[Fight 01] ♃ [action]

[makopunch]

Who: Makoto & Kanji
What: A fated meeting over cute bentos and adorable handcrafts
When: Backdated to before the Citadel event
Where: SCHOOL CAFETERIA

[Normally, Makoto likes to eat her lunch outside in a nice, secluded spot on the school grounds, but when it rains, she has to stay in. There aren't really any secluded tables in the school's cafeteria, so she makes do with the first empty one she can find...which is pretty much the same thing, as no one ever tries to join her.

Once seated, she unpacks her lunch, spreading out her checkered napkin on the table and arranging her bento boxes on top of it. Once everything is settled to her satisfaction, she picks up her fork and digs in. ]

Comments

[makopunch]

Oh! Um, well, I like gardening. There's a little flower shop in the business district where I work part-time after school most days. Sometimes I'll go to the arcade or the theater.

[realmenknitplushies]

Huh, yeah, I think I've seen the place! Ma's asked me to get flowers in the past...

[makopunch]

Really? You should definitely come by, sometime! You don't need a reason to enjoy flowers.

[realmenknitplushies]

Well, I guess they're nice like that...

[makopunch]

It's getting to be the best part of the season for roses. And there's still some late-blooming iris, too. Oh, and the lilies! We've just got our first batch of bright orange lilies in. They've been so popular we've been selling them almost faster than they can bloom!

[It's less sales-pitch and more enthusiasm for the subject at this point, really. Sorry, Kanji...]

[realmenknitplushies]

[It's all kind of washing over him. He is really, really not an expert...! Blink. Still looking happy to listen, though.]

Heh. That's cool. Sounds like you've been really busy...

[makopunch]

Sort of! I can only work so many hours every week because of school, though.

[And that's kind of a downer, tbh. She doesn't really like being in school, and has more fun with her coworkers and customers.]

[realmenknitplushies]

[He gives a bit of a sigh in sympathy.]

Yeah. I know how that goes. I've gotta help ma at the store, work with my guys, come here...

[makopunch]

How come you still do? Come to school, that is. I mean...[Is this a weird topic? Or a rude one? She's not sure. But Kanji seems pretty nice, even if he kind of does have a scary face (not that Makoto can judge, really), so maybe she can ask without alienating him.] There aren't very many Enlightened here, after all.

[realmenknitplushies]

[His face falls, his ears droop a little-]

I dunno sometimes. Seems pointless. But I just...

[He pauses and takes a nibble out of a riceball. Why does he even bother? He could go off, do his own thing... hesitantly-]

I guess it's for ma as much as anythin'?

[makopunch]

[Oh no, his ears are kind of cute....uh.]

That sounds like a good reason to me.

[Well, she sure seems to have put her foot in her mouth, here. Time to replace it with a mouthful of veggies from her bento.]

[realmenknitplushies]

[Well, that's one cute thing?]

Mmm.

[Honestly, sometimes, he confuses himself. He's got to try and be strong. Got to train. But he runs away from what he's got to do - but what is it that he's got to do?
Ugh. This is hard. More lunch.]

Just gotta do what I can.

[makopunch]

[Where there's one, there's bound to be more!]

Yeah.

[She's quiet for a few awkward moments too, focusing on her food and fishing desperately for something else to say to alleviate the awkward.

Maybe pokemon is a safe topic...]

You said you have an Ampharos?

[realmenknitplushies]

Huh? Oh, yeah!

[Yep, definitely safe. He smiles, relaxing, glad for the change of topic.]

I've had Silk for years. Since he was a tiny little Mareep, y'know?

[makopunch]

[Hurray, she's not a social failure!

And also, common ground!]

Mareep are so cute! I've had mine ever since we were both babies.

[realmenknitplushies]

[Outright grinning now-]

Damn, that's cool. I got him from my dad, think I was about ten at the time...

[makopunch]

[Happy smiles everywhere]

That's awesome! I guess he was your first one, huh?

[realmenknitplushies]

Yeah - I mean we've always had 'em around the place but none of 'em were mine. An' I was kinda worried that we weren't really gonna bond when I first met him... but we've been gettin' on great ever since.

[makopunch]

Aah, that's good.

Sunny's my only one. It's been her and me for so long, I never really thought about trying to bond with any others.

[She's kind of thinking about it now, though.]

[realmenknitplushies]

I didn't for ages. But Ma introduced me t' Rusty - she's my Houndoom, she was just a Houndour then - at the beginning of the year when I was just thinkin' about doing this thing properly... and I ain't looked back.

[makopunch]

That sounds wonderful. So you must do a lot of exploring together, huh?

[realmenknitplushies]

Yeah. We get out every coupla weeks. It was ... kinda tough at first [he's not going to say 'scary' but, well...] but I know what we're doing now.

[makopunch]

Hmmm...I wonder what Sunny would think if I took her out of town...She's never been very adventurous.

[realmenknitplushies]

The forest's pretty quiet. You ain't gotta go far.

[makopunch]

[That sounds really tempting!]

Then I guess I'll ask her what she thinks when I get home.