into the inky dark matter she's made up of. It provides no sustence.
Eating is just the most human thing she can do in her current state. So she does it a lot. Obviously.
"Oh. I'm sorry. Did you want some?" she asks. "You can help yourself." she says matter of factly with that straight faced deadpan.
She looks between the two. "If you do not like Naru enough to ask her someplace. That's fine." she says curtly.
Alex looks down at the napkin left behind by the donut he's finished by now, and then at the mountain of donuts in front of Norie. "...A little bit, actually," he admits. They are pretty delicious, truth be told.
"I don't stammer!" He protests over Yuzu's continued teasing -- which, honestly is an outright lie. And now he's peeking off to the side and sheepishly scratching a single finger along his cheek. "I keep telling you, anyway... I don't think it's like that..."
Yuzuki Amemori watches Norie start in on the donuts before asking, "Are you sure? I don't know if sugar comas are a thing, but that kind of load would definitely test the theory." She rests her chin on her hand and looks at her second donut, now unsure after watching Norie dig into... lots.
She snrks at the outburst and says, "Fine fine, you don't stammer, you just blush and get all funny about it. It's charming, in a silly way. Or funny, but I haven't tried asking a girl out either so I can't tease too much."
Lacrima once ate twenty five ham and cheese burritos. This is like nothing. She shakes her head. "I will not go into a sugar coma. Thank you for your concern." she says flatly as she continues to eat donuts. Not at a super alarming rate, it's like clockwork though. Timed movements.
"You don't think it's like that?" she asks.
"Either you think."
"or you know." she says flatly.
"Still don't know what you are talking about," Alex continues insisting right back at Yuzu. It probably doesn't even sound that convincing anymore.
Norie's flat input actually draws a surprised blink from him, and he tosses another look back to Yuzu's way, like he's just trying to see if she's going to put some input to *that*. Eventually, he just murmurs, quietly, "...It's not like that." That one very particular word has now been omitted.
Yuzuki Amemori thinks it's bad when she marathons food and drinks during and after shows, but Norie puts her to shame. She eventually gets over her shock and takes another bite of her own donut, albeit at a much slower pace. "Wonder what he realy thinks~?"
Turning to Alex, she laughs sogtly and says, "It's not huh? Well, if you're sure I'll stop teasing. I don't think it is though for some reason!"
Lacrima tosses the now empty box aside and actually begins on the /second/. "I should probably save the third to bring home and share with Jia-chan..." she mutters softly under her breath. Like. She was going to eat the third.
Yeah.
"Then that's that then, isn't it?" she asks Alexis.
She holds out box. For more donuts.
She's still been dreadfully deadpan this entire time.
"I guess so..." Alex murmurs with some faint sheepishness in response to Norie's question. Only for his shoulders to go slumping downwards right after when he turns to Yuzu. "...I think you are starting to make me feel very confused about everything, actually," he mutters. "It's not like I don't *like* her, anyway. Just-- I don't think it's like that. I don't have any particular reason to think any other way." ...What a strange way to put it.
Yuzuki Amemori checks her phone as it vibrates. Standing up, she brushes herself off, smiles ot bth and says, "Well it was nice meeting you Norie, I hope your day goes better." She offers a genuine smile after before looking to Alex with a grin and a laugh. "If it's not like that, you shouldn't trip over yourself and stop worrying about it all!" She then stands up and starts to head off, waving to both
Lacrima softly looks to Yuzu. "Very well." she says. She looks back at Alexis and frowns a bit as she offers the rest of this box to him. "Here." she says. "You can have the rest of these." there's like four left of a dozen. Already.
"I hope you figure out your feelings before something happens. Things can change in an instant... overnight..." she says.
Then she seems pondering. And very sad for a moment as her mind seems to drift, but then seems to come back to reality for a moment. "I will be going now aswell, Alexis. Auf Wiedersehen." she says.
She'll turn, and begin to leave unless Alexis stops her.
"Uh... thank you..." Alex murmurs sheepishly over the offered donuts, and just-as-sheepishly movves himself over to take the box. But-- her words leave him quiet for a moment. Somberly so, and thoughtful.
"...Right," he eventually says, though it might be hard to tell wether it's in response to her warning or the words of passing. Either way, he nods to her when she gets up and offers to her, in turn, "...Take care of yourself."