Entry tags:
Summer, July 13th - Homecoming
Who: Ayame Sasaki, K2SO, Sonico, Ran Fujimiya, & Others
What: Tokyo Day Trip
Where: Tokyo Subarchway (Attleton)
What: Tokyo Day Trip
Where: Tokyo Subarchway (Attleton)
[ At Sonico's housewarming party, Ayame got to meet K2SO and had made a mention about taking him to the Tokyo subarchway. At the time, Ayame thought they were going the next day since she was free, but a sudden change of plans have made them move the date back to where everyone can attend. Ayame only found out later that Sonico wanted to come, along with a man she has yet to meet.
Ayame has heard from Gale and Satsuki about her colleague once taking people on a trip here, so that's on her also mind. She knows she can't compete with how sociable her colleague is. He may not be Japanese either but he knows more about Tokyo than she does, being from a small town near Kyoto and all. But she hopes to make up for it in her own way, and hopes that a Tokyo native like Sonico can help her out in coming up with ideas on places to go. All she has planned for this trip is grabbing some items and show off the robots to K2. But now she's taken up the role of designated teleporter, eschewing public transport and traffic and just use her created portals to travel around the city more effectively. Atelier Sakura in Fayren is not officially open yet, so she has all day to hang out.
Ayame brought her cat Hibiki along for the trip, who has been by her side while they wait for the others to show ]
Morning @ Shibuya Crossing
[ Ayame chose this as a meeting spot as it was not only close to where she needed to grab some items from, but it was also one of the most iconic locations of the capital. It's the heart of Tokyo, as many would say, but in hindsight, it seems like a bad choice of place too. The throngs of crowds have gotten thick and not helping with the blazing summer heat, with pedestrians crossing from all directions of the intersection like marbles spilling out of a bag in such organized chaos. Scattered sounds of chatter, car engines and distant horns, and audio from the massive digital billboards on the side of buildings. Ayame isn't bothered by the temperature, but the crowds are a little too much for her. She can be found standing out near the Tsutaya store, first to greet her fellow pendant-wearer with an acknowledging glance and a nod.
If they feel the need to eat before tackling on the day ahead of them, Ayame would be willing to pay and take them elsewhere around the city like the famous Akihabara, or someplace less crowded for some traditional Japanese eats. Or not. There's a McDonalds down the street. ]
Noon @ Miraikan
[ Shielding her human friends from the high noon sun, Ayame brought them to the Miraikan Museum, or the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Mostly for K2, since there's a presentation of Honda's Asimo robot going on in here. Aside from that, the expansive museum shows exhibits about Earth, rudimentary doll-like androids, and some basic interactive games and activities mostly aimed at children. Currently, there is an exhibition about cartoon animation history. ]
Afternoon
[ This spot of the day is open, with Ayame leaving it to Sonico to decide where to go next. Being a Tokyoite, Sonico would have a better idea on what places to see. The Miraikan is in Odaiba, which has malls and plenty of entertainment. They even have the Gundam statue there for K2 to see, and an onsen theme park. But they could also go back to the mainland, and possibly see Tokyo from the ground by exploring the hidden gems within the city, or seeing it from atop the roof of the observation deck. Ayame can teleport them there and hide their presence from security after all, and enjoy the breeze along with the view from the top. ]
Evening
[ Even while pressed for time, Ayame eventually convinces herself in making some, just for the sake of hanging out. Feeling generous, she's willing to pay and buy gifts for her new compatriots as souvenirs. There's some restaurants she's been curious to try out, and novelty shops and tourist spots that are better viewed at night that they still need to see before calling it a day. Rain is very likely to occur! ]

Aya- OTA: Choose your adventure!
[The meet up spot really could have been chosen better, especially since he didn't know the person that organized the Tokyo trip. Well, maybe he would get lucky and there would be others he recognized already there. Either way, Aya is waiting by Tsutaya, keeping an eye out for anyone that may be waiting for their group.]
[He does notice a woman with a cat next to her. That's...new. Usually the crazy cat ladies tend to stay indoors.]
Noon: Miraikan
[Having been to Nova City, this place seemed like a step back, but it's still interesting to Aya to see the progress of technology. Thebuilding is exactly what he'd expect of Tokyo: clean, quiet crowds, attractive displays for robotics, and politeness all around. After looking at the list of exhibitions, a lot of them make him seem way out of his depth, yet he seems preoccupied with his device after spotting a sign on a wall.]
The museum has an app we can use, if you didn't know. [It's in Japanese, as far as he can see. Maybe there's an English option. Currently, he's installing the app, going through the usual hoops.]
Afternoon: festival side trip!!
[Aya had spotted something during their exploration. It's rather hard to miss, since there's the sound of excitement and drums beating. A small festival is happening, and it stops Aya in his tracks. Memories flash before his eyes for a moment or two, before telling the rest of the group that he would meet up with them later on and started to make his way to the festival. He doesn't even bother to wait for a reply.]
[This is one trip down memory lane he wouldn't mind taking.]
Festival!
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[Turning around for confirmation, Aya sees her looking around as well, without a particular destination from what he can see.]
Sonico?
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Aya! Isn't this great? It's like really being home!
*After all, it's been a year since she was back in her own country*
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[It's been more than a year since he's been in Japan, even longer for Tokyo.]
I haven't been to one of these in a really long time. [Getting revenge took priority for a while.]
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What do you miss most? Is there anything you want to try?
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[Quietly, Aya takes in the atmosphere as well. It makes him feel as if everything he had to go through was just some long, garish nightmare.]
If there's a darts game, I'd like to try that.
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*So maybe that's what she's been looking around for. She gives Aya a long curious look: he doesn't look very excited or happy to be there, so she's keen to find a darts game as soon as she can*
Let's try this way -
*And so she steps towards a row of stalls surrounded by kids, probably games*
/digs into stash of icons
[Blinking out of his reverie, Aya manages to catch Sonico walking in another direction and follows her. It's a good hunch to go where kids are.]
Did you want to see anything in particular while the festival is here? [She did say she hadn't been to one in a while...]
Nice!
*Sonico gives him a nostalgic smile and hugs herself in her comfort. She wanders slowly over to where some kids are getting fortunes. Just along from there, as requested, she has found a darts game*
There you are.
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[Holding the dart between the grip of his fingers, he throws the first one, popping a balloon instantly. He then throws another, and another, until they're all gone. Two out of the ten darts missed their target, which meant he qualified to get the large prize. It's then that he turns to Sonico.]
Which one do you want? [If she wants anything bigger, he'll have to play a few more rounds.]
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Me?
*Well duh, Sonico, this is the guy who doesn't like marshmallows so what's he going to want with a plushie*
How about...that one?
*She points to a green frog plush that has quite an interesting facial expression*
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*Sonico gratefully takes the frog and gives it a quick hug. Then she admires it for a moment before holding it out for him to take a look at*
What kind of emotion do you think this is supposed to be?
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Uh...I... [The empty eyes of the plush toy only stared back and offered no respite from the inquiry.] Maybe it's indescribable...
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*Sonico turns the toy to face her instead and gives it a head tilt and a lopsided smile*
I have no idea either, but it is very cute. So thank you.
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Did you want to try a game since we're here? [Looking around, Aya can see other games like basketball shooting and bull riding.]
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How about that one?
*It was popular, so they'd have to wait a few turns before she could play*
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You're not secretly good at this game, are you?
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I actually went to the shooting range a couple of times. But no, I'm no good at all!
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[No good? Well, it isn't like these targets will be much of a challenge.]
[He gestures for them to sit down when people clear out of the seats. The targets are clowns with wide mouths, where they had to aim the water into. It didn't matter which country he went to, clowns were still very creepy. He passes his money to the game handler as they pass by each participant.]
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These clowns are going to put me off...
*But then, when the money is paid and with a thanks from Sonico, she turns ready to aim her water gun. As it turns out, this is definitely not Sonico's forte. She manages to vaguely get the water in, managing much better with the closer mouths that the ones further away. She muddles through with concentration all over her face*
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[But now he had to choose a prize. Something he wasn't expecting. SO he looks to the selection carefully. Eventually he just chooses a brown teddy bear.]
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That was good fun.
*Sonico joins him as he chooses his prize and nods in approval at his choice*
What a sweet bear. Well done!
[OTA - any time of day!]
[Evening]
In the evening, Sonico took everyone to Akihibara, where she used to hang out with her friends. They visited various otaku shops, as well as the amusements. Several plushies caught her eye to try to win on the UFO machines.
Later, to end their day, Sonico stops outside a large karaoke venue*
Here we go! Last stop! Let's go!~
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I don't know about this. Do we have to...?
[ Ayame sighs. She's pretty sure Aya isn't the singing type, and K2 can't sing. It would just be incredibly awkward to only have Sonico sing, and deep down Ayame wants to as well, it's just she's feeling incredibly shy. Until she sees the karaoke bar's offer of huge discounts on drinks, with cold draft beer and mixed drinks that her anxiety seems to have been replaced with sheer determination in the span of seconds ]
Let's go.
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[He wonders what the others will decide, though.]
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Oh...
*The excitement falls from her face when she sees the way that both Ayame and Aya react. Neither seem overly interested. She just tilts her head and looks up at the building wistfully. Then Ayame seems to change her mind and Sonico turns to her suddenly*
Really?
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[ Ayame even lead the way in, walking through the glass doors sliding open automatically for them. ]
There's no better way to end our trip, right?
[ She wants those unique mixed drinks, and the draft beers for this cheap price? Hell yes. She motions Sonico and Aya over, almost enthusiastically. ]
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I'm not singing. [Just making it clear in case anyone thought otherwise. He follows them inside, looking at the selection of drinks, thinking to stay with soft drinks. He wasn't ever a big drinker.]
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That's okay. No one is going to force you to sing.
*At least, if Ayame didn't make her drink any of those cocktails then she wouldn't. Sonico happily follows Ayame inside, choosing one of the smaller booths, complete with a disco light and lava lamps*
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Ayame is okay with letting Sonico lead while she waits for the meals to get delivered. Her eyes instantly got drawn by the towering glasses of cold beer, with grilled meat skewers to go along with it. Ayame claps her hands, ready to dig in and taking the tall glass of beer, wasting no time to drink it clean. ]
Okay. Sonico, are you up first?
[ Ayame asks, holding an empty glass of beer in her hand that she swaps for another one. ]
If you ever get tired, there's some beer. On me.
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*While Sonico might be shy about many things, singing isn't one of them. Besides, Ayame and Aya are friends, so that makes everything much easier.
She selects a song, then sits up on her seat, belting out the tune for all she is worth. Turns out this is something she knows and really likes*
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Another job well done, Sonico! Here, have your reward!
[ She's surprisingly energetic all of a sudden, for someone who is usually composed, and she realizes it. Backpedaling immediately, Ayame clears her throat ]
I- It's my turn now, yes? Let's see... Hm. Some of these songs are in my homeworld.
[ Ayame drinks her boilermaker empty as if she just inhaled it, setting it down on the table while she browses songs before standing up and clearing her throat a second time. She had been going to karaoke booths like this in secret, whenever she couldn't sleep, so she has an idea of which songs to pick. ]
All right. I have made my choice.
[ Punching in her choice and picking up the microphone, Ayame stands on the small elevated platform, closing her eyes to take in a deep breath as she senses the lights in the room change to match the mood of the song. It's a song by a famous RnB singer who matches her voice range. Being a song featuring another artist, whose lines she fortunately don't have to sing, gives her breaks in between to rest. ]
Ayame - OTA
[ As soon as people showed up, Ayame had a very sudden hankering for some french fries. There was a choice of a few fast food restaurants that could cater to her desires, but her mood leaned her towards the Burger King down the street from the Crossing. After a brief time at the lines, Ayame got what she wished for. A bite of fresh fries gave her some much needed joy. Just as she exits the fast food joint, she came out with a cardboard crown in hand along with her order of large fries. ]
Where's K2? I want him to wear this.
[ A beat, Ayame extending her hand with the box of french fries ]
Fry?
Afternoon - Tokyo SkyTree
[ With her ability to bend time and space, Ayame can create portals to just about anywhere. Figuring it's okay to break the rules from time to time, Ayame offered to take her party to the top of the SkyTree's observation deck. At the very roof of the upper pod. She made a small invisible bubble to protect her human companions from the humidity and heat of the sun, but allows the breeze to seep through the shield while they observe the metropolis of Tokyo from above it's tallest tower. Ayame takes this time to snap some photographs of the city right before pointing her camera at Mount Fuji in the distance. ]
All of this is just making me nostalgic. I wish there is a subarchway into Kyoto as well.
Evening
[ Akihabara is their last stop, thanks to Sonico offering to show them around. While electronics isn't Ayame's main interest, so are video games and anime, she eventually finds enjoyment in their leisurely strolls down Electric Town. She really enjoys the quirkiness of some of the stores, like the maid and cat cafes. The bright neon lights give a welcoming atmosphere. Snapping a photo here and there, of the shops and candid ones of her companions, Ayame constantly has to stop occasionally to browse the displays of the toy shops, arcades, and electronic stores on the way, getting left behind in the process. ]
I'll be in a minute. Just let me take pictures.
[ She's the worst travel companion to people who are pressed for time ]
Morning
[Aya isn't the type to eat fries in the morning, even though he had breakfast. How could anyone want to eat fast food so early in the day?]
I don't think Kaytoo is that far away. The crowd wouldn't let him get far. [Not meaning they would stop him, but that they would notice him and start creating a scene big enough for them to find him.]
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[ Ayame takes a couple more sticks of fries and takes them all in one bite, while somehow remaining graceful in her demeanor. ]
Yes. He's a hit with the children, it seems. We'll let him enjoy his fame for a little longer.
[ Ayame diverts the topic of conversation to Aya himself, looking to her side where he stands all stoic. ]
So how did you meet our friend Sonico?
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[The question makes him blink once out of surprise.]
I met her last year, through the network. [It seems like a vague answer, but it's the actual truth.] How about you?
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[ Ayame answers straight ]
I complimented her dress and invited her to model for me. Admittedly, we don't talk much outside of the business of clothing, but I come to value her as a friend in the brief times we got to know each other as people.
[ Ayame shrugs ]
It helps that we both like cats.
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You and most of the population. [There really isn't that many people who dislikes cats.]
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Koishi had just sort of shown up for the trip wearing a sunny yellow short sleeved top that covered her upper arms and a green skirt. Maybe she had heard about it in passing, maybe someone had invited her... Either way she was here now and there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Trying to get Koishi to change her mind after it's been made up was like trying to get water to run uphill. Either way, she was here now, floating over the heads of the crowd, mostly invisible. there were some kids who were staring at her, trying to point her out to their parents and grandparents. But that's about it.
She could be found sitting on a lamp post near the entrance, enjoying an ice cream cone... Which was for the best really. Without a distraction the nostalgic environment would certainly drive her to indulge in her nature somewhat.
She would tag along for the shopping experience and maybe buy something if someone insisted, but for the most part she was there for the people-watching. Though if someone wanted to go get food the little youkai certainly wouldn't decline.
Noon
Koishi had no idea there were museums for technology. Being from feudal Japan all tech was still very new to her so why someone would house it in a museum is anyone's guess. At least to her. Throughout the entire thing she could be found attempting to interact with the androids while also getting distracted by every little thing. Someone should probably physically restrain her during the Asimo presentation as she will no doubt want to go over and interact with the adorable little robot.
Afternoon
Again, Koishi is up for just going with the flow, though it's clear she's starting to get antsy. She's spooked more than one person at this point but hasn't done any real harm.
Beyond that it seemed once more that only children could really see her, her ability shielding her from the perception of others. And she could be seen interacting with those kids, playing with them around the exhibits. Some were scared of her but most were not, leaving many chattering on about monsters and magic despite the museum being a thing of science.
Late Evening
One day isn't enough. Not by a long shot. Koishi was still drinking in the sights and smells and probably wouldn't be leaving for some time. So once the day was done, the little youkai would opt to stay. Despite the rain. Likely she would be running around until the following morning.
Late evening
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She hadn't quite wandered off yet, but undoubtedly would if no one spoke to her. She was good at that.
K2SO / comes a week late with Starbucks
[More people came to the trip than Kay expected but that only made it more entertained. Unlike his companion, he had little issues with the crowd because he easily towered over everyone in the vicinity.
The people walking near them often stared at him, said something in a hushed tone or, on more than one occasion, took photos. Kay couldn't tell if they thought he has some sort of publicity stunt of they just really liked droids that much. At least no one was screaming or yelling at him, so far so good.]
Is there any place where I can buy some local food? I want to bring Cassian something.
Noon
[Ayame had chosen well and Kay was immediately interested in the museum and all the displays. The Asimo robot reminded him of very old protocol droids and got a small chuckle out of him. The technology in this world was clearly still far away from the one in his Galaxy but they were going in the right direction.
The problem was that, because Kay has been near the Asimo robot, people thought he was another presentation. Little children were starting to sit around him as he looked at the exhibition about cartoon, waiting for him to do something interesting. One even got near and clung to his leg.]
Uhm...a little help over there, please?
Afternoon
Now, that's a really big droid...[Kay muttered out loud, staring at the Gundam. Droid probably wasn't the right word, he could tell the other wasn't alive like him.] Is he famous?
Noon
It was interesting to see really. The little youkai actually scared some of the kids more than the giant droid did. And certainly none of the parents could see her.
"You don't need any help, Mister. You're in the best spot because you're being hugged a lot." Her third eye swayed from side to side. "You're lucky you're a robot like that. I'm a youkai so not many humans really like me. But I do like playing with kids. And you have so much of their attention right now!"
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Kay looked behind himself when she spoke, before realizing that the 'Mister' was supposed to be him.
"Hugs are not so bad but I can't barely move. What if I step on one of the kids? They seems to be everywhere. What's a youkai? You don't look that scary to me."
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"If you ask them nicely to move I'm sure they'll do it. You don't want to step on them but they don't want to be stepped on either." She was beaming. "If one of them wont move then you can reach down and gently move them. Just be careful, okay? You're very round but you still have some sharp corners and little kids are very soft and squishy."
"Oh! And a youkai is a monster from this land. Japan." She was intentionally not speaking Japanese for this part. "We're aspect creatures. Enmity in various ways made physical. And some of us are really hostile or scary or mean. I'm a satori. We're mountain monsters and we tend to eat people too but sis and I don't actively hunt for humans anymore since we can think properly now. But that doesn't change the fact a lot of humans are still scared of us."
The little youkai dipped down, holding her hat as she flipped upside-down in the air, ruffling one of the kid's hair and zipping out of reach as he tried to grab at her.
"Kids are good at seeing me though. I'm like an imaginary friend to them."
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"Ah, fair point." Kay tries to do just that and as Koishi said, he still has to lean forward and untangle some of the kids from his legs. he gives them a pat on the head as an apology, mindful of his own strength. It probably won't last, the kids will be back tor try climb him at any moment but he has a few minutes free of them to give the girl his full attention.
"You look very pretty for a monster. But the hunting part is probably not seen with good eyes around here. Or...any place, actually. Trying to eat people makes them real mad."
Kay looks around, noticing how relatively clam look the adults surrounding them. "Ah, that explains it."
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"Hehehe. Well, standards of beauty vary greatly from species to species. I don't always look this 'human' though. I'm really quite frightening when I want to be. But being considered cute or pretty has advantages too for a predatory youkai."
After all. If humans didn't run away they'd be easier to catch.
"And yeah. That's why sis and I stopped. And because it brings out a lot of bad traits in us and it makes it a lot harder to get along with people."
Koishi shifted in the air, having to use her sleeve-tentacles to gently pry off the child, though they just got grabbed too.
"Hey now. Please let go of me." It didn't help the kids were trying to reel her in. "If you keep this up I'm gonna get you. And when I catch you I'm going to carry you awaaay!"
The kids ignored the (obviously) joking threat. Probably not the best idea to ignore even a lighthearted warning from a youkai, but at least Koishi was legitimately being gentle.