[OPEN] Say hello to the girl that I am

[pseudonyms]

WHO: Rise Kujikawa Aoi + YOU! And you, and even you ♥
WHERE: Around the city, specifically around the high school, Dancinerate, neighboring streets by the animal shelter, etc.
WHEN: March 16th-the end of March
WHAT: Various activities and Rise bopping around doing as Rise does
WARNINGS: Gratuitous Britney Spears lyrics for the prompts?



I.) Lately I've been stuck imagining what I wanna do and what I really think - Recollé High Library + Student Council room

[Despite the fact that Spring Break is right around the corner, that's not stopping Rise from working herself into overdrive. Fellow high school students can easily find her in the library hidden behind a stack of books with papers, her laptop, and an assortment of writing utensils spread out at a desk. There's an extra chair if you feel like being a study buddy but otherwise she's going to keep to herself until someone interrupts.

Then again, there are also times that Rise can be found in the library during lunch or after school wandering through the aisles with stacks of books in her arms. She appears to be re-shelving things as she goes, but if she notices someone looking for a specific book she'll take a moment to collect herself before approaching.]

Can I help you find something?

[After school a few days a week Rise can be found in the Student Council room cleaning up and organizing notes and student agendas, reviewing requests and creating a large calendar of events for April. If anyone sticks their head inside the room they will find her at a table with her sleeves rolled up and a pencil in hand as she quickly jots down notes. However, whoever you are, you'll soon be spotted and she'll light up.]

Hey, can you do me a favor and hand me that roll of tape? [She's definitely gesturing to one of the rolls of tape across the room. Please help her.]

II.) It's Britney Rise, bitch. I see you, and I just wanna dance with you - Dancinerate

[With ballet being one of her biggest passions, Rise can be found at Dancinerate not only for her own lessons but just for hanging out with fellow dancers, observing other classes, or even just helping around the studio. Maybe you're in a different class, or maybe you're borrowing the practice room next to hers.

Either way, she's usually found dressed down in her dance clothes and her hair wound tightly in a bun as she practices. She's far more at ease here than anywhere else and it's why she'll chat with anyone who's around.]

…can I ask you a really weird question?

[Alternatively, if she spots someone finishing practice she's right there handing over a fresh water bottle.]

Nice form. [And that's about all she says on that.]

III.) All my people in the crowd, grab a partner take it down - Animal Shelter/dog-walking, Wednesdays only

[On top of everything else, Rise can be found working at the animal shelter on Wednesday afternoons. Come stop in and say hi to the shelter's crew of furry friends looking for forever homes, she'll be more than happy to perk up from a back room and come out to greet you with a kitten in her arms.]

Hi! [Again, weirdly at ease and probably more cheerful than she appears to be at school.] Are you looking to adopt today?

[When she's not working in the actual shelter, Rise hits the street with a pack of dogs in tow. The three dogs (a dalmatian, a german shepherd, and a labrador) are all roughly the same size at least but they're of varying strengths. It's hard to say who's walking who here as the dogs drag her down the sidewalk.

Without warning though, the labrador barks and spots something ahead, tugging hard and pulling right out of Rise's grip.]

H-hey! Get back here! [The dog breaks free and runs as Rise tries to get the other dogs to cooperate to chase down their wayward companion. Help a girl out?]

IV.) Cotton candy kiss, can't wait for my sugar rush - Novel Idea

[Sometimes a girl deserves to pamper herself. Some girls Rise's age do that by binging on clothes or make-up, but no. Instead, she's at Novel Idea in their manga/comics section. Backpack at her feet and back against the shelf, Rise finds herself flipping through the first issue of some shoujo manga. She appears to be intently reading and 100% unaware of her surroundings.

She also appears to be 100% in the way and might be blocking your path? Sorry about that. Maybe asking her to move would help?]

V.) Wildcard

[If you'd like to do something else, hit me up via PM, my plotting comment, or on plurk at alternatively! Alternatively if you want me to write you a special prompt let's chat and I can do that!]

Comments

[pseudonyms]

[Yeah, sorry, she doesn't even really notice until she watches Minato stumble out of the corner of her eye and the book tips in her hand, a startled gasp as his feet blow past her. Her head jerks up and she turns to stare at him, unsure of what to make of him and also looking pretty alarmed.]

I hope not! I didn't want to buy this copy, I already own it. [She's also moving to draw her knees closer to herself to try and be further out of the way. Chairs are useless, apparently.] Are you okay? That was some jump.

[She's not that impressed but still.]

[compendiem]

[ Go home and read the copy you already own.

There was a very real chance Minato would have said that, but he's taken aback by the question, and the comment. ]

I'll be fine. [ It's not a complete lie, and it's not debilitating pain when he shifts his weight from foot to foot— immediately back to the other foot— so nothing is broken, everything will be alright. ]

...Anyways... Doesn't reading like that hurt your neck?

[pseudonyms]

[Wow!! Thanks Minato? It's probably nice that he didn't say so because otherwise she would absolutely get up and leave. As it is though she seems to still be a little concerned even if she's not sure she believes him.]

If you say so. [There's a shrug though and she's flush against the shelves, legs bent in a way that's only possible for someone very flexible to stay out of the way.] But no, not really! I'm used to reading like this at school and everything. It's not that different from reading at a table.

[compendiem]

[ If you have the book, why would you ever leave home?? ]

Hmm. I like reading in bed and destroying my eyes and spine. What are you reading?

[pseudonyms]

Well that, too, but it's a little early in the day for that. [There's a small smile but she also lifts up the manga to show Minato the cover.] Just...manga. Have you heard of this one? The story is actually really sweet and the cast is pretty funny. It's one of my favorites my brother used to read to me.

[compendiem]

It's never too early in the day when you spend all day in bed.

[ He look down at the cover, though, finding the mangaka's name first before glancing over the art, and then finally the title. ]

Hmm... I'm not familiar with the art style, so probably not. Did he do the voices too?

[pseudonyms]

That sounds both comfortable and kind of tragic. [Just saying.] I don't mind being out and around other people to read, but I can't imagine staying in bed all day.

[The Aois are terrible at sitting still at home. There's a wider grin though.] He always did the voices. He was really great about that? I'm sure he'd still do it, too, if I let him. He's in college now but sometimes I think he forgets we're not five anymore.

[...there's a pause and she holds the book out to Minato to take if he wants?]

[compendiem]

I recommend everybody take a sick day and try it out.

[ I can't wait until Minato learns she's related to Hinata and Chiaki so he can go oh no. Especially Chiaki, who had that big brother aura even when they were really little, and Minato was the one being read to, tuned out whoever was reading to him, and going at his own pace and flipping the page mid-sentence.

He sucks, but sometimes he tries, like he tries now as he takes the book from Rise's hands and stares down at the page. Opens his mouth. And starts reading out the dialogue in complete monotone. ]

[pseudonyms]

Maybe if you don't have other things to do. [Casually. Maybe she shouldn't be so rude and she looks like she's contemplating that. But then Minato has the manga and he appears to be reading it over...before his flat, monotonous tone begins delivering the dialogue.]

Come on! That takes all of the fun out of the story, that's not how they're supposed to sound!

[compendiem]

How do you know that? Written media is up to reader interpretation. Maybe this is how they're supposed to sound.

[ Maybe all those exclamation marks are just typos. ]

[pseudonyms]

Because there's an anime adaption too! [Duh, Minato!] Anyway it seems a little sad, doesn't it? Sounding depressed when you're supposed to be surrounded by people who care about you.

[compendiem]

Sometimes it's those with depression who surround themselves with people who care, just so somebody will.

[ This is not the intended message of the manga, probably. He pokes a finger at one of the characters, a young girl with wide smile who's laughing so hard there are tears in the corners of her eyes. ]

You can't always tell just by looking.

[pseudonyms]

[Hilariously she knows he has a point. Sometimes she's sad and doesn't let on about it but she wouldn't call that depression, but at the same time it's easy for people to hide behind smiles. And isn't that how it goes in stories anyway? The heroine still smiles through her tears.]

But if you can't tell just by looking and they won't say, how would people know? [She taps the page to another character.] How could they know otherwise?

[compendiem]

[ Minato flips through the book until he comes to a page with a square internal monologue box. ]

I dunno. This is how readers would know.

[ In this box where the protagonist is thinking about how happy she is right now, being in this city, surrounded by her friends. ]

...maybe not like this specifically, but. In general. Everything's up for interpretation. Even one's own thoughts aren't the truth. Sometimes, it's a person trying to convince themselves.

[pseudonyms]

[Well. That's a weird way to think of it but she's curious all the same.]

So what, you think sometimes people really lie to themselves just because they can't handle how they truly feel?

[compendiem]

Yeah. "Fake it until you make it." There's an aphorism for it and everything.

[pseudonyms]

I've heard of that but it sounds like it would be so much work keeping it up and it would just make people unhappy. And anyway I always thought that applied more for when you're performing for people than everyday life...

[She definitely fakes confidence on stage because she's terrified before she starts dancing, but whatever.]

[compendiem]

Yeah, it sounds exhausting. Sometimes every day life is a performance too, though.

[ He turns the book around so that it faces Rise. ]

It's your turn to do the voices.

[pseudonyms]

[Somehow those words sit with her and she gives him a wary look...but it makes sense. She doesn't discount it and she nods, looking at the book before giving him another curious glance.]

Are you really gonna listen? [...she doesn't seem too put out by it, but she's also interested in what Minato's thinking.]

[compendiem]

Yeah, I'll listen. I'll keep my eyes open and everything.

[ Apparently, he's been told off before for closing his eyes while "listening" to somebody recite from a book, and the fact that they had a nice, soothing voice did not help. But Minato goes ahead and takes a seat right there on the floor too, back against the shelf opposite Rise's, and extends his legs out in front of him so that people will be inconvenienced, but less so than having to jump hurdles over his knees. ]

[pseudonyms]

[Huh. Okay. She gives him another semi-skeptical look before she smiles slightly, opening the manga a little more and beginning to read from it. Unlike the monotone Minato was starting with, Rise immediately starts throwing in different voices and effects, pitches and accents where she feels like they're important. She's comfortable with the story and...like...it's probably a direct mimic of Chiaki. Alas. She keeps going to the end of the chapter before she looks up at Minato again.]

See? Just like that.

[compendiem]

[ Somehow, even though the words are the same, it's a very very different story when Rise reads it out loud compared to when Minato did. Everything sounds so much livelier and more confident, full of feeling. If Minato knew of their relationship, he could easily imagine Chiaki doing it just like this. ]

Mm. Keep going.

[ There's several chapters in the volume. He's flipped through it. ]

[pseudonyms]

For how long? [She doesn't sound like she's saying no (Rise usually doesn't say no, really) but she's glancing at the book. Somehow she's comfortable with this given it's a story she's heard before and while there's a slight edge to her tone while she's unable to tell if Minato's serious, she's giving him the benefit of the doubt.] We're still in the early chapters.

[compendiem]

[ For how long... Minato tilts his head back, scanning the shelves above Rise's head. ]

There's three volumes here. More, unofficial scanlations online. I'd like to hear them all.

[pseudonyms]

You sure you don't have better things to do? [But she's already looking at the manga again, changing the page.] When he was doing the voices, Chiaki used to get through a couple of chapters a night. Sometimes a whole volume if Hinata and I wanted him to, but that's still a lot of time.