bravenewworld | This is totally not a lazy log

This is totally not a lazy log

Who: Melaka and Haruka
What: That lunch Haruka won
When: ??? probably during or after Soulfasting
Where: A somewhat upscale diner and The Lucky Punch

[ So Melaka had issued an open challenge to people a while back with the offer to buy a meal for anyone who won against her. And theoretically for them to buy one for her if she won. Either way, it's been delayed a fair bit over all, but... Well, either way, time for the lunch with Haruka.

So Melaka contacted her, told her to place, and they would meet up there for a lunch. Simple. Easy. Not a date. Not going to be complicated by something or another. Hopefully it won't be awkward for her. Could even be fun. ]

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Don't expect too much - this was as far as I planned, after all.

[ Still... she will try. And it gives her a little bit of a smile to hold onto the idea that she's impressing this person ]

I'm not worried. [ Just enjoying this salad. And wondering whether she shouldn't try the Dream World with somebody at some point. That's where she found the Munna, originally....

...but even unlocking secret powers probably wouldn't help Gold overcome himself, huh. ]

[ Mel's cheeks tinge a little at that, she can't lie. But it's also something she doesn't need to comment on or anything, so she just returns to her own meet, a little smile on her lips now. She hopes she actually can manage something at least a little neat once they're up and at them ]

[ It's all new to Haruka, so things should go just fine. She chooses to focus on eating, putting down her utensils with a smile once she's done and checking on Melaka. ] How was yours?

[ And by the time Haruka's finished, so too as Melaka. Mel actually takes a little longer - she might not have class per se, but she doesn't get a meal this good usually. So she was chewing overly long, savoring the taste of things. Still, she didn't want to delay the other woman, and once things seems to have calmed down some, she's nods, rummaging in her pocket for some money. She didn't plan much more than just what it would cost to eat here, but a tip... she should have a tip for a place like this. ]

Great. Always great here.

[ Haruka watches Melaka fumble with the money, thinking. Is needing to look after her an inconvenience for Melaka? Yeah, it's the other woman's treat - they'd agreed upon that, and she'll honor it - but she's eaten a slice of humble pie today by realizing the implications of not everyone having unlimited income.

So she pulls out a few bills of her own. ] Can I make a donation?

[ If this is a matter of pride, she'll back down. But hey - the food was good. Haruka wants to support that. ]

[ A donation...

Melaka isn't above using charity. You need to have enough pride in yourself to have it overweigh your sense of survival to be like that, and she's not stupid. She'll accept that money and use it if it helps her get by. But right now, she is honoring a loss of a duel, and for the purpose of it, she;s not going to let Haruka foot any part of the bill for the lunch itself. But after frowning at the bill for a moment, she nods. ]

Only enough to tip the staff.

[ And she counts out the proper percentage for it (aiming high, as she always tries to) before making to try to hand back the change ]

[ And Haruka accepts the change without issue, slipping it back into her pocket. Right, that's the unpleasant financial side out of the way. ] I'll have to remember this place for later. Thanks for the introduction.

[ We cool if you cool. ]

[ She does frown a little as she closes the bill, thus completing the transaction. But after that, she stands with a smile, collecting her jacket back onto her shoulders. And she waves for Haruka to follow, because- ]

Don't thank me yet, Sparkles. I'm still doing the tour thing, right?

[ .... ]

[ ....no, she doesn't want to ask.

Haruka smiles and falls into line behind Melaka. ] I'm right behind you.

Edited 2014-12-30 16:59 (UTC)

[ What, she's sparkly.

...

Melaka will notice that might'e been a little weird in a while.

Either way, let's rock. And she sort of knows this neighborhood in the way one knows where you aspire to be, so as they set off, right off the bat, she does point out some shops, some of which are owned by people she knows. Also which ones are prone to discounts... but realizes that's tacky after only a moment. So she instead opts to zone in on this place she doesn't recognize, which... ]

S'this import goods?

[ Form Caldera? She didn't remember a glass blowing shop here ]

[ It's news to Haruka that she actually sparkles, is all. She spends tremendously little time thinking about how others might perceive her, for good or ill.

Haruka listens as Melaka begins her tour, liking the way she can tell these are places her guide frequents and is fond of - it gives her a good sense of her companion - then pulls up behind her when they stop in front of the new store. ] The Point makes it easier...

[ It's probably easy for her to peer over Melaka's head into the storefront. Looks interesting. Maybe they should check it out. ]

Yeah. I've been seeing some people trying to convince me that meat's not a rich man's game since we met those Valkyries.

[ She's not buying it. Plus she's not seen it drop to a price she can manage, not yet. But yeah, glass blowing? she didn't even know one blows glass. So she glances to Haruka, the door, and then nods to herself. She'll get it for the other woman.

Shall we? ]

Changing times. [ Honestly? You aren't missing much by keeping it off the menu. Haruka heads for the door, though, since glassblowing is the current focus. Depending on how detailed the wares are in here, she might pick up a piece or two. She happens to know an artist who'd appreciate learning about a new "venue".

As a result, if there's anything in here that's equally or more decorative than practical, she'll gravitate thataways. Particularly if it has a sky or sea motif. They have their schticks. ]

[ There seems to be a trend in here for sky, sun, and... flames? Probably fitting, given how many ponyta there were around Caldera. In fact, there's actually a few ponyta statues in here, albeit very stylized. The wares in here range from decorative pieces to more practical ones: cups, bowls, weights, ... a pipe? that's interesting. But Melaka, as she walks in, just looks at everything with no small bit of awe. ]

Wonder how you color it...

Did humans make these or Pokémon? [ It doesn't really matter, but Pokémon tend to have abilities beyond humans, even Enlightened. Might explain the color.

Plus, she lives with Natto.

Haruka lifts a statuette to better examine it. Whoever made these is good. Better see if she can find the shopkeeper. ] Excuse me...?

Should I know?

[ ... Maybe both. Either way, the guy who comes out is an older man with a smile, more than ready to have something to sell ]

[ It was a mostly hypothetical question. Haruka picks up one of the more stylized Ponyta figures and addresses the shopkeeper. ] Could I get this boxed up?

[ She's not the type to lavish her girlfriend with gifts ~~she thinks~~, but watching Michiru assess other people's art is really funny. Plus her partner has a Rapidash.

Haruka turns back to Melaka. ] Does anything look good to you?

[ The man complies, and from the back of the room, following his whistle comes...! A darumaka. Who is somewhat thin and somewhat large despite that by the standards of the fire monkeys. Either way, a little bit of ooking is made as it holds out it's hand to take hold of the ponyta. The old man asks him if he can box that.

...Which distracted Mel long enough to blink and shake her head before something does catch her eye.

It's something that's not pure glass. It's some sort of -- glass has been blown around some metal plates, which look like they're made of the same material as Caldera's outer, iron walls. Or some distorted cracks out of it, at least.

And the glass itself is blue in hue, and looks like it's trying to symbolize some aura or fighting spirit - and it's formed into a bowel, with the metal encased at the bottom. and that speaks to her ]

Oh wow.

[ She found something? Haruka had been watching the Darumaka out of the corners of her eyes, but it seems to know what it's doing so she wanders over to peer over Melaka's shoulder. Huh. That's....making a statement. ] Abstract.

[ But unique. And clearly right up Melaka's alley. She grins, watching. You're going to go for it, aren't you. ]

Yeah, kinda. But I wonder what blew off that metal.

[ or how you got it inside the glass? It looks cool ]

It's all Calderan, right? [ She looks over at the shopkeeper for confirmation. ]

Looks like their walls.

[ And the guy confirms that yes, it is. The walls need to be reinforced regularly because of either attacks or damage to the metal from heat or erosion, so they end up with scrap. He collected that himself ]

Recycling the leftovers.... [ Turning refuse into art. There's probably something deep to be said about that, by somebody deep. Haruka doesn't consider that her own forte.

She looks over at Melaka. So this is the kind of thing you like... ] Pretty clever.

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