[MIXER AQ] Sea Animals [Wakana/Yasuko.K]

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

SPOILER: Click to show

Under the Sea
+ Description: Otonoki Aquarium's beloved beluga mascot Kokei just gave birth to a baby! Everyone is dying to go see the cutie and you've managed to snag some tickets to their first showing.
+ Arrive early to the event and score front row seats for maximum splashing: +1 Guardians, +1 Faberge, -1 Roost
+ Arrive to the event on time and watch the spectacle from afar; You don't want to get too wet after all: +1 Guardians, -1 Faberge, +1 Roost
+ Arrive late and miss the showing! At least there's still other exhibits, right?: -1 Guardians, +1 Faberge, +1 Roost
+ Miss the event entirely and head straight to the gift shop; who needs belugas when you can buy souvenirs!: -1 Guardians, +2 Roost
+ Requirements: None
+ Submitted by Cherimsy

---

"Come on, won't you try our lucky draw?" A man had asked, shaking his fan under her face as he pointed his other at a booth. Apparently it was one of those things - a small counter had been set up off on the side of the road, promoting some kind of...new brand of sweets? Or something? Yasuko didn't look at it too closely; she was just too thoroughly annoyed at this man's constant pestering. She was really only here for an ice-cream run, not to be stopped by promoters! Judging from the less than stellar crowd, there weren't too many takers.

They must be really desperate if they were pestering a Seiyo student who clearly wanted nothing to do with it.

"Come on, it'll only take a few minutes of your time! We have a lot of prizes!" Who was he, number 1 salesperson or something?! It was their fault for setting it up early afternoon on a weekday! Did they expect a crowd right now? "I'm sure you'll be very lucky! Or are you afraid of trying?" Yasuko whipped her head back at him the moment he said that. That was a lame taunt but...it was a taunt nonetheless and the first-year just couldn't get it out of her head. He wanted her to try it? Okay fine she will. Grasping the handle roughly, she spun the wheel as fast as she could - Wouldn't it be funny if she got the first prize? she couldn't help but think - before stopping abruptly, waiting for a coloured ball to pop out.

The sound of bells ringing was faster than she could register the colour, and soon she was shoved a basketful of sweets, (What am I supposed to do with these?) and tickets to the Otonoki aquarium. She couldn't hear the promoters over the sounds of clapping and clattering, simply blinking with surprise at what had happened. It was only when she got home did she realise what she actually got. Basketful of sweets...maybe she could share them with Minji or something, she always seemed to have care packages from home. 

But she picked up the tickets - and stared. Otonoki Aquarium's beluga mascot...yeah she knew about that - oh wait, she had a baby?! And this was the first showing?! That...seemed to be a big prize for a small booth trying to promote sweets. Despite that though, she wasn't that big on sea creatures; some of them were pretty sure and she had been once to the aquarium when she was just a little kid, but she wasn't that interested in going to a baby animal's first showing. Looks like a good prize just got wasted...

Wait. She vaguely remembered Wakana tweeting about ocean animals before. Admittedly, they hadn't been talking a lot since their meet in the canteen, but the normalcy of their relationship was something that Yasuko missed. Just talking like good friends...She stared back at the tickets in her hands. Two tickets. 

Maybe she could bring her?

She sent a quick PM to Wakana over Twitter.
Hey Hall-san,

I don't know if you've heard about Otonoki's aquarium, but apparently its beluga mascot just gave birth, and I got some tickets for their first show with the baby. I'm not entirely big on sea animals myself, but I saw you tweeting about ocean creatures before, and I wondered if it's something you're interested in?

Maybe you'll like to come? It's this Saturday.


Wakana

[Wakana]

The chime of her phone's notification system distracted Wakana just as she finished the last sit-up of her circuit. "Waa~ You got a message Waka! I wonder who it could be~ I know! You must have a date, ah~ so romantic~~" Fara, her guardian character, swooned and popped up from her place on Wakana's bed. "Hurry up and answer it!" she scolded, a comically strict look on her face that caused the teen to giggle from her place on the floor. "I'm looking, I'm looking!"She replied, snatching a mint green towel from its resting place on the floor. Sitting up, Wakana wiped her face clear of sweat first before turning her attention to the phone sitting innocently on the edge of her desk. A strong curiosity filled her while she hopped up, on hand steadying herself on the bed while the other reached out to snap up the device. "I wonder who it could be.." she murmured, drowning out Fara's background chatter in favor of collapsing sideways and back. She bounced twice, hand snapping through her lock screen and skimming through to her notifications (casually ignoring Fara's squawks of distress from having almost been flattened).

Hey Hall-san,
I don't know if you've heard about Otonoki's aquarium, but apparently its beluga mascot just gave birth, and I got some tickets for their first show with the baby. I'm not entirely big on sea animals myself, but I saw you tweeting about ocean creatures before, and I wondered if it's something you're interested in?

Maybe you'll like to come? It's this Saturday.

Fara settled in on her shoulder, looking up at the bright screen hovering over them. "Whose it from?" She asked, pouting quickly forgotten in favor of curiosity. "Ah, It's from Kobayashi-san. She's inviting me to go with her to an event at the aquarium." Her guardian perked up. "Isn't that the girl you told me about? The one you made friends with?" Wakana made a sound of acceptance, fingers already typing away a reply before hitting send and allowing the phone to fall from her grasp and onto the bed.

"Sounds like fun, ne Fara-chan?"

Hello Kobayashi-san!
I would love to go with you! I haven't gotten the chance to check out the aquarium here yet, but now I'm kind of glad! Where would you like to meet up? I live on campus, but I'm not sure where you live. If you live nearby we could walk together. Ah! We don't have to though! I'm okay with meeting you there too if that's easier! What time is it at?
-Wakana
Ps. My number is xxx-xxx-xxx! Feel free to use it instead of twitter!

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

The ping of her phone alerted the girl - and Yasuko looked up from her homework, blinking at the lit screen. Who was that? She usually didn't receive much notifications. Taking her phone, she stared at the notifications just on the screen itself - and her eyes lit up. It was Wakana! Quickly, she set down her pen and slid the slider across, unlocking her phone so as to read the message. 

Hello Kobayashi-san!
I would love to go with you! I haven't gotten the chance to check out the aquarium here yet, but now I'm kind of glad! Where would you like to meet up? I live on campus, but I'm not sure where you live. If you live nearby we could walk together. Ah! We don't have to though! I'm okay with meeting you there too if that's easier! What time is it at?
-Wakana
Ps. My number is xxx-xxx-xxx! Feel free to use it instead of twitter!

She lives on campus too? was the first thought in her head, before she continued reading the message. Ah that was great! It would make it so much easier to meet up and everything - maybe even in the future, if they ever wish to hang out again. She was about to type a reply back onto Twitter itself - until she realised that the other had provided her own phone number. Come to think of it, she hadn't exchanged any phone numbers with anyone since she arrived at Seiyo huh? Not even her roommate's. She glanced back at the empty bed beside her, and made a mental note to herself to ask for the second-year's number the moment the girl returned back tot he dorms.

She soon typed the phone number into her own; saving it as a contact just as quickly. It probably was better if she sent a reply through an SMS of sorts, right?

Hey Hall-san,

This is Kobayashi-san. Thanks for giving me your phone number; here's mine too for you to save.

I didn't know you live on campus too - what a great coincidence, since I live in the dorms as well. Maybe it would be easier if we set off from the dorms instead? I could meet you downstairs at the lobby area before we head off.

The aquarium's open at 8am, but the show

She had to stop herself there, re-checking the time quickly on the tickets.

the show starts in the afternoon, at 1PM. Since you hadn't been to the aquarium before, maybe you'll like to head out early to check out the other sea animals before we go for the beluga showing? I'm fine with anything you decide.


Sincerely,
Yasuko

[Wakana]

The sound of a dolphin's squeaks snapped her attention from the depths of her book, dragging an excited squeak from her throat. Snatching up her phone, which she had been keeping nearby in anticipation for a reply, Wakana flipped it open to see the message. "Huh, did she reply?" Came Fara's voice, floating in from the other side of the room. "Mhm! She says the show starts at one, but the aquarium opens at eight." Wakana hurriedly typed out a reply to confirm.

Sound's good to me!

Want to meet up at nine and get breakfast together on the way? I'd like to get there early enough to get good seats for the show mostly! But going earlier to look gives us a little extra time for the other animals before hand, and hopefully help beat the crowds. We can go for ice cream or lunch afterwards too!
My treat!
(*≧∀≦*) 

With a beep, the message sent and she closed the phone. "I should probably pick out something cute to wear, ne Fara? Nothing white though, in case we get wet." She hummed a cheerful tune, pushing off the bed to begin the journey of ages for a teen girl.

Outfit coordination. 

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

A ping was soon emitted from her phone - and this time Yasuko grabbed at it quickly, sliding the slider across. With how fast the response was, it had got to be Wakana. ...Well actually she barely got much notifications anyway, so the only person who she thought could be messaging her would really be her fellow first-year. She read through the message quickly; and she couldn't help the small smile tugging at the side of her mouth. Meeting for breakfast on the way huh? That sounded great!

Leaning back onto her chair, she began typing a reply and sent it just as quickly.

That sounds perfect actually!

I'll see you this Saturday at nine then?

Sincerely,
Yasuko

Honestly, the short message didn't really convey a sense of excitement that she felt over it. When was the last time she had ever been on an outing with a friend? She was certain it had been at least a few months; maybe even a year? She didn't remember honestly, as she wasn't really the type to notice these sorts of things. Besides, most of her time was used up in studying and practicing her writing, and she was simply so goal-focused that she barely did much socialising.

And really she didn't quite understand why she felt a little eager over the whole thing.

Maybe it was because it was just something normal. Two friends, doing normal things; going to the aquarium together to observe at the sea animals. Something that wasn't egg-related for once.

She set the phone down again, and picked up her pen to continue on her homework.

(will timeskip to the day! o/)

---

Yasuko was sitting down at one of the plush chairs in the lobby of the dormitories, her thumb scrolling through her phone as she waited. To be honest, she probably was a little early...no actually she was more than just early, she was downstairs at least an hour earlier than their scheduled meet. Really, she had no good reason to be at their designated meeting place so early - except that she had simply wanted to.

She had woken up much earlier than she had expected and, unable to go to sleep, decided to simply just commence her usual morning routine and don her clothes for the outing. She was wearing a pair of dark brown casual slacks, with a white button-up shirt and a black sling back with gold hem. Though really, choosing clothing wasn't really too hard - her wardrobe was often filled with formal and work-related garb, and they all pretty much looked the same anyway. Even if they weren't intended to be worn for such activities, she would still pair items together to create the image of a working woman.

Though, it really didn't do much, for her short stature and baby-face simply didn't match the serious clothing style.

Calli was sitting on the table, swinging her legs back and forth as she waited. She had never met this girl before! And she couldn't help but notice how excited Yasuko was for the whole sea animals trip! She totally wanted to meet this girl now! 

[Wakana]

On Saturday, Wakana woke up to her alarm as the sun crested over the horizon, just as she did everyday, got dressed into her running clothes and began her eight kilometer run around the campus. By now, she could honestly probably push it to a 16 kilometer run if she was feeling particularly adventurous. Morning swim practice sort of negated the need though. From six to seven-thirty she swam laps at the pool, practicing her strokes and training her breath before heading back to the dorms while downing a shake. The walk was a nice cool down from all the work, the campus quiet and relaxing for the trip. She showered clean in record time, although the faint smell of chlorine still lingered against her skin. The unfortunate reality of swim. She was thankful for her short hair at this point, happy that instead of leaving the room with long, wet hair, it would be dry. The clock hit eight forty-five as the door to her room closed behind her, Fara still asleep in her bag.

"Kobayashi-san! Good morning!"The greeting she gave while fixing her straw sunhat was a mixture of surprise, and excitement. Wakana rounded around to the front of the lobby chairs with a cheery wave, the gauzy layers of her natural grey sundress and white chemise swishing around her knees. A bright smile was affixed to her lips, hand giving the fellow girl a cheerful wave. "Looks like we both got here a little early. I hope you're hungry, because I'm starving." she complained, falling back onto the chair across from Yasuko rubbing her stomach as it growled as if on cue. "I usually eat earlier than this, to be honest." There was a sheepish grin then. Wow, she was talking a lot, wasn't she? Is this what it was like to be a morning person? It was kind of weird.

In a good way.

 

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

((omg WaKANA YOU SO FIT))

The sound of footsteps made the tiny fairy startle, before she flew and disappeared straight into Yasuko's bag. The first-year had sternly intructed her not to come out unless absolutely necessary, especially if Wakana herself could see her. Really though, the girl simply just wanted an Egg-less day today. Hearing the call of her name, Yasuko looked up from her phone with a raised eyebrow - before she began to shut the screen off the moment she recognised who it was. "Hall-san!" she called, immediately getting up and raising a hand to return the wave. She couldn't help but smile a little too.

"I suppose so," was her reply to the girl's statement. Was Wakana a morning person she wondered? Really Yasuko was more of a regimented person herself - she got up when her alarm rang and she slept at the nearly the same times everyday. She was actually usually groggy in the morning to say the least; though nothing a wash couldn't fix. She watched as the other sat down onto the chair across, before she too sat back down onto her own. "I guess I am a little hungry," she responded with a sheepish smile - and she couldn't help the tug of a laugh on her mouth as the other's stomach growled.

"Have you thought of any place you'll like to go for breakfast?" Then again, Yasuko was an Otonoki native - should she play host of sorts and suggest places to eat? "Or maybe any preference for a breakfast meal?"

[Wakana]

Her cheer wasn't so much from her being a morning person, as it was that she had already been up a few hours prior. That, and of course the daily exercise she got, meant that Wakana generally was rather awake and alert in the morning. Which she swiftly crashed from in the late afternoon. Food, at that point was her only reason to stay awake. "Mm, not really. I don't actually know many places around here. And, honestly, so long as it's food I don't care where we go." A sheepish grin crossed her face as she admitted that. "I could probably eat a whole cow right now." 

Wakana shuffled her bag around a moment before deciding to stand up. "We should get going now though, breakfast will probably take us a little time from getting early to the aquarium. We can see what there is to eat along the way, right? My treat today, okay!" Not just to be friendly. Her meals in the morning were actually ridiculously large on account of her ravenous post-workout appetite. Muscles didn't fuel themselves, and while they could split their meals—
 
It was her first time going out like this with a friend.

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

"Ah I see." The first-year scratched her head a little as the other said that, frowning slightly. It made sense, she supposed; if she recalled correctly Wakana was half-American right? And she seemed to be able to converse in English pretty well - if her conversation with that blonde guy from so many months ago was any indication. And from those words, Yasuko could only deduce that she wasn't familiar with Otonoki. Though she had to wonder where exactly she had lived before this. "I guess you're kind of a foreigner in this town?" she said, though her tone was unsure, not certain if she had gotten that right.

"We could certainly," the girl said, before standing up and gesturing to Wakana to follow her to the door. Putting on her dark coloured sneakers - probably the only thing that didn't quite fit the office-lady theme, but then again they were going to an aquarium; she wouldn't want to get her work shoes wet - she waited for her fellow first-year before she pushed open the door. But upon hearing Wakana's offer, the girl immediately raised a hand as if to dismiss the idea. "What? No no, you don't have to do that! I mean, I live here, so if anyone's supposed to threat, it should be me." Yeah, that was how threats work, right? She really shouldn't have a foreigner pay for her when she lived in this town her whole life.

But her brows furrowed slightly, as she thought about where to eat. "There aren't a lot of Japanese places that offer breakfast here though," she said, scratching her cheek a little. It didn't seem like a tradition for Japanese to go out to eat for breakfast (OR SO IT SEEMS FROM GOOGLE SEARCH). "There are some Japanese breakfasts, if that's what you fancy, but I admit I'm not sure how good they are. I often had breakfasts at home." Well, wasn't she playing a fine host today. She should have thought of that problem early on, instead of disappointing Wakana today of all days--

Oh wait. "But if you want a Western breakfast, there's some cafes in town that offer that." She remembered seeing some of them, with their plaques and blackboards outside, writing about what they were offering throughout the day. It probably was their best bet. "I mean, unless you want convenience store food--" she said, a bit of a sheepish smile on her face. Which didn't exactly sound very great for a first-time outing with a friend. It was almost...anti-climatic.

[Wakana]

"Mhm." A sound of agreement left her before she decided to explain. "I'm from Misawa, a small city up in east Aomori Prefecture. I lived on base for most of my childhood though. Luckily, my mom insisted that I attend school off base. Or I would be really American!" She laughed lightly,  as she followed to the door. She had a small struggle getting her sandals on her prosthetic foot, but it was nothing leaning against the wall couldn't help. Once they moved out the door, Wakana watched as Yasuko protested her offer and grinned in response. "It's a practical offer, I swear!" A giggle. "I wasn't actually lying when I said I could eat a cow. I exercise a lot, so I need a lot of energy. If you paid, I would clear you out!" Without even thinking about it, she gave the other girl a friendly nudge with her shoulder. "That would be rude of me, right? Besides, I offered first, so there!" Sticking her tongue out at Yasuko, Wakana skipped ahead with a cheerful pep in her step. 

"Cafe it is then!" She decided swiftly, spinning around as she spoke while crossing her fingers to not run into anyone as she walked backwards. "Convenience stores are for snacks, not filling meals. Do you know a good one?" Western was good. She grew up on western food, so it wasn't a big deal. More like home cooking really. With an obvious Japanese flair. Food was food though. The gnawing of her stomach second'd that.

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

"Misawa? Base?" Yasuko repeated, a raised eyebrow in query. Living in Otonoki all her life, Yasuko hadn't heard of how others lived their own lives in all the various places in Japan. But a base sounded like an...odd place to live, or so it was to the first-year. What did Wakana mean by base anyway? She waited for Wakana as the other put on her sandals - noting her slight struggle but had dismissed it, thinking it was simply nothing. She had no idea the other had a prosthetic leg. "It all sounds really different," she had to say, a slight smile of interest on her face. "I've only lived in Otonoki, so I don't know how others lived theirs elsewhere."

The girl blinked a little at Wakana's words. A practical offer? "Well, I mean-" Yasuko began, but she couldn't finish her sentence, not with the way Wakana was being so insisting on her offer. Watching as her fellow first-year skipped on ahead, the girl soon gave a defeated sigh - though based on the little half-smile she pulled later, it didn't seem like she was at all offended. "Alright, alright, if you insist," she waved a hand dismissively.

At the girl's question, Yasuko placed a hand on her chin, her eyebrows knitted together in thought. "Hmm..." she voiced, as they walked down the pathway from the school campus to the Otonoki town itself. It was relatively early, so there didn't seem to be too many people out on the streets. She was someone who wasn't entirely a foodie, so her choices in food were often quick and easy and practical. "Um..." she began, scratching her head a little. "There was this place my brother always talked about - he has a thing for pancakes and waffles and all that, you see - and he was on a rave about it for a while." She pulled out her phone, tapping onto her shared conversation with her brother over one of the instant messaging services installed on her device. "He said it was somewhere near the flower shop..."

She tapped onto the picture of the cafe, and raised it to show Wakana. There was a picture of quint little cafe, its walls painted a light blue with white edges, and a large glass that allowed the others to look inside. The name of the shop was printed onto the glass in gold lettering, and the same cheerful theme continued on to the inside, with numerous wooden tables and chairs - aside from a long cushioned navy blue chair that seemed affixed to the wall. Some of the tables were occupied, with pots of tea or coffee, and what appeared to be a variety of Western-themed food. Outside was a blackboard, where it seemed that they wrote their signature dishes in chalk. "This okay?"

[Wakana]

Oh right, most people wouldn't know what she was talking about. "Misawa Air Base, it's the only combined service installation in the west pacific. Both U.S forces and the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces use it." Wakana explained briefly, pausing only to add a small tidbit of knowledge. "My father is with the US Air Force, but my mom was born Japanese born and bred. A civilian working on base when they met." And then she came along, after they got married of course. She smiled at the other girls admission. "That's okay, this is my first time living outside of Misawa, so it's all pretty new to me too. Good thing I made a friend who knows her way around, right?"

Pausing from her cheer, the teen leaned forward to get a better look at the picture Yasuko brought up on her phone. Waoo~! "It's so cute! Your brother has good taste," Her cheer broke the momentary silence, eyes softening to an alarming glitter. "looks perfect for what we want! How far away is it from here?" And in what direction did she have to go before she was in food heaven? At this rate her stomach was going to take over her body to get some food!

Wakana was totally a glutton in the morning.

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

"An air base!" the girl repeated with surprise. An air base...didn't that sound like a military sort of thing? Yasuko didn't know too much about the military or the navy or anything related to the army - unless you count history books, which really didn't talked too much about military structure unless absolutely necessary. "That's kind of cool actually," she began, interest evident in her grey eyes. So Wakana wasn't just half-American, but she had a background related to the military too! "I didn't know one could even live on a military air base like that! My parents are just...a businesswoman and a banker; kind of average people really."

She tapped a hand on her chin, as she stared down at the photo on her phone, pausing as she thought how exactly to get there. "The flower shop is...on the next street I think. He said it's nearby. Considering it's-" she glanced back at the phone before shrugging. "-kind of hard to miss, with a look like that." The cafe wasn't gaudy or anything, but Otonoki was a small town, so having such a obviously Western-themed restaurant was easy to spot, in some ways. "Let's go down this way," Yasuko said, as she pointed down the street.

It would take them only just a few minutes before they would spot the blue-and-white colouring of the cafe. "There it is!" the first-year said, walking onwards just to take a look at the front. Yeah, it really did look like the one in the photo. Already, there were quite a fair amount of people inside. "Oh look!" she said, as she noticed the blackboard propped to face the window. There were a list of breakfast items, ranging from coffees and teas, to pancakes, and waffles, and sausages and eggs and...well, there was even a big breakfast option on there too. Yasuko rarely came to such cafes, unless it's her brother who wanted to go. "They really do write their menus out here."

[Wakana]

"Average isn't bad though," A soft, wistful smile tugged at her cheeks. "far more stable. I got lucky that my grandparents were still alive, otherwise I would have been forced to move from Japan a long time ago." She shook herself from her reverie, following the girls lead down the street. "But yep, there is housing and everything on base! Think of it like a mini city. We have shops and restaurants too, like any neighborhood."

Spotting the cafe was a bit of a relief as the loud gurgling of her stomach, gnawing in displeasure at its owner, was becoming a bit of a nuisance. "Waa~ It really is cute, we should hurry before it gets too crowded." Wakana's eyes darted around the facade of the building, drinking in the atmosphere and getting a good look at any specials going on. Anxiety prep 101, decide what you want well in advance of needing to even think of speaking it, so far that was leaning towards a waffle with lots of eggs, and sausages on the side. For a drink? Probably a latte. She could use the caffeine.

"Do you have any idea what you want to eat?" she tilted her head, changing her gaze to look straight at her companion's face. She wasn't sure if Yasuko was particularly familiar with western food, lacking the same multi-national upbringing that Wakana had. Aa, she probably should have taken that into consideration- but food.

[Yasuko Kobayashi]

Yasuko blinked, pausing in her speech for a bit as she pondered a little over Wakana's words. "I guess," she said, shrugging lightly. She listened to the other's words as they walked, before she raised both of her eyebrows in mild surprise. "Really?" was her response, blinking a little. Then again, if she thought about it, it did sound like it made sense. "That's kind of cool actually," she said with an interested smile, a hand on her chin in thought. She couldn't help but be curious; after all, how many people she had met that actually lived on a base? "So you kind of like...live on the base full time then?"

Her eyes widened slightly at the sudden growling of the other's stomach, before a corner of her mouth quirked up in a bit of a small amused smile. It was kind of funny to be honest, to see her fellow first-year - and fellow small short girl - having such obvious hunger pangs. "Me?" was her response at first, and she turned her head towards the menu to take a look. The first-year wasn't very big on food in general; she usually ate out of necessity rather than to enjoy the food, but she could recognise some of the items on the menu thanks to her brother. "Um..." she started, squinting a little at the food listed out on the board. "I think maybe the sandwiches?" she said; it looked small enough and practical for her.

Remembering how Wakana's stomach had basically grumbled throughout their walk, she pointed at the door. "Why don't we go in?" she said, walking towards the entrance. A waitress wearing a light blue blouse and a black ruffle skirt greeted them at the door before she quickly took them to an empty table near the middle of the cafe. Once they were seated, they were handed their menus - a powder blue one with patterns of white clouds and birds, to match the decor - and a query of 'Would you like to order now, or I'll come back in a sec?'