A hero takes your hand

[keystaff]

WHO: Sakura Kinomoto, OPEN
WHERE: The Confectionary Bakery, Mall, Library
WHEN: 20th September
WHAT: Sakura out at work or out and about shopping or working on homework at the library.
WARNINGS: None off of the top of my head.



Confectionary:

[Sakura looks up when the door opens, her hair shifting a little with the movement of her head as she smiles and welcomes the new arrival. She's at least sort of used to the uniform by now, and dressing up in general thanks to her best friend taking sewing classes and wanting a model of sorts to make sure her outfits fit and looks alright when worn. She stands at the counter, which is luckily low enough for her not to have trouble with, smiling with a wave before gesturing to the displays of cupcakes.]

Hello! Which flavor would you like today?

[Or, perhaps, if she sees the customer here often enough, she'll ask if they want their usual order. If she has noticed they seem to have a particular favourite.]

Mall:

At least I'm ready school wise. So there's just the groceries to get for tonight and anything for tomorrow. But I guess while I'm here I should look for a new jacket.....

[It's quiet. More some habit of talking to herself to not forget her errands or such. But that doesn't mean others might not overhear her while she is there to primarily figure some groceries, but also perhaps a couple of other things too. Sakura can be found around the aisles of the supermarket or perhaps in the clothing stores, eyeing a new top or coat or skirt, perhaps.]

Library:

[Sakura usually figures it easier to study if she stays at the library and isn't distracted by the cleaning or cooking until she's actually done her homework, if she comes by after school once she finishes classes. She might be sitting down with her textbooks and laptop trying to get through some of said homework this afternoon. She might be chewing at her pen or pencil, or perhaps someone notices her frowning and pouting at her notes or textbook as she tries to figure something out. She might just be distracted still wondering what her recent memory means. The contract.....that...er, talking stuffed toy? How can she be expected to keep up with school with weird things like that? If more of this might happen? She puts her head down at her arms, groaning into the fabric of the sleeves of her shirt.

Or maybe she is instead found a little after, having finished and then taken to wandering the shelves of books for something non school related to read in the evenings.]

Comments

library

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji takes that groan as a "studying is so hard ahhhhhhhhh" groan, which is more or less what he feels with a thick textbook on one side of him, blank sheets of notebook paper on the other side of him, and an entire week of school that he's missed and has to work twice as hard just to catch up.

He misses middle school, and middle school level work, and would much rather go back to that, so... ]

Hey. [ a whisper, because they're in the library, but he's sitting near enough to her on the same long table to be audible. ] Something you're not understanding? I could try to explain it for you.

[keystaff]

[Well. He isn't wrong. Studying can be tough. Mostly maths, in her case, but still. It's rough getting back to it after the summer break and all. So it probably isn't surprising that she's still maybe not quite yet entirely into school mode again.]

Hm? Ah, I'm okay....the maths I can just ask Prompto-san on, I guess.

[It's how he already knew her once she'd shown up on that app. Which hasn't caused her too many problems yet but. That doesn't mean it hasn't put others in trouble. Wouldn't cause even more for her with more memories coming up somehow or other.]

[appraiser]

[ Which is just as well, because Ryoji definitely can't help her with math. He's not ready to go back to studying either, so he ponders over it a bit, and then tries again. ]

How about a break? Stretching for our bodies, and fresh air for our brains... we can both do our best after we're revitalized.

[keystaff]

Maybe that is a good idea.

[At least, as far as the homework goes. Even if that wouldn't necessarily help any with her confusion and worry over regaining more memories like that. It might help her feel more up to tackling it at least, more optimistic about the challenge and ready to get through the rest of her homework. So she gives a nod of agreement.

Then staring, unsure if they might be a bit, if she might need to pack her things away to take with her or not.]

[appraiser]

O~kay!

[ Ryoji, at least, starts packing his things, having learned that you really shouldn't leave things unattended in public without a trusted friend to watch over them, even if it's a two minute bathroom break. All he has is a book, though; the papers he slides under the cover to keep, and his pen he sticks in his back pants pocket and hopes it doesn't leak black everywhere. ]

Here, I can carry your books and your laptop for you; I don't have a lot of stuff.

[keystaff]

O-oh. Um, if it won't be too heavy for you. I was just wondering if I should bring it, in case we might be a while.

[She wouldn't want to imagine her brother's reaction if she just left it and someone took off with her laptop. Better to be safe than sorry, isn't that how the saying goes? So she does start to pack her things up, putting her laptop and books in her bag along with her pencil case.]

I think that's everything.

[appraiser]

Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look!

[ His strength isn't muscle strength, unfortunately, but he makes a good show of being able to carry the bag effortlessly after Sakura finishes packing her things, and they head out the library to the open grassy space outside. ]

You do have a lot of books, though. I had a nontraditional education after elementary school, so I didn't learn from books for many years— I'd forgotten how hard it is to sit still for so long, and read tiny print all in black and white...

[keystaff]

You did? You were taught at home some other way then? I've always been at school, really. It was just done differently back in Japan in some ways.

[Not that she has the most memories of class back there in comparison. But her brother has told her more on the differences since he was older and spent more time in school back there before they moved here to Recolle, to the US.]

I guess I'm just used to it. How were you taught?

[appraiser]

[ The only experience Ryoji has of schooling in Japan is through his other self's memories, little snippets of being introduced as a transfer student, talking with the other students after class, meeting fronts outside the school gates... He doesn't actually remember anything about studying or learning, go figure. ]

Sort of like homeschooling, yes! I had one teacher who would teach me everything. If it were math, we would sit down and talk through it. Science would be outside, with the trees and the sky. History and language and culture, we would fly to that country and learn in person.

[keystaff]

You traveled all the time like that? That sounds amazing! I guess ideally that would be the best way to learn about other countries and cultures and all -- going there yourself.

[Though that still seems amazing to her. But then, it isn't like her family had the money to travel so much. Her father did on occasion with his work, with his archaeology, but even then.]

[appraiser]

Yeah. I was really fortunate to be able to do that.

[ He stops here on the lawn, setting their things down on the grass and stretching his arms up up up over his head. ]

But that means I miss every place that I left— I've only been to Japan twice in my life, and I'll be sad to leave Recollé someday too. You used to go to school in Japan? Do you ever want to go back someday?

[keystaff]

I suppose that is true. Having more places to miss. I only have here and Japan to miss. I wasn't in school long before we moved here though. I still have family there though. And friends I still write to. Maybe someday when I have the money, I'll go back for a decent visit at least.

[She joins him on the grass, hugging her knees to her after an initial stretch, almost akin to a lazy cat in the sunshine. Her chin rests on her knees as she considers what he says. She only has Japan to miss and even then, she doesn't remember it nearly as well as her brother does.]