closed log.

[eras]

WHO: Hikari/Rose & Aria/Aradia.
WHAT: Running into one another.
WHEN: Backdated to August 1st, during the afternoon.
WHERE: Japantown!

[ Summer vacation, that beloved time of the free - for teenagers on down, at least, always assuming they weren't in year-round schools. Like most teenagers, Aria was spending her holiday on her hobbies, although she had also picked up a few more shifts at the shop and a few more babysitting gigs. Saving up never hurt anyone.

Her hobbies were fairly eclectic and partly influenced by her sister, but the one she was engaged in today was something Mara found baffling and sort of boring: geo-caching. Granted, she couldn't do ones that left Locke city any longer due to reasons of not wanting her memory erased, even for a little bit, but...Locke was pretty big, so that wasn't an issue.

What was an issue was that Mara wasn't playing guardian on this particular trip, and therefore no one was there to tell Aria to watch where she was going rather than to frown at her gps, so she shoulder-clipped the next passer-by on accident.

Whoops.

That was enough to stop her in her tracks, though, looking embarrassed as well as apologetic. The streets might be busy enough that this wasn't odd, but...whoops? ]

I'm so sorry, I didn't see you - [ Aria very nearly pauses. That sure is a very distinctive style of dress. ] - there. I was trying to navigate myself...

Comments

[thorny]

[Hikari certainly is dressed distinctively, although she's lacking an accompanying parasol today. she smiles at Aria, the expression sweet and apparently sincere; however, if one is particularly observant they might detect an odd undertone of icy disdain.]

Oh, it's no trouble. I understand that some people have trouble integrating on their first sanctioned trip outside without a chaperone.

[eras]

[ Chilly indeed. It would be hard to miss the disdain after hearing the words - even when paired with that expression. Aria's eyebrows go up, but she was the one who ran into the other girl first... ]

I'm afraid my chaperone was busy today! ...Anyway, I really should have stopped off to the side to check this. I'm just having no luck finding it, so I was, you know, trying to get closer.

[ That's actually an incredibly unclear way of putting things, Aria. ]

I really am sorry, though. I didn't hurt you, right?

[thorny]

I'm a bit sturdier than rice paper, so I'm afraid that your steamrolling attempts have had no effect.

[she smiles and brushes off some imaginary dust from her sleeve]

Next time, however, you might want to wait until an aide is free to accompany you. There are some people who wouldn't hesitate in having you institutionalized again.

[eras]

[ Aria...laughs. She's not sure what else to do in the situation, honestly. The other girl is clearly upset - or at least sounds so? Maybe? - and that niggles at her a little. She's never liked conflict. ]

Look, can I like - I don't know, buy you a soda? Or something? Or tea? [ how does she make it less awkward. ]

I promise to put my GPS away for the rest of the day. The geocache will just remain unfound.

[thorny]

That depends - are you contagious or the result of a tragedy of genetics?

[oh she's certainly not letting Aria get away this easily - and if she happens to get a little free refreshment out of harassing her, so much the better]

[eras]

Neither. Just a case of distraction, I promise! I'm normally actually pretty coordinated.

[ Or more careful at certain times, like when in an antique shop. ]

[thorny]

I highly doubt that, but there's no reason to decline a free beverage. So long as you aren't the one preparing it, of course.

[eras]

I don't see why I would need to be? My place is around here, but it'd be a lot simpler to just get something from a cafe or a vending machine, depending on what you want.

Oh - I'm Aria, by the way.

[ Apparently this girl communicates with casual insults and the like? Okay. ]

[thorny]

Hikari. A pleasure, I'm sure.

[there's amusement in her smile but no warmth, and certainly no motion to extend a hand or even bow]

Tea is fine, assuming that you feel confident enough in your ability to restrain yourself and not scald the roof off your mouth. It would be such a tragedy to ruin one of the few things you possess that functions correctly.

[eras]

I've been drinking it all my life, with few mishaps!

[ Aria shrugs, smiling back without actually thinking about it - it's just automatic for her to smile when smiled at. Which probably says a lot about her, but. ]

And in that case...I think I know a place near here that would be good, unless you have a place you prefer?

[ She's not sure if the other girl lives around here and would know places to go, so. ]

[thorny]

There's a reason that I enjoy the teahouses I frequent, and a large part of that reason is because people like you don't enter it. I'd rather keep it that way, thank you very much.

[she tilts her head, eyes closing briefly as her smile becomes sickeningly sugary]

So please feel free to lead on! I've got plenty of wipes in my purse, so I'm certain I can tolerate whatever venue you choose.

[eras]

If you say so! Do you get something out of talking like that, by the way? I mean, are you enjoying yourself when you do that, or are you just that upset?

[ Apparently she's just going to ask because why not, but Aria's also pocketing her gps and looking around, re-orienting herself. ...Ah-hah. ]

This-a-way. It's about a block over. I know the owners; they're super nice!

[thorny]

They must be, to allow you on their premises.

[she begins walking along at a leisurely pace, calm as can be]

As to your question, I really don't have a clue as to what you're referring to. I'm merely making conversation.

[eras]

I'll take that as "you're enjoying yourself", since I don't think the other way makes as much sense. So I suppose that's fine.

[ At least since Hikari is following her? And apparently willingly conversing with her?

Aria decides to ignore it for the time being, whatever. ]

Mm, I've known the family since I was younger, when we stayed over here. My grams is friends with them.

[thorny]

[dear sweet Aria, slinging insults left and right with a smile on her face doesn't really count as conversing]

Is that so? They must be terribly disappointed in the lady you've grown to be.

[eras]

Not at all. But then, they do know me a lot better than a girl I met on the street, don't you think?

[ She shrugs. ]

[thorny]

Normally you'd be correct, but considering the fact that if your personality was a puddle of water I could stand in it without getting my ankles wet...

[she trails off, leaving the obvious conclusion hanging with a bright chuckle]

[eras]

That's really just your opinion, though. And I think how much someone likes or dislikes someone is probably always going to be a matter of personal taste and opinion. It would be silly to assume that your opinion is that of everyone I know, especially when I've known them longer than I've known you?

[ Why is she bothering to debate it, really, though.

Aria points to an awning up ahead, smiling cheerfully. ]

That's the place!

[thorny]

How charmingly banal.

[she smiles up at it with the expression of someone taking in refreshing pastoral scenes, before turning to grace Aria with the same smile]

I can see why it appeals to someone like you so much.

[eras]

[ Another shrug. Aria's really not sure what the deal is here, but has mostly decided to just edit the dialogue in her head into things she can actually reply to.

It's almost like a game. ]

Yep! It's one of my favorite places. [ She's not sure if this passive-aggressive insult thing (if it can be called that) extends to waiters as well as herself, so she's pretty quick to ask for a table for two instead of giving Hikari a chance to insult the people who will shortly be serving them, and luckily they aren't going to have to wait for. ]

[thorny]

You mean there are multiple establishments with standards low enough to allow you in? Color me surprised.

[she notices that and it earns Aria a wry grin; she's not usually particularly rude to servers when they can hear her (or understand her, as is the case in Japantown) but the fear certainly makes her consider the option this time. better be on your toes, Aria.]

[eras]

Nearly everything everywhere allows me in, unless there's an age limit or something else?

[ The problem with having your usual insulting language understood. Even if Hikari swapped to Japanese, Aria would still have to deal with it. ]

[thorny]

That's very kind of them. But then, I suppose that a little positive pr never hurt an establishment...

[she hums a little to herself, gaze dropping down to the menu. might as well take advantage of being here]

[eras]

[ Aria...doesn't even bother responding to that one, just looking at her own menu, considering what to get.

Perhaps she should pick something up for Mara. Her sister would probably appreciate that, right? So, maybe a little something to go, and then something quick for herself, and then whatever Hikari was getting... ]