►(Persona 4/Multifandom) CASTING SHADOWS -literate-OPEN◄

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[CatFish0712]

Yvette Freimjahren

Their gazes eventually met, but instead of starting a talk, both she and Yosuke mimicked each other's action of turning away in near unison. Apparently, the boy was still as unprepared as she was about resuming their talk.

Should she wait? But if Yosuke was waiting for her as well, the waiting game would end up with no resolution, and then she would come back home with just as much - no - even worse insecurities than last night. If she started, will the feud back in the shrine repeat itself? She knew herself well enough that she will refrain herself better this time around, but will Yosuke do the same? Surely, she wasn't the right person to answer that. Despite the delight he had shown with Fumie, she couldn't tell for sure if Yosuke won't return to his defensive self once she brought the matter up again.

Yosuke's voice came, causing her to straighten up, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes in expectation, only to find that the words were not directed to her. Instead, they were directed to the elderly Ogano before him.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, Yvette inhaled deeply, and then leaned herself toward the table, reaching for her cup of tea which was more warm than hot now, and took a sip. Yosuke and the elderly lady were conversing... leaving her in a silent wait that didn't seem to end any soon. She absently looked into the cup, seeing her reflection on the clear tea, which was a picture of fatigueness and uncertainty. The table shook lightly, perhaps from the gestures of the conversing people near her. The tea rippled for a moment, scattering the reflection on it into haphazard images. When the tea calmed, and the images came together once again, Yvette's eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn't her image reflected on the tea.

Instead, it was a stranger, with longer hair than hers, wearing winged helmet that looked so familiar...

The warrior woman figure in the TV from last night?!

Yvette blinked, but the image didn't stay. It disappeared, replaced by the reflection of her wondering face.

If you want to resolve it now, then you have to act. Right. Now. Said a voice from inside her. It didn't sound like her usual inner self talking; it sounded stronger, but still felt familiar and comforting that despite the strangeness, she wasn't startled in the slightest.

Your cause is well-intended. All you need now is a little persistence, and moderation.

Persistence and moderation...? This time, it was her talking.

Be unyielding in your pursuit for answer... but be moderate in what you demand. You shan't expect that everything will come all at once.

The strange, yet familiar inner voice struck her. She realized now that she might have too much demands to Yosuke, and that could well be the cause of the inhibition. It was her lust, the unrestrained curiosity that obscured her from her true intention of meeting Yosuke. What is he doing inside the TV? What is his goal? Who are his friends? What were they up to before they disappeared? What is that TV world? Why does it exist? All those questions weren't part of her goal. Perhaps, just perhaps, if she was to be frank and straight to the heart of her concerns, Yosuke won't be so offended.

She inhaled deeply once again, finished her tea, and lifted her head in newfound resolve. She absently listened to the conversation between Yosuke and Ogano Ayako, looking for a pause in-between. And when the chance finally came...

"I'm... sorry for interrupting, Ogano-sama, but... would you be so kind to let Yosuke-san and I move somewhere private to finish our talk from earlier? We will return to you once we settled our problem, I promise." She said slowly and softly, putting a great deal of thought with every word. Her face was turned toward Ayako, but her eyes were looking partially down, unwilling to directly meet her gaze out of respect to the elderly lady.

[Lumme]

Lumme nodded as the young man told him to put the sword off to the side to keep it away from a child, and to related he got his name right.

" I'd give her credit if she could lift it, it's weighted for strength building." He laughed a bit as he walked over to a wall, finding some hanging fixtures, and hanging it over one using it's strap, it banged softly against the wall as he left it there to find a seat.

He situated himself away from the other people here, two somewhat familiar looking faces, he remembered seeing them before, outside the shrine when he had fallen from the tree, he kind of wanted to introduce himself, but he kind of didn't.

He settled with siting close but not close, and took a look around the place, it was indeed really nice, a bit on the tiny side, but he did really think it went very well to make it an atmosphere anyone would enjoy.

Lumme sat back, and patiently waited for a menu to check out what he could try, after all, it was still only his second day here.

[Koozle]

The Ogano Family - Ayako, Nagataka, and Fumie

Really, children were so clumsy. Ayako could not help the softening of her expression as she watched the awkward glance dance between Yosuke and Yvette. One would look at the other, only for the other to look promptly away - the timing of the exchanges would have been hilarious, except it was plain both were as uncomfortable as balloons in a pin factory.Yes, she thought, quietly sipping her tea: she had been right when she assumed they wanted to apologize for the words they had not meant. They had missed many good opportunities to do so; too stubborn or too shy to, perhaps. She was jerked out of her quiet contemplation of the follies of youth and the virtues of well-brewed tea when Yosuke coughed and choked quite unexpectedly.

It seemed something under the table has startled him, but when she managed a covert glance beneath the tabletop, she saw only her grandaughter playing at some imaginary game. She could not see the way Fumie's dark eyes seemed to fix with uncanny accuracy on Jiraiya, even flickering as the Persona moved one way or the next. An expression of concern crossed her lined face as she reached out a hand to put him on the back. The gesture was not unnecessary: he almost immediately popped back up and sipped his tea to clear his throat. His comment caused her to lift her brows as she considered it.

"Hmmm... I suppose she does," Ayako agreed, giving a small nod. "She's always looking for them after it rains, or when Na-chan takes her by the river to play. Fumie's very good, though. She never tries to bring them into the house and give her poor old Granny a heart attack."

Ayako smiled fondly down at the little girl, who hopped forward and out from under the table in an aggressive burst of energy. Simultaneously, the old woman and her grandson jerked in Fumie's direction when it seemed her slim arms would give out and drop her face into the floor unexpectedly. Though she did indeed come very close to an intimate introduction with the wood grain, the infant got her legs under herself just in time and managed to more or less skid along on the hem of her skirt. She almost ended up under Lumme's feet; in the charming way of most children, she was entirely oblivious to the potential danger. Instead, Fumie made a fairly welcoming sound and then twirled on the spot. At the culmination of the spit, she ham-fisted two corners of her skirt and managed a wobbly bow.

Nagataka watched with a critical eye as she straightened and moved back to the occupied booth, and with an especially close eye when she gripped the edge of the booth and kicked against it to clamber up to her grandmother. Only when she was safely seated did he turn away, moving back toward the small kitchen. Lumme's comment - that his stick was weighted for 'strength training', caused him to lift a mental eyebrow he carefully kept out of his expression. In general, anyone in the town over the age of five who walked around carrying a stick was a hooligan. Anyone carrying around a weighted stick was almost definitely a thug. Was the world outside of Inaba stone-cold crazy? That was the only situation he could imagine in which trotting around carrying what basically amounted to a weapon, even for training purposes, was a good idea. These transfer students seemed hell-bent on waking up his sleepy home, and patient as he was, the senior was beginning to feel the stirrings of impatience.

They obviously weren't exempt from the rules, to judge by the usual gossip mills, and it was the nice thing to do to warn them before they got themselves ostracized. There was, however, slow learning, and then there was just beyond help. Which category did Lumme fall into? He did not know him well enough to guess.

He decided to err on the side of tolerance if only to be polite. He picked up one of the nine well-thumbed menus and made his way to Lumme's seat.

"Yeah? We've got a weight room in the school that'd probably do the same job and net you a few less weird looks. It's gone down some, but we used to have a real problem with motorcycle gangs in this area. People are still pretty jumpy about it."

That was fairly subtle, he figured. Hopefully, Lumme would get the hint before someone decided to forcibly teach it to him. Inaba had a funny way of enforcing the status quo at all costs: it was amazing what could get overlooked if enough people decided they simply did not like an issue. He took the other boy's order and retreated to the kitchen. In his absence, and over the sounds of cooking, the conversations in the rest of the little restaurant were plainly audible.

Ayako was chatting with Yosuke, holding Fumie on her lap and playing with the little girl's hands as she did so. Unnoticed to the old woman, her granddaughter's eyes had shifted from slightly off of Yosuke to slightly off of Yvette. The little girl's expression was curious. She looked far too aware to simply be staring. For all the world, it looked as though she were watching someone behind the older girl, though the booth beyond was plainly empty. She took her hands from her grandmother's, holding them against her temples and flapping them, like wings. The gesture made Ayako laugh as she smoothed the little girl's fine hair.

"How nice of you to ask, Hanamura-chan!" she exclaimed, genuinely pleased. "Na-chan could take a lesson in manners from you, you know. He never has any interest in what his grandfather and uncle have to say. Junsuke - that's my son - couldn't be bothered to get up, but his father was in the mood for a chat. He's well, but he says he went for a Go date with Matoh-san after a bit of a dry spell, and he's just as terrible a cheat as he ever was. He's not mad about the cheating, you know, but because Matoh-san's a good enough player not to need to cheat at all."

She chuckled, eyes softening as she cast her mind back. Yes, Shinosuke had complained awfully about playing Go with the old man who repaired watches, but he had loved those games. She could remember the way he would slam the door open and kick his shoes off, grumbling all the while even as he made his way into the house. The games had been a weekly evening tradition between the two friends who in talk could not stand one another but in practice were thick as thieves. She quite missed Maki, Matoh-san's plump wife, with her fly-away hair and homemade jams. Their grown-up son, a serial marrier on his fourth wife, was too entangled in his job to come back home and look after Maki when her husband passed away. He couldn't even be bothered to show up to the funeral, if she remembered correctly. So her friend had gone to live in a retirement complex - imagine! A child doing that to his own mother, it was just disgraceful - near her son, and the little circle of friends she had raised children with drew itself a bit tighter.

She still wrote to Maki, of course, so the sting of loss was not so keen as it might have been. Her memories were nice, after all, and as the year passed she remembered less of the bad recollections and more of those that warmed her.

She was in a good mood when Yvette cut in, and consequently was not surprised when the girl requested they be excused. She had a feeling she was not wrong about the high schooler. Yvette was a good girl, just insensitive: the callousness would fade in time as she came to know her own faults. Ayako nodded before she even answered, picking Fumie up from her lap and sliding the girl onto the seat beside her.

"Oh, dear, no need for such formality. You both can call me 'Granny.' Ayako assured Yvette; she was just a friendly old lady, after all! She'd done nothing to deserve quite that level of reverence.

Of course I don't mind, Yvette-chan, dear. In fact, would you mind using the apartment upstairs, and bringing Fumie with you? I know a certain little girl who's going to be wanting her supper soon, and I'd hate to bother Na-chan when he's so busy. If you put her in the living room, she'll mind herself, and you'll have plenty of time to chat. Na-chan?"

Nagataka, emerging with a tray containing Lumme's food, immediately looked over; his grandmother had impeccable timing, as well as the advantage of sitting in the seat facing the kitchen door.

"Na-chan, your friends are going to take Fumie up to the apartment for me while I clear the table, and then I'll go and get supper ready."

"Gran, you should be relaxing, remember? You can't push yourself, and I told you, I'll take care of it. You don't have to worry."

"What a silly thought! I'm your grandmother, dear: of course I worry. You keep that nice young guest company here, and I'll see to the mess and supper. You said yourself everything's ready to go, except for being served. I won't be exerting myself at all."

"... alright. But at least go to bed early? The neighbours said you did a lot of walking today."

"You worry so much, it's a wonder you don't have grey hairs yet. I'll be perfectly fine," Ayako sang, carefully sliding out of the booth while Nagataka set Lumme's tray in front of him, muttering an invitation to enjoy the food. Ayako began picking up the various pieces of Yosuke and Yvette's meals, refusing to validate her grandchild's concerns. Fumie, for her part, ran to the stairs to wait for the two high schoolers, cheerfully singing the teru teru bozu song in nearly unintelligible baby talk.

"Your Granny raised children, and you and Fumie, remember. I'm a tough old bird!"

Nagataka just sighed and looked rueful. He would have liked to take the trays out of her hands, but knew how well that would end - namely, not well at all. So he opted for silence and grace in defeat. He retreated to the kitchen and the sink to resume washing dishes. Ayako seemed to take the quiet clicking of dishware in water as confirmation of her victory, and smiled to her two newly-adopted charges.

"Off you go, then. You have the big worrywart's permission, so just come down whenever you're ready."

"This is My Family. I Found it All On My Own. It is Little, and Broken, But Still Good."

[Itome]

Hisako listened carefully as the boy replied to her. She couldn't help a small frown when the fox nipped at him but shrugged it off.

"Really, only a week? I feel a bit better about being new here if I'm not the only one. My grandparents grew up here but they left not long after the mines closed. I don't think there are any Inoues here anymore." She smiled as she said this, clasping her hands together infront of herself. She was pleased to have met another new person in town, at least she wouldn't be the only new face around school!

The fox's cub had led him home? It struck her as odd that a, at least slightly wild, fox's cub behaved a lot like a regular dog. Though she couldn't fault the getting lost, she probably would have gotten lost without her map, even though Inaba wasn't too big a town. Hisako decided not to push it, she could probably learn more about the fox once she was at school. Surely the local population would be able to give her a better idea about how normal that sort of behaviour in the fox and its cubs was?

"It's good to meet you Charib- ah, sorry, Chariven-san." Hisako struggled with the English V sound in his surname. She reminded herself to practice her English more often. Living in a small town didn't mean she could ignore the language.

"I hope I'm not too presumptuous in asking this but are you a student at Yasogami High? We look close in age... I'll be starting there soon, second year myself." Hisako was a bit shy about broaching such familiar conversation with someone she had just met.
However she knew that sooner or later she'd know pretty much all of her high school. It just happened in small towns. No point in remaining distant from someone who may be her senpai, classmate or even her kohai, who knew?

[Ake00]

[ Yosuke Hanamura ]

Though Yosuke made no outer movements other than setting down his tea, he did internally direct Jiraiya's attentions to Ayako's explanation. See? Pure coincidence. It wasn't so much that the little girl was preoccupied with Jiraiya (it was a little conceited of him to think so anyway), so much as she just liked frogs in general. Now would you pipe down already, it's hard enough to think with you mucking around behind me when I'm trying to have a conversation.

He could feel Jiraiya reply with an unimpressed stare, and though it was wordless, he knew exactly what was implied. Admittedly, there was another conversation that should have been taking place and wasn't. While conversation with the older woman was polite and safe, the right thing to do was to resume what he'd started with the classmate sitting at his shoulder. From the looks of it, she was starting to get the same feeling as well. He'd opened his mouth to reply to Ayako only to have Yvette interrupt and do what he should have done about ten minutes ago. Still, he could feel the reluctance slow his movements, the remnants of the argument still sitting churning sour in his stomach right alongside the distilled anger. Still, he manage to gracefully stand in place and apologize,

"Please excuse us. And thank you for everything- for the meal, and for being so understanding about this," He said and then his eyes fell on Fumie. "No, it's not a problem at all. We'll bring her up with us. Come on, Fumie, let's give Granny some peace and quiet."

He strode over to the toddler by the stairs, asked "Ready to go?" but the girl had already begun to climb the stairs. At that point Yosuke smirked and took Fumie up into his arms after Fumie reacted positively to an offer to carry her. He held her against his chest, arms folded underneath her, remembering very vividly the time his sister had railed on him for picking up the neighbor's daughter by her waist when they were younger.

The trek upstairs alongside Yvette was quiet, but it wasn't long (though Fumie was heavier than he initially had thought - They're not starving her here, that's for sure) and it wasn't long before they reached the apartment. As they stepped into the small alcove where several pairs of shoes were lined up in front of a single step, a quick look to room immediately to his right revealed a small kitchen and dining room, small but not cramped, and accented by little but a few ceramic chickens. Straight ahead of them was a stretch of hallway with five doors, two on the left and three on the right, leading up to a glass door framing a view of the balcony outside. The hallway was clear, but a few pictures graced the walls with a short, charming history of the family, some in black and white, others in vivid color. It took one glance to the left and he found what he was looking for: a living room as homely as his own. A low table sat at the center of the tatami floor with dark green cushions around it. The arrangement sat in front of a modest television and stand accompanied by a stereo system. On the other side was a small dollhouse and box of toys, pushed up against western style kitchen chair with footies at the lower part of the chair. Not quite what he was looking for...

There was however, a dark green plaid loveseat, ideal for setting Fumie down onto. So he slipped off his shoes, toeing them off carefully as to not lose his balance with Fumie in his arms and then strode inside to do just that.

"Me and Yvette-san are gonna have a talk in the other room, think you can hang out for a little here and be a good girl?" he asked. She gave a charming nod, determined and face pinched into a serious expression. At that point Yosuke shook his head and lifted the object she had been so taken with only ten minutes before. He placed the headphones around her neck carefully, fished out the MP3 player from its place tucked in his uniform jacket and set it down in her hands. "Take care of it for me. There's more of Risette's stuff on it, it's one of her better ones. You'll love it."

She was bobbing to the music again, taken with the beat and the sweet serenade that was Risette's voice. That was his cue to slip back out of the living room and back to the alcove where Yvette was waiting and decided that the kitchen was as good a place as any to talk as any and going into any one of the closed rooms seemed like an invasion of privacy when they'd already been so kindly welcomed. So he walked with Yvette into the kitchen nothing but the sound of shuffling and their feet against the tiled kitchen floor. He came to a stop between the open space and the dining room table.

When he was facing her again, his arms were crossed, hands underneath his elbows, ready for the argument to continue. Still, the change in atmosphere and not wanting to disrupt the family downstairs would definitely do wonders for both their tempers, though Yosuke could only be sure about himself.

For him, it was enough to know that not everyone in the world was out to get him and that Yvette felt just as lost as he did in his earlier days of the investigation. At least he had Souji to guide him, even if they were all really running blind, crazy and reckless in reality. With Souji at the helm, it just didn't feel that way. Yosuke had thus far been unable to create the same reassurance, as evidenced by her enraged outburst when he tried to tell her she wouldn't disappear. She didn't HAVE a Souji to lean on. All Yvette had was him, someone carrying so much baggage that he could barely get around. Even when he knew the right thing to do, even when he knew what he SHOULD have said or done based on what Souji might do, he'd still screwed it up.

Maybe he should just give up trying to act like a hero he so ostensibly wasn't and just tell it like it was. Yvette may think him a screw up, but in the end, didn't she already? Sure didn't have anything to lose now, did he? It was in that mindset that Yosuke finally shattered the tense silence. Reluctance slowed his words, but he'd grown past TRYING desperately to impress or try to be right even when he was wrong. After he'd met Souji, a lot of things in him had change. That helped him continue despite the tense atmosphere.

"Look. Before you say anything, I just wanted to say ... you were right. About all that stuff. The picture. That stupid remark about your friends. Me being alone," And he tried not to think about the implications of admitting it out loud. Think too much, and you won't sleep tonight. Just keep going. Push through. "It was a stupid thing to say."

His eyes were only on her half the time, the other half spent closed in thought or staring at nothing in particular. "I've got a big mouth when I get pissed off and when you pulled out that picture it was ..."

He stopped himself. Yosuke, SHUT UP. Stick to the point, she doesn't care about that stuff. Stop making excuses. All she cares is about what's happening to her. So tell her already.

"... I can't tell you you won't disappear. If you want that reassuring stuff, I can't give it to you. I'm not good at it anyway. What I can do is teach you what I know. Teaching you how to use what you fought last night, what you accepted into yourself, to protect you if you end up in the TV again."

He may have disappeared, but something in him allowed him passage back to the real world, when the others had even yet to appear. What he possessed or had done right in comparison to the others was lost on him, but if he taught her about her persona, about what he knew, then by chance, he just might give her the same advantage.Something that would give her the same fighting chance if the worst ever happened.

Only there was one thing he had to say before anything else could progress, something that he found angered him the most when he reflected back to their conversation.

"But don't think for a second I'd ever make you disappear if I could. Don't accuse me of doing that to someone else, when every second of every day is trying to figure out why it had to happen to these people," he said and he hadn't even remembered when he'd reached into his pocket to pulled out the paper. He had to bite his lip from saying anything else, and take a step back because he hadn't realized he was leaning forward or speaking in a very quiet tone. There was substantial space between them, so one step or two wouldn't make a difference or even make him seem like she was threatening her.

Still, his argument was done and the step back felt appropriate enough to end with, and he was crossing his arms again, ready for another onslaught of insults or jabs. Most of what Yvette would throw at him would likely be justified, as many of her arguments had been. But he was just really tired of it all, and just wanted to get it over with. Wanted to go back and have a REAL conversation with Ayako. Wanted to go home. Wanted to sleep. Wanted to just move on past this already. And so he let the anger drain from his expression until it was just resignation, trying to steel himself so the anger wouldn't take control again. And waited.

[ARMsMonkey]

Kaito Saruwatari

The sun, beginning to set at the horizon, left the sky vast arrays of orange. It was truly a beauty to look at. It was even more so when a small group of birds appeared from one side of the sky, circled around each other, and advanced further into the distance until unseen and unheard. The grace. The elegance. The-

Young Kaito blinked his eyes; snapping out of his admiration of the sky. Not once did he cease activity for a while to enjoy the view. Although, it was the same as every other case, he couldn't help but think that simple and pretty distractions were still mesmerizing. Especially during this time, when the sun sets itself and brings the day an end with a tantalizing sight up above- it was almost like a reminder of the overwhelming positive feelings, about nature, as portrayed by many writers and romanticists.

And then, there was shopping…

Kaito smiled weakly to himself, grasping a plastic bag in one hand and a strip of paper in the other. Perhaps, I should finish up here before its gets too late. Goodness… have I gotten everything I needed? He scanned the grocery list Mother had given him and smiled in satisfaction. Good! Everything was all accounted for. All down to the eggs, milk, instant noodle cups, and veggie goodness! Kaito grinned again. Only this time, it was an expression of mission accomplishment. With that being said, it was time to head back home. Kaito patted the grocery bag, about to start his walk- only to stop in realization he was standing just at the outside entrance to the Junes grocery department. It didn't occur to him that he never stepped away from the automatic doorways the whole time. Even now, several people, students, couples, and the like, were giving him rather strange stares. It was bad enough he was blocking the entrance. But to be thought of as some clueless idiot who was gazing at the sky for a good ten minutes, as if struggling in a staring contest with the setting sun. Oh, well that would be Kaito's assumption of what the crowd might've been thinking.

"I-I was just admiring the weather..." the blue haired one spoke up, red in the cheeks. "It's a nice day out, really."

Silence came as a reply. Eh? Kaito was then flushed with more embarrassment.

Even more silence.

Oh geez. I shouldn't be so ignorant next time. He disposed of his thoughts and looked back at the number of faces that locked their eyes on him.

Er…

Finally, the very quiet atmosphere broke with a short chuckle. It was from one of the staring students, whom shrugged the scene off and left the small crowd's side. It wasn't long afterwards, and the group dispersed, all heading their separate ways. What a relief. Kaito shifted his azure eyes at the ground just recovering his color.

I forgot I wasn't alone. Whatever, then. What's done is done. He sighed and lugged the grocery bag. He strolled down the shopping lined sidewalk headed for home…

[Edge_Vanhite2121x]

~*~Yuuki Chariven, the Silent Scholar~*~

Yuuki wasn't surprised when Hisako nearly mispronounced his last name. He had that happen to him plenty of times, even before moving to Inaba. He grown so used to that simple mistake that he actually didn't mind as much.

"Actually, yes." he replied, answering her latest question. "I do attend Yasogami. I'm still trying to get adjusted to the system." Well, not exactly. But he had to admit, Yasogami did work slightly different than his old school. Then again, how was a former city boy supposed to know how a countryside school work? "Maybe we'll see each other on campus some time."

"See you tomorrow, Inoue-san." he said to Hisako before taking his leave, spinning on his heel as he headed out. He gave one quick glance at her before he was away from the shrine, exploring the shopping district a while longer. After all that I've been through in the last few days, it feels much longer than that.

[Ake00]

[ Ai Ebihara ]

Typically, Ai likes to leave behind Yasogami when she leaves the school grounds. She doesn't worry about quizzes, doesn't fuss over essays and doesn't do much aside from attend and do whatever her counselor wants her to do. Sports clubs haven't started yet, so she doesn't expect to have to deal with the team and the boredom that comes from pretending to be a useful team manager. After school was over, it was all about shopping, doing her nails and primping even if she had nowhere to go afterward.

So what happened at Yasogami stayed at Yasogami, just as a general rule. At least that's the way it was before the winter of last year, until Daiki Yamamoto had taken it upon himself to be her new shadow, following her at every possibility like an annoying, insufferable black haired puppy. Whenever he showed up, she was guaranteed an entire afternoon filled with incessant chatter about things she quite frankly had no interest in, or worse found herself being dragged to the most embarrassing of places, places someone of her stature and fashion sense had no business being seen in.

At the end of class, she'd thought she'd outsmarted him by taking a different route through the hallways. Unfortunately, he had learned her ways well in the past year because he was already waiting for her at the gates. He followed her around like both their lives depended on it. It was as if he believed he was the sole reason for living, as if he wasn't around her, she was likely to throw herself into river at the floodplain. Please.

The first half of the walk home, she spent listening with a half ear and giving short curt replies that would cut off conversation as easily as a knife cut through butter. That in itself wasn't so bad, even if he did somehow manage to get her talking about her latest excursion in the city. What really ended up ticking her off was when during a particularly long silence, he grabbed the purse at her side.

They were a more populated district, not too far from her house, and she'd wanted just to get there without any incident. Honestly shocked at his gall, he a moment just staring at him, trying to believe what she'd just witnessed. Like a nightmare, she watched as Daiki unzipped it and started shuffling through the contents, moving away when she made an indignant grab for her property.

"HEY!" she'd snapped at him. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"This," he said, pulling out her favorite shade of coral red lipstick, shaking his head, "Is carcinogenic. It causes cancer, I saw it on the news. You shouldn't be wearing this."

She could feel her face turning red when he walked by a trashcan and dropped in with a clang, "Do you know how expensive that is? I can't believe you just - Give me back my purse you little ingrate! I am going to kill you in so many ways you won't even-"

He took another step forward, spinning around so he was walking backwards. Every stride she took, he seemed to anticipate and sidestepped accordingly. He was about a head smaller than her, ignoring the one or two inches added by his black spiked hair, but he was on the skinny side and his long legged strides were just wide enough that she didn't want to bother exerting too much effort or dignity to keep up with. He raised an eyebrow at her, black eyes chastising, "That's a bad brand. I heard Ren talking about it, she says their manufacturing isn't up to standard."

"Well Ren isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. And that's a best seller, you ignoramus," she said, slowing her stride and taking glances around her. She certainly didn't want to attract too much attention, and even more so, didn't want to look like an idiot if any of her classmates came by. "Would you just stop it already? And do you know how rude that is?"

Daiki's hands were in her purse again, with a laugh, "I'm doing you a favor. It's not my fault you don't look out for yourself."

"I don't need someone like you, I do that myself just fine," she said, making another grab at it. He took an extra long stride backwards as she took another swipe. It was about time that she ended this spectacle, especially since they were at Junes now, a place where most of her classmates went and where some even hung out. The last thing she wanted was to be seen around Daiki all the time, lest they start to speculate on a relationship that certainly wasn't there in the first place.

"Oh you mean like-" Only his words were cut off when Daiki backed into someone, ending his sentence with a surprised 'Oof.'

"You. Are. Embarassing. Me." Ai hissed through her teeth.

[CatFish0712]

Yvette Freimjahren

"Ogano obaa-san, you're too kind." Yvette replied the elderly lady, smiling in relief. "And I don't mind with bringing Fumie-chan with us." She then rose and looked to her side with intention to ask for Yosuke's consent, finding that he had stood up his chair as well, and spoke his agreement.

While she felt relieved that Yosuke seemed to have decided about resuming their discussion, she was at the same time concerned still. Aside of an obligatory apology, she was yet from forming the appropriate words to say Yosuke. Apologizing was one thing, but to request from a person she'd just offended to teach her how to survive inside the TV world - the core of her problem - was another matter entirely. She didn't even know if Yosuke is willing to listen to her anymore. Who knows if he would use the chance to spit back at her? She could bear with the possible insults, but rejection would only leave her troubled.

With all those circling within her mind, she followed Yosuke upstairs rather absently, giving a dry smile to Fumie when she looked at her from the young man's hands. Upon arriving upstairs, she and Yosuke stopped by a single step where pairs of shoes were lined up. Apparently, this was the Oganos' living quarter. She turned to her left shoulder for no apparent reason but looking around, and found what that seemed to be living room. The room was typical of a traditional Japanese family, with tatami floor and low table; but it wasn't absent from the touch of present-day apparel. One in particular, invoked one violent beat of her heart against her chest.

There was a TV.

For a moment, Yvette was frozen stiff, her eyes fixed at the black which was the turned off screen. Her awareness spiked, almost expecting the dreaded sound of static which might be the tell-tale of something coming out of the screen to drag her inside, or perhaps, another person in the room. The TV was of modest size. She, as well as the lean Ayako might fit in - with some extra force. Nagataka definitely wouldn't fit, but Fumie could certainly go in without trouble...

Dear Lord, why am I even thinking of such things?!

With a soft grunt, Yvette forcefully turned her eyes away from the television set, as well as trying to ease her stressed senses.

Calm down, Yvette. It won't happen now. Not in the bright daylight.

It only happened in the TVs in Junes, and not here.

Those could be false hopes, she knew... but at this point, they were better than having nothing to hold on to at all. She needed to be as calm as possible for the possible conflict that lies ahead.

She looked for Yosuke, who was was already on his way to another room in the floor after putting Fumie down in a seat in the living room, and followed him. They entered the Oganos' kitchen, where Yosuke stopped and turned to face her. Knowing that this is the time, the girl opened her lips; but before her voice was beaten by Yosuke's.

Yosuke spoke, slowly reciting some points of their earlier arguments and blamed himself... but it all didn't matter to her anymore. She looked away and slightly down when he mentioned the picture, shaking her head slowly in a silent disagreement. When she found a pause in Yosuke's speech, she tried to call him out, but the young man just went on, forcing her to silence once again.

"... I can't tell you you won't disappear. If you want that reassuring stuff, I can't give it to you. I'm not good at it anyway. What I can do is teach you what I know. Teaching you how to use what you fought last night, what you accepted into yourself, to protect you if you end up in the TV again."

Yosuke's words relieved her. She hadn't said it, but he addressed her concerns, and even offered what that she had intended to request. There was another pause where Yosuke stepped closer to her and took out the photocopied article which started it all from his pocket. The gesture seemed aggressive, but Yvette stood her ground, looking at him directly to his eyes while expecting nothing less than criticizing, if not, harsh, words. She prepared herself; not to lash back, but rather, to take it all in its fullest. It was the least token of responsibility she could do at the moment.

"But don't think for a second I'd ever make you disappear if I could. Don't accuse me of doing that to someone else, when every second of every day is trying to figure out why it had to happen to these people."

Yosuke stopped; and Yvette took it as another pause. It took a good moment of silence between them before the dark-haired girl eventually realized that the young man really had finished.

Is that all? She thought, feeling somewhat surprised that the reprimands she'd expected never came out. Of course, it's not like that she wanted it. She exhaled softly, bowing her head and closed her eyes, taking in the wave of relief she'd longed so much for the day; her lips curled a slight smile.

"I understand." She lifted her voice lowly, looking up at Yosuke again with grateful feeling. "After all, the person who'd rescued a stranger girl and even offered her a walk home the night before doesn't look like someone who have the heart to do such crime," she told him, her smile widening at the end. "And thank you, Yosuke-san. That... is what I'd like to hear."

"To be honest, all that I had wanted to ask is an assurance that I won't disappear... no, I mean my well-being." She spoke again after a pause. "And you willing to teach me how to survive inside that world... it is just as much as an assurance, and I'm deeply grateful for that." She placed more trust into Yosuke, trying to look at him in a more positive light in spite of all the negative whisperings, and found that it felt truly reassuring to have the person who had disappeared - presumably into that wicked TV world - and returned well to be her tutor. He was stil a stranger to her at present, but isn't every single relationship in this world began with trust? Lack of trust had been her plague, which she had vowed to remedy back in the TV world last night. Putting trust into the most gossiped person in the town was a rocky start to act on her vow, but she didn't really care. This person was the only one who can assure her of her well-being, and that was enough reason for her.

Her eyes then fell on the paper in Yosuke's one hand, and her smile dampened. It was the article that had set him off earlier, and she felt sorry for bringing it up to him. She still felt that her act of investigating was justified to some extent, but she realized that she was at fault for being too carried away by her curiosity and emotion when confronting Yosuke back in the shrine.

"And I'm sorry about before." She closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly for a moment before looking at Yosuke again apologetically. "I was being inconsiderate for asking you too many things. What you are doing in there, who are your friends, and what were you doing together back then... those aren't for me to barge into. I just want to live well, that's all. And..."

She paused as a thought passed her mind. The idea, while well-intended, hung on way too many assumptions and guesses as well as a possibly sensitive matter to Yosuke... But she soon shoved the negative thoughts away. He had admitted that he was alone in this, and she felt obliged to make up to him - for rescuing her, for the guidance he'll give her, and for her faults.

"And... with you guiding me... Once I'm good by myself... maybe, just maybe... If... you are looking for your friends in there, I can help you, if you'd allow me." She finally uttered her offer, peeking at Yosuke from the corner of her eyes as she turned her face slightly away from him out of fear that he'd burst in anger like before. She, however, immediately corrected her gesture and returned her eyes to Yosuke's, gazing at them softly, but resolutely in a show of resolve to act on the offer.

[Itome]

“Ah, goodbye..." Hisako didn't know if there was much of a point in calling out. Yuuki was already gone around the corner.

Hisako wasn't quite sure what to make of the encounter. She still didn't know much about him; maybe he just had an off day? Or perhaps he was just one of those 'loner' types. She shrugged, better not to get depressed over something so silly on her first day.

She looked down at the fox who was now absently scratching at her ear. "I don't suppose he's a bad person if you like him. Scary eyes, though." She crouched down and looked the fox in the eyes.

"I'll ask my ama what foxes like to eat, and then I'll bring it for you. Maybe you can ask the gods to make her better? She's kinda sick right now, " Hisako sighed, "and it's hard to deal with it sometimes. I'm all by myself since Daddy and Nii-chan aren't here with us. Well, I shouldn't mope too much, I should be thankful right? Some people are far worse off than I am. Still..." Hisa sniffled. Great, now she was having a heart to heart with a fox and on the verge of crying. This was turning out to be a great day!

The fox yipped softly and butted her head against Hisa's hands; she absently began to stroke the warm creature.

" I’m sorry for earlier then. Foxes back home weren't nearly as nice as you. I feel like you understand what I'm saying." The fox yipped in what was seemingly a 'yes.'

" Let’s each do our best then, you with being an ama and me with...everything!" She raised one hand in a victory fist pump. Suddenly she noticed the sky.

"ACK! Sunset? I should probably hurry, everything closes early doesn't it? Oh I hope I can make it to Junes in time, if they close...eugh, I don't want ama to eat fake instant noodles!"
Hisako stood up, gave a quick bow to the fox and then pulled her map out of her purse, consulting where she should find the department store.

"Good, it's not all that far!" She set off at a light jog, hopefully she could make it before closing!

It wasn't long before the familiar Junes building came into view a few streets over. Hisa was glad for the company using the same layout regardless of town. It looked just like the one from Sapporo. She stopped to catch her breath just outside the front doors. She saw a young boy, well more like a teen, with deep blue hair leave Junes. He looked mildly flustered.

She shrugged, she needed to get her ingredients before it got dark and getting home was an even more difficult task. Never mind that she didn't know how safe Inaba was at night. Just because it was a small town didn't mean there weren't Yanki or other thug types hanging around.
After reading the store's hours of operation posted on the door she saw she had a fair bit of time before they closed.

"Hopefully they still have some good things left. I wonder if I should make tonjiru?" She mused to herself as she made to open the door. Well, she almost made it inside before she heard a couple arguing. She stepped away from the door and turned. A girl and a guy were arguing. From what she could tell the boy had the girl's purse in his hands and was refusing to give it back.
She had to admit that the girl was quite pretty; her hair was perfect and her uniform was without a wrinkle. Hisa absently touched her own hair, noting her Heidi braid was coming undone and she was sure her skirt and blouse were wrinkled from the long car journey. She sighed sadly. Some girls just had it made.
The boy didn't particularly stand out to her. He wasn't bad looking but he didn't seem to boast any unique features, other than having snatched the girl's purse at that moment. While she typically liked boys better than girls, some just had to be immature and ruin it. The boy turned to the girl, not looking where he was going and he walked backwards right into the blue-haired boy.

Hisako wasn't usually one to be an opportunist but, might as well take advantage of the situation. She did a short run to catch up to the group, whom by now were attracting a fair amount of attention. She heard the girl angrily hiss "You. Are. Embarrassing. Me."

With that, she slipped into the 'fray' and deftly snatched back the purse from 'unremarkable other than being a bother' boy who was still a bit shocked from having collided. If he hadn't been as pliable as he was at that moment she would have dropped a few hints about Taekwondo and pressure points. She didn't like to make threats but sometimes they were justified.

She noted the purse was a designer one and that the zip was open (had he been riffling? RUDE!). She quickly turned to the immaculate girl, "Here's your bag. I'm sorry for intruding on your argument." Hisako looked down, it was a bit embarrassing to just involve herself in someone else's problems. She held out the bag but turned a little so she could watch the progression of 'grocery boy with blue hair' and 'unremarkable guy' as they resolved the aftermath of the collision.

OOC: I hope this is cool. The guys could totally have fallen down or something, Hisa's apparently just good at snatching -_-'

[Lumme]

Lumme hadn't had to wait very long before his order was taken, his fellow student, dropping him a subtle hint about his Kendo style training weapon, which he didn't pay much attention to, he did however notice the rushed and barely hospitable sounding invitation to enjoy his food a few minutes later, possibly due to his grandmothers obvious resentment of the idea of slowing down.

Lumme smiled and said his thanks to Nagataka before he started to eat, the other students in the area were of little importance to him, but the air of tension was a little bit noticeable, and they eventually headed upstairs, from what he overheard, to have a conversation about one thing or anything, maybe they where kilted lovers or something, he had seen them before and such, but he wouldn't know for sure unless he asked. He also assumed they must either be really friendly people, or they knew the family here, after all, they headed into their home, maybe it was an Inaba thing, but back in Canada you don't really let strangers into your house to have private chats.

Lumme eventually finished his meal, waving to let one of them know he was done, leaving enough money on the table to cover the cost and a five percent tip.

" Thank you for the meal, I shall definitely come back again." Lumme wasn't one to sit around in a restaurant alone, didn't seem like a good way to spend his time, and besides, he figured he should stop by the local grocery store and buy some food he could, actually make himself so he wouldn't have to eat take out all the time for now.

Lumme knew that the biggest grocery store and such was Junes, and he figured he'd stop in there and possibly get himself some easy dinner things. He let himself out of the restaurant, and headed towards Junes, probably the only thing he knew the location of, other then school and the Lombardi's home.


Lumme grabbed his Training weapon and He headed down the stairs and out onto the street to casually make his way along to Junes, he stopped at home first to drop off his training sword though, didn't want to take it with him into Junes.

After a couple more minutes of walking he made his way to Junes, at least they where open late enough he wouldn't have to worry about rushing, Lumme casually made his way up to Junes' doors, noting that a familiar person was there, looking a little red in the face, Lumme assumed someone probably had just upset her or the like. He pondered the idea of going over to say hi, and before he realized it he was actually standing not to far away.

[Ake00]

[ Yosuke Hanamura ]

Yosuke found himself staring at Yvette when she started speaking. There was a note of something that Yosuke didn't recognize at first. It had been a while since he'd last heard it in the voice of someone speaking to him, but he recognized it after a few seconds of close listening. She was grateful? Was that... gratitude behind her words?

It was he realized, and it was so unexpected that he shuffled a little bit, his expression gradually changing from cynical to a confused. He could feel the turbulent emotions inside quiet themselves as she went on, though his posture belied that he was still somewhat guarded. By the time that she had actually gotten around to thanking him for teaching her with a smile on her face, he was scratching his cheek uncertainly.

"It's the least I could do, I guess," he replied and cleared his throat, completely disarmed of his anger after peace was seemingly made. They weren't at each others throats anymore at least, perhaps something to do with food in their stomachs and the kindness of strangers cooling their tempers.

Things had in fact taken a complete turnaround. Not only had she thanked him, but she was actually apologizing to him for the photo. She'd bowed her head to accompany the apology, making it nearly impossible to hold a grudge even if he wanted to. A small part of him felt appeased that she felt guilty for barging into his past, but the peace had already been made and it was in bad taste to ruin the truce. Besides, she hadn't intentionally thrown it in his face to hurt him, or even gone very deep into his past for him to be as offended as he was. It had mostly been the picture itself, a call back to a time when all of his friends present and together. That had set him off, a trigger for all the emotions he'd been trying to sweep under the metaphorical rug of his subconscious.

"No, it's cool," he said, trying to dismiss the earlier arguments about it. "Well it wasn't cool, but it's okay. I mean... it's not like they're gone forever. Who knows, maybe all I gotta do is track them down and drag em' home."

The humor was slightly forced, but at least it made light of what used to be a serious matter.

He was about ready to end the conversation, even ask if she wanted to go back downstairs and finish their food, but halted as Yvette made her offer.

She'd wanted... to help him. To help find Souji and Chie ... and everyone.

"You'd do that?" he asked, taken back. Her eyes alone showed a deep resolve, something that he wouldn't... and couldn't... take lightly. It was the look of someone looking beyond her initial feelings and impressions and rising above anything the rumors might have influenced her with. His first impulse was to smile and say yes, because he really did need the help. It was some sort of divine intervention that brought a willing Yuuki and Yvette to his plight. At this juncture, they were ready to risk themselves to find and rescue the most important people in his life, an image that left him almost speechless.

Then, just like that, the word 'risk' stood out more starkly in his mind. It was... a very sobering thought.

He shook his head, knowing that it could never really be that easy. He gave her a smile, not much of one, but at least he was putting the effort forth, "That's really awesome of you and I appreciate the offer more than you know... but you do know that's not something you should decide here and now. I mean, it's really dangerous and getting any deeper into this could really put your life at risk."

He paused for a moment, looking very serious.

"You need to be ready, Yvette-san." He said and gave some time for it to sink in.

In a considerably more relieved note, he did manage a lighter tone in his voice after a few more moments had passed. "But I'll still teach you no matter what you decide."

Regardless of what decision she made, he'd still remember the way that she had offered, even if they'd just been baseless words. Today, despite the rocky start and the even rockier finish, was not as bad as it could have been. Especially since he could count the young woman in front of him as a tentative ally, if not a kind acquaintance. Allies and friends were few in number, and they were something to be appreciated.

Because it felt right, he lowered his head in a slight bow. "Let's do our best?"

[ARMsMonkey]

Having fully recovered from the recent awkwardness of the Junes grocery department, Kaito paced himself fairly quickly down his homebound path. The load, that is his grocery bag, wasn't a bother to him even when he began to power walk in a faster manner. If he were to get home, he wanted to do so before it gets dark. Father could care less about when he arrives at the door; as long as he makes it home safe, but Mother. Oh golly!

Kaito flinched a bit at the thought. A call to the cops, a deadly hug from an over expressive mom, and the longest lecture he had ever endured in a lifetime. The lecture would probably get his a mother a job as a teacher no problem. Kaito grinned at the thought, but then, shook his head. Should reminding himself of past occurrences hinder his walk, stopping his imagination would be the best idea. He hasn't even past Junes yet, and here he was, thinking too much. Get a grip! It's going to be all right.
Kaito reassured himself, switching the grocery bag to his other hand. Upon doing so, he also took into regard of advertisements and other little posters Junes had posted up on the outside wall. A very few caught his interest; namely, a new wide-screen television. Boy, look at all those zeros. Definitely something I can't afford.
He passed by a few more posters before he lost interest. It was good to dream, though. The idea of the television, soon, trailed off, and because of not paying enough attention, someone had just come into his view.

"W-woah!"

'OOF'

He was completely caught unaware. Someone had just bumped into him. Or was it him bumping into that someone? Whatever it was, though, it was forceful enough to knock Kaito backwards and land right on his rear. A few of the contents of the grocery bag had also mimicked his fall and spilled out all over the ground; mainly the instant noodles.

"Ack! Ow…." Kaito, shutting an eye, winced in pain a bit. The fall wasn't as painful as he thought, but pain was still pain.

He looked over at whoever it was who bumped into him; another male student it looked. The uniform gave it away.

"You.Are.Embarrassing.Me." a female voice uttered in irritation. It was directed at the fellow, who Kaito had collided with.

The blue-head, looked up at whom ever it was and saw a girl, in braid, hand another girl, who seems rather ticked, a purse. He put two and two together and assumed the student he bumped into was trying to rob her. No. That isn't it. Well one thing could be sure was that his groceries were all over the pavement. Kaito frowned in dismay and plainly dismissed the fellow as rude.

He sighed again. "…Today's NOT my day…"

[Ake00]

[ Ai Ebihara ]

Daiki's balance, much like his ability to court young women, was a lost cause and he soon found himself falling to the ground on top of the poor young man that he'd crashed into. He took a moment to recover, rubbing the hips where he'd hit the sidewalk. To his surprise, the purse was no longer in his hands and he quickly gazed about his surroundings, more concerned with Ai's purse than anyone that he'd crashed into.

He looked up and finally saw that the Louis Vuitton was safely in the hands of an unimpressed Ai. Her gaze was unforgiving, but there was a bit of hesitation, as if she were just looking him over to make sure the collision hadn't seriously injured him. He must have been imagining it because the look disappeared. The next time he blinked, Ai was standing over him with a hand on her hips, looking significantly more dignified with the handbag securely on her shoulder. Daiki sighed and leaned back on his arms with a sigh.

While Daiki was busy forgetting to apologize to the man he'd bumped into (and was now lying on the ground beside), Ai was turning her attention back to the would-be hero. She was somewhat shorter than Ai, though her legs and arms were toned as if she competed in sports or some other form of regular exercise. Her appearance wasn't very well put together, and she looked as if she were reaching the end of her day, with her shirt askew and her braid slightly undone. Still, the ensemble wasn't a bad one considering they weren't top quality, and she looked like a bad case of the Junes brand shopper. She had the grace not to make a face until her eyes fell upon her rescuer's purse, something that would have been an appealing accesory if it weren't plastered in hello kitty patches. It looked as if someone had fired holes in it and the girl had sewn it on to cover the damage. Her face was one of slight disgust, though her cheeks glowed a slight red because... they were... kittens.

Whatever, she thought as she cleared her throat. Cats were dirty and hard to take care of anyway.

"Daiki, you can't say you didn't have that coming," she chastised. "This girl had to come to my rescue, and it's an inconvenience best punished by lunch. For the both of us."

Without even waiting for consent, she wrapped her fingers around Hisako's upper arm and brought her forward slightly in emphasis. As she did, a rather loud crunch sounded underneath her foot. She lifted her shoes, at first worried that she'd stepped in something disgusting. When it turned out to be a package of instant ramen, she was only worried about scratches. And the owner of the food, though that came after.

"For him too, I guess." Ai added lately.

"What?" Daiki said, sounding appropriately distressed. "Wait a minute, he should have been looking where he was walking too!" His argument fell flat under Ai's gaze and the entire party knew it. Daiki just gave a sigh and got to his feet to dust himself off.

She turned to the young woman once more, unmoved by Daiki's plea, "You. What're you in the mood for.. ah... what's your name?"

[Itome]

Hisako watched as the blue-haired boy's groceries spilled out of his bag and the other boy thankfully, missed completely crushing him by a hair's breadth.

It almost would have been funny, almost, except she was starting to feel quite conspicuous, how many people were staring at them now? That and a bit shabby next to the model of perfection beside her. She was sure the girl had stared at her Hello Kitty patches with some level of disdain. She tucked the bag a little further back under her shoulder. Mostly, though, she felt bad for the boys. What a way to end your day!

Once the girl's attention had turned back to the boy Hisako took the chance to try and make her clothes a little more orderly. She was seriously contemplating taking out the braid, it was probably doing her no favours at this point. She raised her hand to poke at it again when the girl spoke.

"Daiki, you can't say you didn't have that coming," she chastised. "This girl had to come to my rescue, and it's an inconvenience best punished by lunch. For the both of us."

A moment later the pretty girl had her hand on Hisako's other arm and had pushed her forwards a bit, only for a loud crunch to sound. Hisako looked down and saw the girl had stepped on a package of instant noddles that had spilled from the other boy's bag.

"For him too, I guess." The girl added, looking down to check her shoes for any damage.

"What?" The boy looked up at Ai, his face clearly showing distress. "Wait a minute, he should have been looking where he was walking too!"

Hisako watched as the girl gave him a look, a look that brokered no argument. The little malicious part of Hisako had to refrain from making a whipping noise. Suddenly the girl's attention was back on her.

"You. What're you in the mood for.. ah... what's your name?"

Hisako quirked an eyebrow but answered, smoothing the front of her blouse, "I'm Inoue Hisako. I, uh, really shouldn't eat much right now, I still have dinner at home..." Hisako trailed off, her eyes darting to the side to look at the blue haired boy. She took advantage of her two free hands and the few seconds of silence in the conversation to quickly unpin her hair and run her fingers through it before she pulled it into a ponytail, the waves from her braid would have made wearing it down a bit too, poodle-y.

She wasn't entirely sure how best to handle the other girl, her personality was, strong, to put it lightly. Still, she looked back at her, somehow, she knew there would be no escaping eating something with the girl and ...Daiki?

"Well, I suppose I could have something. Do you have any reccomendations, I can't say I know the Inaba Junes specials, I just moved here today."

While Hisako knew it would be polite to stand while she waited for an answer the poor boy struggling on the ground took her attention. She bent down to start picking up the scattered items; it was mostly instant noodle packages that had landed nearer her.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she picked up instant noodles and what looked to be a bag with some kind of vegetable in it, was it a leek? She noted the end of an egg carton sticking out of the bag still in the boy's grasp. She hoped none had broken in his fall.