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[tsundereroute]

 V i d e o ;

[You might see Natsuki in an interesting building. It's pretty empty besides the wall decal and empty store cases where some of her stuff will go into in the background. It's starting have a rather cute interior, but there's still plenty of boxes off to the side. Natsuki won't immediately address the phone, but instead she's looking to the back after a crash.]

Hey! Be careful with those boxes! The bowls are in there!

[And now she'll finally address the feed with a sigh.]

Uhm.. Well... Hi everyone. As you might noticed, Sayori and I are currently busy trying to set up shop. We're starting a business together called, "Pink Sugar Bakery". It's just what it sounds like, a bakery, so uhm... If you ever want some sweets, you know where to come. We're located in Genessia City and it's going to take a while to get things set up, but hopefully we'll see you all soon.

On that note though.... We've.... never actually owned a business before [Or had much of a job before coming here] so uhm... I'm sure any advice would be nice to have.

So uhm... Thanks.

A C T I O N ; THERE ARE SPOILERS INSIDE HERE

THERE ARE SOME HEAVY SUBJECTS IN HERE. YOU ARE WARNED. PLEASE SEE HER OPT-OUT POST IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS.

[Natsuki had a lot on her mind. It's been about a month and she's sort of adjusting, but she can't help her underlying habits. To be honest, she's... spent a too much time in the park nearby. And by that, she's been sleeping in the jungle gym, in one of the small rooms with a roof over her. She hasn't been home for a few days and even though it's more comfortable in her apartment than the park, part of her just.... didn't feel comfortable going home.

Sitting against the wall, she was just hugging her legs, looking to the stack of manga that she's collected thus far next to the wall in the opposite corner. And her stomach just won't stop growling. She should really just... get some food, but there's a problem. Looking at her wallet, she didn't have much money left.

The solution was obvious: go back home to her apartment. But it wasn't easy.

She couldn't help it. She instinctively reached for her wrist gently. There were no bruises, but even though there was no physical signs, there were still scars in her heart. Memories of her dad coming home wasted and reeking of alcohol. The memories of when he had a bad day and would burst in her room abruptly to take it out on her.

She was afraid. She was afraid that she was going to be hit again. Like she was going to have to pretend that she accidentally fell somehow or have to spend an hour in front of the mirror to cover her bruises and injuries with makeup. She didn't wear makeup much, but it was all basically to cover up the truth. To go to school and then club to actually feel like she belonged somewhere. She didn't want to return home. She dreaded it. Sayori wasn't anything like her father, but these thoughts were so deep rooted. She couldn't help but cower in the park... Where she wouldn't be found so easily.

On occasion she had to deal with kids coming by, but that wasn't too difficult. Stomach growling again, but she simply let out a sigh and went to grab one of her mangas. If she could just hold out for a little while longer, it shouldn't be too long until she was paid again.]

[OOC: If you want to find her at the park, you can definitely do that!]

Comments

[Text, related to the action] [also heavy ddlc spoilers and subjects]

[bestfriendroute]

[She'd of course seen Natsuki when they were working together to open the bakery, but then she'd never see her coming home. The first couple of nights, she assumed maybe Natsuki had simply come home when Sayori was asleep -- but then she actually stayed up one night.

She never came home.

Her first thought was to try and find the pink-haired girl -- but the city was huge. It was also... kind of scary at night, and Sayori had her own inner demons to fight. So she did the next best thing.]

natsuki?? where are you? you haven't come home in days... i'm really worried.

please answer

[tsundereroute]

[There was a text from Sayori. She knew that Sayori was kind and warmhearted. She would never do the things that he dad did.

But she couldn't. She couldn't go home. She was scared. Somehow being all alone, sleeping in a jungle gym in public was less scary thing imagining how her home life was. She saw the text somewhat late, but didn't respond right away. Finally...]

I'm sorry, I can't. I've been... really busy at the shop and... I'll see you later.

[It was a quick text before she set it back down, hugging her legs to her chest. She couldn't explain it right now... Hopefully, Sayori would be at peace at least hearing from her.]

[bestfriendroute]

[Really busy at the shop? She wanted to believe that -- but there'd been things that bothered her back home. Of course, Sayori was one to talk; she had hidden quite a lot of things from her friends as well. And she wasn't even sure that her worries about Natsuki were well-founded. But Natsuki was about all she had here. She had other friends, of course, and she'd never take them for granted - but Natsuki was, quite literally, her rock. And it was this thought that managed to get her to pick up her phone once more.]

that's not true, is it? something's wrong. something feels wrong. i at least want to say i know you better than that... but i don't know if i do. even back home, at the literature club, i... something always felt wrong.

[like you're one to talk sayori, like you're one to talk sayori, you've hidden so much from the people you call friends-- she can't keep the spiral from continuing, raging inside her head]

could i at least... come find you? i cant stay here alone tonight, i cant, i cant

[tsundereroute]

[Please don't do this to her, Sayori. She doesn't want you to worry about her. She wants her friends to be happy and act like nothing bad ever happened to her. She doesn't want her friends to know that she was always starving and abused. She didn't want to face her dad again.

She knew deep down inside her dad wasn't here, but it wouldn't put her mind at ease. As if he could somehow see that manga stack she'd already collected and would beat her for reading such childish material. For even spending money on it and wasting what little she had. Manga was her comfort, as well as her friends.]

I...I'm sorry. I don't want to talk about it. You can try but.... I can't tell you where I am. I hope you understand.

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[ubiquitously]

[It's good to not just see Natsuki, but hear that Sayori is doing well too. Though Uai is still curious as to why Monika is not involved in this girl power team, it is not the reason that he speaks up.]

A bakery, huh? Congratulations. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Does that mean you found an apartment together too?

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[tsundereroute]

Yeah. I thought it would be nice to open a bakery up someday so uhm... We're giving it a try.

[She sounds really proud until he brings up the apartment.]

O-oh uhm... [She's obviously tripping over words.] Y-Yeah... We found a place.

[ubiquitously]

Yeah, a bakery is a great idea. Especially if you like baking.

[He does not laugh. But he wanted to!]

Try again. I'll believe you if you're more convincing the second time around.

[tsundereroute]

I just... hope we can do it. I'm not exactly sure what I need to do to run a business.

[She might be avoiding the apartment subject for now...]

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[endtable]

[ SURPRISE.

Truth be told, actively avoiding your friends is never the best plan. (If one can call fictional people 'friends' - though perhaps being here is a testament to their staying power and it makes them real enough, right?) But it's one she's been taking for quite a while since she found out they were around. Two out of three, at least. If they had a single inkling of the course of actions she took to try and get what she wanted, any real person would hate her. They don't ... seem to know anything though. At least from what she keeps seeing on the network. Watching them. Just watching. Like always...

Finding out where Natsuki was camping out was purely accidental today. She was just wandering through the park, because she takes strolls everywhere. Because she can. She can go anywhere she wants. It's a freedom that she's not going to take for granted. Monika didn't give herself away after finding it at first. Peered inside unnoticed, just took note of it and then returned to where she was staying. It wouldn't be helpful to just ambush her with nothing she needed. There's a reason she must be in there. She knows her character. The sad unfortunate circumstances written into it. Being home was never synonymous with being safe and it would be incredibly difficult to get over.

Now she comes back, figuring Natsuki hasn't moved in the time she was gone to get things. Monika's going to shift everything she's holding and tuck it under one arm so she can knock her knuckles on the side of the jungle gym. Everything she's holding is containers of fresh thai noodle bowls she made herself (vegetarian, of course), small bag of scones and a thermos of tea. A blanket's draped over her shoulders, in case she needed one.

Even after everything and being placed here, Monika never stopped carrying food in her bag for Natsuki. It's never enough though. ]

Knock, knock! May I come in to your new clubroom, Natsuki?

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[tsundereroute]

[And all the while, Natsuki has been all but oblivious to Monika finding her prior to that time. She's just been so stuck in her own mind and fears for a while. It wasn't until Monika knocked on the side of the jungle gym that she jumped out of her thoughts.

Monika. Monika was here.

Luckily for Monika, Natsuki had no idea what really happened to Sayori. She had no idea that Monika had done all of the things she had. She found it a bit concerning with how she acted for a while at school, but beyond that everything was pretty normal. Excuse her vacant stare for a moment before realizing to say something.]

O-oh um... Y-Yeah, I don't care. [What all did she bring with her?]

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[endtable]

Great! I'm glad I found you when I did! I accidentally made too much food. [ Probably not a lie Natsuki is going to buy completely (why would she be carrying it around?) but it gives her an opening to not act as flustered and maybe call Monika ridiculous or something along those lines.

She doesn't wait any longer to climb up in there with her, smiling brightly - as she would any other day. ]

Do you want? [ She's asking but she's already sitting on her legs next to her, pulling everything out of the bag and setting up a dinner for two as if she already accepted the offer. ] I heard you were around from a friend.

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[ivegotadream]

Congratulations~!

[Rapunzel didn't even know them but have some thrown confetti on Rapunzel's side of the feed. Where she got the confetti from... it is actually glitters and she happened to have some for some projects.]

I must admit, I know nothing about business even as someone who does commissions, but I know you'll do well. If I can do it, I am positive you can too.

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[tsundereroute]

T-Thank you! [She appreciates the confetti.] I'm sure I'll figure it out as time goes on.

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[ivegotadream]

That's what will make it so fun I am sure.

But when you open what will you have in terms of in your bakery?

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[tsundereroute]

Yeah, It'll be a good experience.

I like to make cupcakes mostly, but I'd like to do more stuff like cakes, brownies, cookies, and other things like that.

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[phanther]

Oooh! I don't have any experience but I'll definitely come by to buy from you guys. The place looks really cute, too.

[Never let it be said Ann misses a chance for sweets.]

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[tsundereroute]

That's fine too. We do need customers, after all. [She'll hook you up, Ann.]

A-Ah, thank you. It's not quite done yet, but I think it'll look nice when it's all set up.

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[phanther]

I'm sure it will. Do you know when you'll be open for business?

[So she can drag along everyone she knows for sweets of course.]

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[tsundereroute]

I hope within the next week. I don't think it would be too much longer.

[Please do.]

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[redreigning]

( ren is observant, and that's just how it is. being delegated to the background for the majority of his life had deprived him of things like friends and spotlight but afforded him opportunities to be more aware of his surroundings. simply by the virtue of being perfectly silent, attentive, invisible, ren is able to pick up on things others tend to miss. this is how, while cutting through the park en route home from his job, ren's ears perk up to the sound of - soft mewling? well, it wasn't exactly a mewl - too low, too croaky - but it's close enough to get his attention and tempt his feet to guide him towards the jungle gym. ann and shiho won't mind if he brings a cat home, right? if tiny monsters are allowed to live in the community pool, he doesn't see a reason why he can't bring back one kitten, obviously crying for his help. ah, except, when he bends over to peer inside, it's NO KITTEN AT ALL. it's a girl, with a stack of books? manga? ) Um... ( what the hell. wait, has he met her before? that pink hair...he squints a little, unable to shake this vaguely familiar feeling, but when he fails to place it, ren just brushes it to the side and smiles sheepishly. ) Sorry, I thought I heard a cat in here. ( if that sound wasn't croaky mewling though, then what was it? his smile slips by degrees, in correlation to the more he thinks. it wasn't her...stomach. was it? he doesn't get into her space, but his hand grips a little firmer along the edge of the entrance. ) ...Are you all right?

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[tsundereroute]

[Natsuki would love to say staying here was boring, but honestly, her thoughts were keeping her pretty occupied if her stomach wasn't. So while she's merely lying her head on the top of her knees, hearing someone going on the jungle gym didn't go unnoticed. She didn't really move though; it was probably some kids again. This was a park after all.

But instead of kids, she looked up to see who was speaking to her. He seemed really familiar too, but she wasn't exactly thinking properly right now so dismissed it for now. She wasn't really in the mood to try too try to think of where she'd met him before.

It wasn't recent, but she's obviously been taking this pretty hard, so he might noticed that she'd cried sometime in between her fears and Sayori texting her.]

Uhm.. It's okay. It is open to the public after all. [That question...] U-uhm... I-I'm fine!

[Just as her stomach growled again. She really isn't but she's trying her best to hide that.]

O-Oh. Well.. I guess I am a little hungry... [No sense denying that.]

[redreigning]

( she's...obviously not fine. it's dusk, but the few, thin streaks of sunlight left catch on her cheeks so he can clearly see tear tracks. also just - people who are fine don't tend to huddle up in a public jungle gym with their stomach complaining. ren is too polite to speak on any of that though, so he just smiles reassuringly. ) Yeah. Last time I checked, manga wasn't added to the food pyramid yet. ( pointing out how very not fine she seems is probably not something she wants, if she went to the effort to hide in here. ren leans back a little, turning his attention briefly towards central city, where the shops are. ) I was thinking about stopping somewhere for a bite on the way home, if you want to join me. Or I could bring something back, for a ( he glances at the ground, where his shoes are nearly sunk into sand. um. ) ...sandy picnic? ( that sounds like a mess and sand-in-the-mouth waiting to happen tbh. ) Uh, let's not do that, actually. Here. ( one hand to help her get out, if she wants, and the other offering to carry some of the books. how gentlemanly. ) I'm Ren Amamiya, by the way.

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[truesmiles]

[Fai was carrying some groceries home. Having left the Pokemon at home knowing full well if he didn't what chaos they could have brought to his shopping day. But some of the stuff he needed delivered to the cafes, which he left behind for them to do the next day since it was something he really couldn't do by himself.

Today Fai figured he might as well take a shortcut back to the house, but he soon found himself stopping, glancing over for a moment. It was a face he recognised and he figured he might as well go over and say hi.]

Hey there... People watching at the park? [He paused as he could hear the noise of ones stomach. Pretty sure it wasn't his own he had gone into one of the bags he was carrying.]

Give me a moment. [He soon pulled out what appeared to be a donut, holding it out to the other.] I can hear your stomach so I assume you need food.

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[tsundereroute]

[She wasn't really paying much attention at first. She didn't even notice him until he said something, causing her to jump in surprise.]

O-oh um... I... guess you could say that. [She didn't want to admit to him her fears really, but she was surprised to see the donut. Oh, so he heard her stomach.] U-uhm... T-Thank you. You didn't have to.

[But she'll take it thankfully.]

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[truesmiles]

It's fine really. It's not like it's going to waste or anything. It's fulfilling its purpose.

[He had to chuckle slightly. It sounded stupid but that had honestly been the point. When he had finished chuckle mostly to himself he figured he smiled slightly.]

But when one is hungry, making sure they eat is always the best first thing to do.