i'm walking on sunshine

[earnedmystripes]

Who: Kotetsu and Haruka
What: The emotionally stunted cynic meets the dorky, kindhearted altruist. Hilarity ensues????
When: During the summer festival Sometime early September
Where: ...the summer festival >.> some other festival



[It's a beautiful day in Locke City. The summer festival is on in full swing, kids of various ages are playing and chattering and hanging out with their friends, and there's food and music in the air and Kotetsu is taking advantage of having a later shift today to just chill out and relax and enjoy the festivities.

He's here more to people-watch than anything, really. It's nice to see people out and about with their families and friends, and the cheerful, animated atmosphere is far preferable to staying holed up in his apartment until he goes to work.

Kotetsu stops by one of the vendor stalls at some point in the afternoon, intending to grab a bite to eat before going to check out the art students' wares for things he might be able to send to his family as gifts. But it's a pretty long line, and the heat is conducive to some people losing their patience. He stops in the midst of collecting his change to help an older woman whose purse chose that moment to finally give out, and the man behind him shoves past, disgruntled.

Unfortunately, Kotetsu isn't exactly gifted with the best memory in the world, and his wallet is left at the vendor as the fallen items from the woman's bag are collected and returned to her. So he's rather blissfully ignorant when he settles down on a bench to eat.

As it turns out, that hot dog isn't quite meant to be, for it's that moment that he catches a glimpse of a small child watching from a few feet away. Their face is somewhat dirty, clothes clearly threadbare, and it strikes him at that moment that this is a street kid, probably showed up to the festival in the hopes of finding free food, or rooting through trash bins that would undoubtedly be rather full at an event like this.

It doesn't take more than a moment of consideration for him to get up and offer the hot dog over, then the bag of chips he'd bought to go with it. It's too bad he hadn't thought to get a soda, but at least water was given out for free, as long as it wasn't bottled.

The kid looks shocked, at first, but then he grins brightly, a grin missing one baby tooth at the front, and Kotetsu smiles in return, ruffling his hair and sending him off with a wave and a fatherly admonishment not to eat too fast as he settles back down on the bench, content.]

Comments

I'm sorry for the delay idk why I made that dumb life decision

[hoennmaihime]

[She'd only been in Locke City for two? three? months, but already, Haruka was bored. Bored of the sights, the sounds, the things this city had to offer.

So of course she was checking out the festival. Festivals offered an opportunity to experience something new, something unique. And they were fun. Yes, despite all outward appearances, Haruka did in fact enjoy having fun.

Also, festival food. Festival food. Haruka generally kept an exceptionally healthy diet, because what was the point of chef if he couldn't make healthy meals delicious. But festival food... pure garbage, guaranteed to later leave her feeling like garbage, but the festival experience was not complete without it. The food on offer might have been different at American festivals, but the rule stayed the same. And thus, Haruka waited patiently in the vendor's line for the largest stick of cotton candy she could demand.

Normally, that would have been the end of the story. But today, someone had left their wallet behind. Probably the oddball who'd helped that old woman. Well, his actions had led to the line moving sooner and Haruka getting her cotton candy sooner, sooooo maybe it wasn't worst idea in the world to throw it back at him. She's paying for her purchase when she nonchalantly slips the forgotten wallet into her own handbag before heading after Kotetsu. Which means, unfortunately for everyone involved, she witnesses the entirety of his selfless, mind-boggling act.

Normally it's not cool to tag someone with a 'my character is staring at yours!' tag but Kotetsu, you've got a girl holding the world's biggest stick of cotton candy staring at you with a truly comical horrified expression, why would you not engage?]

EQUALLY LATE it's all good /o/

[earnedmystripes]

[Kotetsu tries not to stare back at first, really he does. There's a slight eyebrow-raise at the cotton candy before he looks back into the crowd, watching everybody milling about and debating whether he's actually hungry enough to bother with the lines a second time right now.

...

But that girl is still there, and she's still staring at him, with her cotton candy still in hand and eventually he can't really justify the excuse any longer that she must be looking at something or someone else and it's none of his business, and he meets her eyes again.

And he may or may not have quickly checked to make sure his fly isn't open or something, because seriously, that horrified expression is even more confusing than the gawking.]

Uh...

...Can I, uh...help you with something?

[hoennmaihime]

[The random act of kindness is such a shock to Haruka's psyche that she's completely forgotten herself. She can't move. She can't think. She can only blink. It's not until Kotetsu speaks to her that she can even manage to close her mouth. Right before opening it again to take a large bite of her cotton candy. Chew. Chew. Thankfully, the the burst of ridiculously sweet sugar melting in her mouth proves enough to properly bring her back to reality.]

Yes.

[-she says, gravely serious.]

Why did you just give that child your lunch?

[It hadn't looked like it was bad...]

[earnedmystripes]

[...And she's still staring. And--eating? He's so confused by this, oh god.

The question is equally confusing, particularly with how earnestly it's asked. Kotetsu frowns a moment, brow furrowing, and finally just shrugs a shoulder.]

He needed it more than me.

[Entirely nonchalant, but no less earnest than her. There isn't a drop of sarcasm to be found anywhere in his tone. There is, however, a slightly expectant hint to his expression--as if wanting to know why what he did with his food was relevant to her.]

[hoennmaihime]

[His reward is more silence. Haruka continues to stare, expression carefully blank, mulling over Kotetsu's answer and the seemingly genuine nature of it UNTIL FINALLY:]

...So?

[Oh, and she's totally ignoring that hint by the way. She'll tell him if outright asked because not even Haruka is hypocritical enough to insist that it's none of someone's business as to why she's interested in their business, but not before then.]

What does it matter to you? That child isn't your responsibility. He'd be the state's, if they were doing their jobs properly.

[...Munch, munch.]

[earnedmystripes]

[Okay, now it's Kotetsu's turn to stare. And boy, if he doesn't look like he thinks he's seriously just met one of the aliens right here and now. He might have been prepared for this person to try to tell him that he shouldn't just feed the kid because it'll just encourage him, but not...this. Whatever this is.]

.....He doesn't have to be my kid for me to be able to see he was starving. He can't exactly wait till the next election for food.

[A sharp, slightly irritated exhale!!]

I don't even know why I'm bothering to explain myself to some random kid, but I'm not about to just look the other way when there's something I can do. I got a refrigerator full of things to eat back home and I'd go by at least twenty fast-food places on my way there. I can live without one goddamn hot dog.