InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "K9!"

Tonbo Nayuki (kleinevidan) wrote in disappear_rpg,
@ 2009-08-29 08:16:00

Entry tags:

nayuki, seiji, toru, toshimi

The Inconvenienced Store
Who: Open to Everyone
What: Food Trip
Where: Your Local Convenience Store
When: Weekend Afternoon
Why: People need to get out more!

Another job well-done, today. Nayuki thought to himself as he rode homeward on his bicycle. Taking the Sunday routes in his part-time-job netted him extra pay and, upon seeing a convenience store up ahead, he decided to do some quick groceries. Slowing down to a halt, he parked the bike against the electric post, looping the chainlock around it before retrieving his bag from the bike's rear compartment. As he started compiling a list in his head for things to get, he kept gently stomping on the sidewalk to keep his legs from suddenly giving out on him. With that done, he walks into the convenience store and is immediately greeted by the clerks behind the counter and register. He smiles and greets back before going through the entire store's layout. Let's see what we have here... He grabs a small basket and quickly heads for the bread section in the corner, whistling along to the tune being played in the store.

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Re: Oh, hi!

kleinevidan
2009-08-30 03:34 pm UTC (link)

Her initial inquiry didn't take Nayuki by surprise, but there was an evident bit of hesitation to his reply as he shrugged, "It's nothing really special, just a whole lot of consumerism doodads and plenty of companies trying to take advantage of almost the same things before the novelties lose their edge." He finally broke eye contact with his classmate as he started to browse through the bread variations in stock. "Nagano is as busy as any town can be, to tell you the truth." He wasn't lying about it one bit, but he did leave out the more personal details. "Well, you're still better off that I am. If it weren't for the maps, I would probably be lost somewhere right now." He grinned as he reached for the loaf of sliced wheatbread. Stocking up on a few packets of Cheese Spreads, he nods to her, "I agree. This place is surprisingly well-stocked and organized, unlike some of the ones near south station. I wouldn't be surprised if someone would travel all the way to this store on principle."

Finding it rare to actually come across a classmate outside of campus, considering the size of Iburi, Nayuki thought it best to take the chance and just socialize. Oblivious to a particular shadow lurking a few aisles behind him, he hoists his basket over to his left arm and points his classmate over to the dried goods section, "I'm not bothering you, am I?" He quickly shrugs and adds, "If not, I'd like to ask you a few questions regarding school in general."

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Re: Oh, hi!

2dbeauty
2009-08-30 05:13 pm UTC (link)

It annoyed Toru that he hadn't gotten around to going to the convenience store until Sunday. Thursday was when he usually went, but circumstances (read: Matsuri) had gotten in the way and he just now left, mostly because his food had run out.

First on the mental list was instant ramen, a staple. Toru noticed Seiji in that section as he decided on what flavor to get, but decided to leave him alone. He looked occupied. Toru moved on.

It always took him forever to get the rest of his stuff, mostly because he had a ridiculous sweet tooth and also bought way too much fruit when given half a chance. Minutes passed as he deliberated over every unit of food, but he was finally laden down with a large pile of snacks, mostly sweets. Healthy it was not, but it would last Toru a good long while. He forgot to eat on a regular basis, which worried his sister to no end when they were younger. Small shopping basket in hand, Toru walked towards the register, only to notice two of his sempai. It wasn't unusual to see his classmates here, but the two who were there were certainly interesting. It was Toshimi, his fellow Persona-user, and Nayuki, the transfer student.

"O-oh, hi, Toshimi-sempai, Nayuki-sempai... don't mind me."

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Re: Oh, hi!

thrown_to_winds
2009-08-30 10:35 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, is that so..." The first part of Nayuki's description had thrown Toshimi for a bit of a loop; corporate shuffle was not the first thing she would have used to explain the characteristics of any place, even a big city. "Nagano, then?" she repeated cheerfully. "Is it very different from Iburi?" Noticing that he was turning back toward shopping, she also did so, and started shifting the various breads around in an attempt to find one that was cost-effective enough for her. "Hm..." She stepped away, not finding anything. It would be much cheaper to go with rice or even noodles than bread, anyway...her shopping basket remained empty.

"Oh, no, of course not," Toshimi said, "It's no trouble at all, so ask anything you'd like to know." She nodded and started walking to the other section with her classmate. "I'm not exactly an expert, though..." she noted. "I'll do my best to answer." She saw Toru nearby. "Ah, Ishinomori-san, good afternoon," she greeted with a wave. She glanced down at the food he was carrying, but said nothing about it. Instead, she gestured towards Nayuki. "This is Tonbo-san, a new transfer student in my class," she said. "Tonbo-san, do you know Ishinomori-san? He's in 1-B."

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Hello, my friend! Stay a while and listen!

kleinevidan
2009-08-31 01:49 am UTC (link)

"Nagano's just a more enclosed city compared to Iburi but just as organized, so people have to literally get out for any sort of holiday outing due to the zoning rules in place." Nayuki shrugs, and quickly snatches a box of butter biscuits they happen to pass by, "Oh, hey... Haven't had these in a long time." He beams a smile to Toshimi, showing her the box of biscuits, as they continue to browse through the store's stocks. "Anyway, Nawanaka-san..." He clears his throat. "I was just wondering if I could possibly borrow some of your notes for both Math and Literature. I got my books a week ago, but I'm still not sure where to start catching up on. I wanted to ask Wakanata-san or even Sonozaki-san, but they seem a bit wary of me." Believing he's already said too much, he quickly bites his lower lip and grabs a few canned vienna sausages and tuna. I think these will go well for sandwich spreads

His attention was suddenly shifted to a meek, yet familiar face. He waves to Toru, with a canned tuna still in his hand, "Good to see you again, Ishinomori-san." He then flashes a big smile, "Care join us? We're just doing a bit of groceries, too." He then turns his attention back to Toshimi. "Yes, we've sort of met. Mainly through the School's On-line Community Journals, and of course, our Gym Class with Ito-sensei." He then raises an eyebrow and speaks out to Toru, "I dunno about you, but my body's still acheing from our first Gym Class. It was hard for me to go cycling around for work. How are you holding up?"

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Re: Hello, my friend! Stay a while and listen!

2dbeauty
2009-08-31 01:30 pm UTC (link)

Toru smiled sheepishly at his upperclassmen, not quite meeting their eyes. "I hadn't yet met Tonbo-sempai. I-I mean, I've seen him around, but we've never spoken. Th-thanks for introducing me, Toshimi-sempai."

He turned a little to face Nayuki. "It's very nice to meet you, sempai. I do think we've seen each other in gym... er, well, one could wish for a better meeting place..." He sighed loudly. "If you're aching, I'm half-dead from the experience. It's worse tha-" Toru managed to cut himself off before he mentioned Paradise. It would've been bad news if an ordinary person knew about all that, even in passing.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry. I was... just about to make a reference to a game. I-I, er, talk about video games way too much for my own good." Nice save.

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Re: Hello, my friend! Stay a while and listen!

thrown_to_winds
2009-08-31 11:51 pm UTC (link)

Toshimi nodded her head cheerfully, smile fixed in place. "Of course, Ishinomori-san!"

At the mention of gym class, Toshimi turned to the display next to them and suddenly became very interested in it. She was so deliberately focused on examining the various sweets on the shelf that by the time she realized what Toru was about to say, it was too late-- thankfully, he stopped himself. She glanced at him, but didn't show her relief. "Ishinomori-san is the highest ranked player in Matsuri Online, so he's the person to ask about video games," she said. Hopefully she could sweep in and change the subject before it could get back to gym class (or worse). "Do you play games, Tonbo-san? Iburi has a few good arcades if you're interested in that sort of thing. There are also some game stores if you want something new...that's, of course, if you have time between all the studying at Nanakamado." She chuckled; someone who didn't know Toshimi well might have almost thought it was genuine.

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I guess...

kleinevidan
2009-09-01 03:00 am UTC (link)

So much for note taking. Oh, well... Might as well enjoy the moment.

"Pleasure to properly meet you, Ishinomori-san." Nayuki grinned, being able to have a casual conversation with other people from school without having it turn into a corporate solicitation was something he positively had to get used to. He grabs a few boxes of Pocky from the end of the aisle and tilts his head over one shoulder at his underclassman's mention of near-death experience. He chuckles, "I can't say I didn't expect it to happen to the most of us. It was pro wrestling, afterall. Though, I'm still dubious as to how it managed to sneak into the curriculum. I'm just glad we all survived." He then tossed two boxes of pocky each to Toshimi and Toru, "Here, my treat. I'll get us something to drink once we reach the register." He wasn't sure what the Pocky would do to the already-cheery Toshimi, but he thought that Toru would definitely benefit from a sugar rush from the looks of things.

He stops browsing on the potato crisps and looks up at the ceiling, in thought, "Matsuri Online... I remember that being mentioned to me a little over a month ago. I--" He stopped himself, quickly remembering that he heard of the game's development while he was still a Matsu. He smiles, "I didn't know it was already out of its Beta Stages. Good for you, Ishinomori-san. Something like that takes a whole lot of effort to accomplish." He turns his attention back to Toshimi and shrugs, "I do get to have some spare time between studies and work. I just usually end up helping out our landlady with stuff at the apartment I'm at. Other times, I just lurk in various net-forums I take interest in and help people there when and if I can." The possibility of getting into normal activities with other people gave him much hope for his new life, stopping mid-rant, he nods to Toshimi and Toru. "But if you both are willing to teach me the ropes, I'm game for Matsuri and whatever you'd think of tossing over my way."

That sweet scent still persists. It's definitely not the stocks on the aisles. I wonder what it... Oh. Focusing his attention at Toshimi for a short while, he couldn't help but confirm that nagging detail in his head. "By the way, Nawanaka-san. What perfume are you wearing? It's really nice." It took a good few seconds before he performed a mental facepalm. Good job, Nayuki... You probably freak them out now.

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Re: I guess...

2dbeauty
2009-09-01 02:20 pm UTC (link)

Toru smiled appreciatively at the box of Pocky. "Th-thanks, sempai. This is quite nice of you, for having just met me." He wasn't one to question Nayuki's motives. "And, ugh, wrestling... I think that takes the top position on my list of 'things I'm never doing again, ever.' Seriously, how does he expect guys like me to succeed in something like that?" He was scowling now, irritated by the memory and still kinda sore.

"Oh, the game's still in beta, right, sempai? The students at Nanakamado are just the ones doing the beta test. Er... Toshimi's family published the game." He cocked his head and smiled at his shorter sempais. "I think you'd enjoy playing, Nayuki-sempai. If you ever do, just look for 'Kurama Tengu' or 'Oukuninushi.' They're my main and alt characters. I'd be glad to team up with you!"

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Re: I guess...

thrown_to_winds
2009-09-02 01:05 am UTC (link)

Despite her best effort, the guys were still talking about gym class. Toshimi, feeling defeated somehow, just zoned out rather than listen to any mention of it. She was interrupted from this daze by a box of Pocky coming towards her. Years and years of throwing and catching baseballs had served her well, and she caught it easily even without having been paying attention. "Huh...oh," she started listening to what was going on. "Tonbo-san, you don't have to..." She wondered if Nayuki was yet another Nanakamado student who could afford to give things away for free without a second thought--but then, he said he had a part-time job, didn't he? What was it, then, that he was expecting from her? Maybe she was supposed to jump in and offer to pay for the drinks he mentioned...but she didn't really want to do that with the limited spending money she had. "I try not to shop while I'm hungry," she said, trying to be subtle.

She gradually moved along in the same general direction as Nayuki, browsing the shelves. "Yes, Matsuri Online is still in its open beta stages. I believe there should be a new patch coming out this week," she said with a businesslike tone as she stopped to calculate the value-per-kilogram on two similar items. "About twenty percent of the beta testers are currently Nanakamado students, and reviews seem mostly positive at this point in time." She turned to smile at Nayuki and say, "I'm glad that word has made it all the way down to Nagano, though. I'll send you a link or play with you anytime if you need it, Tonbo-san. I usually play when I finish studying."

Toshi focused her attention back on shopping, but was drawn away from it again when Nayuki asked about the scent. "Perfume...?" she repeated, puzzled. "Oh, yes," she said after a second, nodding, "it's not real perfume, just something I pick up from the cosmetics section once in a while. I use it every day, so I barely even notice it anymore," she said bemusedly. "But I'm happy you noticed it, Tonbo-san! Most guys probably wouldn't have," she said. Not that she particularly cared what he, or most guys, thought about it--it was just that if nobody noticed that she used it, there was no point in spending the money (not that it was expensive).

Continuing with the shopping, she stopped at the curry powder, took two different boxes from the shelf, and looked back and forth between them.

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Eh? What is it this time?!

kleinevidan
2009-09-02 03:22 pm UTC (link)

The bewildered look on both their faces clued him in. "I don't get to do something like this all the time, you know?" He chuckles, pulling out a small pay envelope from his pocket. "I just feel generally festive today since my employers gave me a little extra for all the troubles..." He then nods again to both Toshimi and Toru, adding, "And then there's the fact that I bumped into you both, I hope you'd indulge me by letting me treat you two to some snacks." It wasn't really prominent, but paranoid whispers from the back of Nayuki's mind kept screaming that they were being watched. He kept dismissing it as something that belongs in his past. Well, it doesn't hurt to check. And check, he did. But using his peripherals while pretending to browse some items yielded him with nothing. His attention snapped back to his present companions, smiling sincerely, "I guess I'll have to take you up on that offer. Just let me know where to start and I'll try to figure things out from sign-up." It wasn't a club, but it's a great start for another avenue of common things to have with new friends. Though, I'm sure Sumi would have more than a few words to tell me once she learns about this.

Checking his basket again, Nayuki realizes that he only has the eggs left to hunt for. Hmm... I still feel like we're being watched. But since they weren't in the current aisle, he decides to wait for Toshimi and Toru to finish with their selections before moving on. "Not a perfume, huh?" He raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, "Well, I'd have to seriously be out of it if I couldn't notice something like that, Nawanaka-san." With Toshimi's enthusiastic confirmation of his suspicions, he felt rather satisfied. Grinning broadly, he gently nudges Toru with the back of his free hand. "The fragrance suits her well, don't you think so, Ishinomori-san?"

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Re: Eh? What is it this time?!

2dbeauty
2009-09-02 06:57 pm UTC (link)

Toru didn't have much need to continue shopping; he'd so far picked out every item he'd need for at least a week. But something told him it would be worth it to wait for Nayuki and Toshimi. The male upperclassman in particular was looking around, seemingly suspicious of something. Maybe he'd noticed Seiji. But noticing all of this left Toru rather distracted, and he nearly jumped when Nayuki nudged him.

"Ah! Oh, er, uh... I guess it does... I-I mean, I don't really know that much about perfume or anything... but it, uh, smells nice, I guess..." What was the transfer student getting at?

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Re: Eh? What is it this time?!

thrown_to_winds
2009-09-03 05:25 am UTC (link)

"If you say so..." Now that the Pocky had been discussed, she didn't think she would be able to refuse. It was easier just to play along with it; maybe it was Nayuki's way of trying to buy himself into being part of the "group" of Nanakamado students. Toshimi looked towards Toru and back down at herself. If that was his intention, he certainly picked two strange people to try it with.

In response to the perfume debate, she didn't especially care what either of them meant by it. "What a nice thing to say," she said to the both of them, "Thanks."

Toshi put a box of curry powder in her basket and moved around the corner to an aisle close to the front of the store, where rice was on sale. At least rice was simple enough that she could easily pick the cheapest and put it in her shopping basket. She caught up with Nayuki in the aisle he was in and said, "I'll send you an e-mail about the game at your school address, Tonbo-san." She took an item from the shelf in front of him and looked down into her basket. Toshimi would have liked to cook with some fresh ingredients, but they were much pricier in the city--so processed food it was. At least curry and rice would be better than instant noodles all the time. She walked over to the refrigerated shelf, directly across from the end of the aisle they were in, and picked up a small package of ground pork. It was more cost-effective to buy in larger packages but Toshimi didn't expect to be able to finish a larger package before it spoiled. She had everything she was planning to buy, and Toru seemed to be finished as well. "What are you looking for, Tonbo-san?" she asked cheerfully.

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Oh, huh?

kleinevidan
2009-10-15 01:21 am UTC (link)

There it is again. Why am I getting the heebie-jeebies?!

Taking one last look towards the general direction that his head's been nagging at him, Nayuki finally gave up and shrugged in reply, "Nothing, I suppose. I've gotten what I came for." Slinging the basket over one arm, he gestures Toru and Toshimi to the cash register's direction. "I guess we should head over to check-out. I'll get us some drinks as well." He tapped his heels against the floor a few times, trying to slow down the stiffening sensation that's creeping up his legs after the long day of cycling. He soon follows the two to the counter, presenting their baskets for the clerk to punch in. As they waited, he pulled out his mobile phone and pressed a few keys. "Before I completely forget... here." He flips the cell's display to face both Toru and Toshimi, "Though you can both reach me through the school's server, it'll be faster if you sent it through my e-mail address."

The clerk cheerfully announces the amount to be paid and asks Nayuki if he had anything more to add. "Just three Mojo-Gulps to go, please." He pulls out his wallet and pays for his groceries & the three large tumblers that they can fill-up at the soda fountain in the corner. Handing one tumbler each to Toru and Toshimi, he grins, "These babies help me survive long bike-routes. Have either of you tried them before?"

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