straycatcrossingg (via wnq-writers)
“Not that I can think of.” Naomi answered with a slight grin. Now that they’d eaten, she felt considerably better, since her body was running on some actual energy this time. Much better than trying to function on an empty, nervous stomach.
“Let’s get a move on. I’m starting to yearn for that crash too.” She pointed out with a small laugh before moving from her sitting position. “Let me help you get this stuff put away, and we can get back on the road quicker.”
“What a sweetheart~” Seiko chimes teasingly before gesturing to the bag of trash beside them. “Mind taking care of this stuff then? While you toss the trash, I’ll go ahead and get the blankets back in the truck. Once that’s settled we can hit the road.”
She should probably call and check in with her dad while she could too, just to let him know she was doing alright. That much she keeps to herself though--- something about it is subtly... embarrassing, really.
“I’m glad. I think both of us want to be through with the drive, right?” Naomi said with a small smirk following afterwards. “Besides, that also means it’s not too much longer. After all, car drives make time pass a bit faster, it feels like.”
Naomi disposed of her own trash as Seiko did, and stretched a few kinks out of her back before sitting up straight.
“I guess that means we should get back on the road soon though. Get it over with, you know? Especially to get there before it starts getting dark.”
“Sounds like a plan to me. The sooner I can crash, the better.” Seiko notes with a bit of a laugh. In all honesty, it’d be nice to finally get off of the road and be able to relax. With the way her head’s been racing all day and how much excitable energy was bubbling beneath the surface, it’d probably do her some good to wind down.
With one last small stretch, she glances over at Naomi.
“Anything you need to take care of before we go? As far as I know, I’m ready to hit the road whenever you are.”
im gonna try to get replies done but as a general rule, seiko’s muse has been pretty spotty lately? so if you’d like, feel free to follow me at @starshineknight as well since i’ve been there more as of recent
it’s a multimuse with love live, gakkou gurashi, kingdom hearts, final fantasy, show by rock, and symphogear muses mostly but there’s other ones from my misc fandoms ( and ocs as well so )
“H-hey now.”
Naomi still spares a bit of a grin, before shaking her head. “I don’t see how talking about how I wouldn’t mind all these things is giving you such a strange impression, Seiko…”
Of course, there was a hint of a joke in there, though Naomi sure wasn’t all too certain how to respond to going out to actual dinner. Even as friends, going to dinner with someone like Seiko….admittedly made her a little bit nervous. That’s a thought she’s biting her tongue about, however. No need to give the dancer more ammo to use against her.
“Fufu, I’m just calling it how I see it.” Seiko chimes with a bit of a giggle. “Heehee... it’s a little fun teasing Naomi~ I don’t know a lotta people that get so ruffled, y’know. It’s kinda cute~♥”
At least she was being honest about her ( gentle ) tormenting.
With a small stretch of her arms, Seiko shoves her trash in the bag the food had came in and resigns to taking small sips of her drink. They could probably get going soon, sure, but she wasn’t going to rush into action. It wasn’t as if they had to be there urgently anyways.
“Hmmm... once we get back on the road, it shouldn’t be too much longer before we’re there, I think. Maybe another hour? Not longer than that though.”
“Well, I’m not gonna hide the fact that I find your excitement a little strange. Can you blame me? For just going to a seemingly empty spot at night, you’re kind of…oddly peppy.”
A blunt explanation, but honest. She didn’t really have any other way to put that anyway, aside from just outright admitting it. Maybe she wasn’t exactly thinking of turning back around and going back inside, but she certainly was a little concerned about where they were even going at this point.
“Ehhhh? Or maybe Naomi just doesn’t have enough enthusiasm.” Seiko huffs, a childish pout playing at her lips. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing~ Do you really think I’d lead you astray?”
She doesn’t leave time to answer that, for good reason in all likelyhood.
“You’ll like it. I promise.” Insistent. Still, she was hoping she was right about that much--- in the end, Seiko did want to cheer up a friend and her intentions were pretty pure at heart. Maybe her methods were unconventional but that was just part of who she was by now, really.
“Of course, you won’t like it if you’ve already convinced yourself that I’m up to something shady. Loosen up, ‘kay? I wouldn’t get you hurt or arrested so this is totally fair game~♥”
“That’s good to hear. I’ve seen you two become even closer than before so I wanted to make sure things were still going okay.” Satoshi just assumed that her babe comment was a joke, but he could tell that the way she was so tense about answering the question before really made him think that maybe it wasn’t so much of a joke after all. Not that he could really tell.
“And tell me about it, I’m bad with gifts and I don’t know what to really get everyone. Plus there are birthdays afterwards and I want to think of something nice to get you guys for that too.” Yep, even Seiko’s going to get some cute gifts. What though? Well that’s a surprise. Either way, it really showed how much of an effort Satoshi was making to get closer to his friends recently.
There were only so many people Satoshi could comfortably say he was close to. It was only because he only had so much time to be with everyone else in 2-9 so far. They were all still his amazing friends, but ever since most came back, he made sure to get a chance to be closer to them than before.
“Ah well, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Just try to think of something Naomi might really like or want? I’m sure whatever you get her, she’ll love it.”
Satoshi really was a good boy, wasn’t he? It’s times like this that Seiko can’t help but feel grateful for the relaxed friendship between the two of them and, hell, it’s almost understandable why so many of her classmates would pine after someone like this. At the end of the day, he was incredibly sweet and empathetic.
And, well.... a boy. Explains why she’s the only one uninterested, it would seem.
“I sure hope so! Heheh. Either way, I think it’ll just be nice getting her something in general. Naomi is usually all fussy when people try to spoil her so it’s nice to have excuses she can’t argue with~” Seiko chimes with a hint of self satisfaction.
“Ehhh, same for the rest of you guys too though, really. I guess that’s why the holidays always feel so warm and cozy! Everyone is in a good mood and trying to do things for each other. Heehee.... it’s sweet~♥”
Well, if the teen was trying to make her uncomfortable, it was working. Nothing was quite as unnerving as being scrutinized. Lucina’s breath hitching, and she’s quick to avert her gaze. The look had probably been innocent, but made her feel awkward nonetheless. At least it only took mere words to get the other to stop. Allowing them both to fall into more relaxed states.
“Ah, I see. This campus is actually quite large. It extends well over forty acres, and that is only counting this site. There’s a few other small ones located throughout the city for those who can’t travel so far.”
A pause, and a weak laughter is tumbling from her lips. She hadn’t meant to ramble, especially to a stranger. But it was true, and perhaps that could’ve helped her guest feel better? Or just uncomfortable. Gods she was terrible at this.
“A vending machine? Well… They were right. The library is that building there with the large windows. There’s an entrance on all sides, but the one closet to the machine is on the right. We do have a cafeteria, as well. It’s actually quite close to my dorm, would you like me to take you there instead?”
Ah.... one of those types, then. The way this woman went on about ( what Seiko would consider ) inane trivia almost reminded her of Ayumi, the kind of person that held a student council position or read too many books. Still, she has the sense to know that pointing as much out would probably be pretty rude.
“Really? Geez, I guess they weren’t kidding when they said this was one of the better schools around here.” Seiko notes with a laugh. Whether it’s just common idle chitchat or an attempt to sooth her anxious looking company is unsure but, hell, with her it’d be pretty hard to tell in the first place.
“If you’re sure I’m not getting in the way of anything, that’d be pretty cool though!" The offer is a bit unexpected but definitely appreciated. She knew fully well the chances of getting lost if she didn’t tag along were..... well, pretty damn good actually.
“Oh, I know a wealth of things.” Nio all but chirped, a gleeful smile spreading across her face. Well, if the girl wanted to hear some rumors she could certainly entertain her curiosity– give her something aside from tumbleweeds to think about when she went to bed. After all, who didn’t enjoy batting that kind of stuff around their heads?
Kisaragi…name of the academy Seiko attended. Duly noted in her mind.
“You can say that!” A slender hand held up a slip of paper, its contents consisting of an official Myojo Academy logo on the top and proceeding details that ended before a signature at the bottom. “It’s an important project for us student council members. We were given a choice to write a paper about anything we wanted to. Nio decided to branch out a little and check out a town that few know of!” A valid enough explanation, with documentation to back it up. “In a way, you can almost say that I’m out here on reconnaissance…that’d be wild, wouldn’t it?”
“Fufu.... you’re starting to sound like a girl with style.” Or, at least, certainly someone more interesting than the average tourist. Seiko couldn’t deny Nio had a sense of eccentricity about her but could you really blame her curiosity? They seemed like birds of a feather, after all, and whether she’d admit it or not Seiko was a downright nosy girl when her interest was piqued.
“Heehee, but I’m still the pro around these parts! I’ve lived in Fujisawa my whole life--- if there’s something you’re looking for, someone you want the scoop on, anything you need to know, I am your girl.” Seiko notes with a seemingly satisfied giggle. “I don’t think a student council member would be up to anything too fishy, so I think I could trust you with my expertise.”
“Ah, but we mentioned that before, right? I doubt I’d mind, I like big families.” Naomi pointed out, a bit of a reminder to the last time they even talked about how she liked kids and families with kids.
Hell, she’d definitely like a bigger family herself. Maybe not too soon–she didn’t feel like she was in a good living situation for that kind of thing, after all. Especially lacking a job or that oh so important college education. To be fair though, she could hardly afford the latter.
“I think I’d like meeting your siblings anyway.” Well, that went from doubt over meeting her family, to outright thinking it’d be fun to do so. She couldn’t make up her mind, could she?
“For someone who was just acting oh so hesitant, Naomi sure seems a little eager.” Seiko points out with a bit of a teasing smile. Still, she had to admit something about it was comforting; perhaps she just wanted a little proof that she wasn’t the only one looking forward to a second meet up.
“Fufu.... if I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s already falling for my charm.If a cheap burger is all it takes, boy, I’m wondering how I didn’t have competition before now.” She laughs, taking another sip from her drink. “Ehhhh, if fast food makes you wanna meet the family then I can’t wait to see what happens when we go out to dinner this week~♥”
“W-wanting to meet me, huh?” Visit, huh? That was quite a suggestion, and certainly wasn’t one Naomi could meet without a bit of nervousness. After all, Seiko just seemed so nice and interesting, and here Naomi was…she sort of felt she paled in comparison. She definitely didn’t feel like someone that could impress someone else’s parents remotely.
As odd as that thought sounded, Naomi simply didn’t want Seiko’s dad to think she was a lazy bum of a friend who didn’t need to be hanging around his daughter.
“I’ll keep all that in mind though. Sounds like it’d be just as fun.”
“Probably. Maybe a little.... noisy and chaotic, but fun too.” Seiko admits with a bit of a sheepish laugh. “Ehhh, I should leave that for down the road though. Heaven forbid you meet my folks and get scared away right off the bat! Eheehee.... a house with three kids kinda tends to be a little bit of a culture shock for most people.”
She couldn’t deny that her home could be a lot to take in. Sure, her siblings weren’t the worst behaved kids around but.... they were kids, three of them at that. To expect peace and prosperity at all hours of the day danced the line between naivety and stupidity, if she were being honest.
“Mmm.... they’re good folks though. Papa’s a real sweetheart and the munchkins are just a little bit of a handful. I kinda like it though--- things stay pretty lively. Heehee.... even if I didn’t still live at home, I think I’d still want a big family like this♥”
“Why not just a coffee place? They usually have good hot chocolate drinks.” Naomi suggested with a light shrug of her shoulders. She didn’t care either way. Though, she was serious about finding some good quality hot cocoa, here.
“I don’t really know where serves the best tasting one, but I was pretty serious about getting us some really good hot chocolate. Unless you have any objections to that, but I doubt that you would unless you’re not really Seiko.” She pointed out with a small grin. “Is there one closer by?”
“Geez.... you say that like I don’t know how to treat a girl!” Or, more importantly, that she’d be settling for anything subpar if there was an option to begin with. “I think there’s a place by the flower shop a few streets down. It shouldn’t be too busy.... but if it is, we can always just high tail it to the park, since it’ll probably be empty by now.”
What with everyone off celebrating and all.
“Once we’re done, we can take a look around and see if anything cool happening. I’m sure there’ll be something exciting going on! Heehee.... and if not, we could always stir up a little excitement ourselves~”
“Ah–” Without much say in the gesture, Naomi was pretty much dragged along as soon as Seiko grabbed her hand. For as much as she could overpower the other girl, when it came to harmless things like this, Naomi didn’t usually object. Probably good news for Seiko in the long run, really.
“Geez, Seiko–how much do you intend on trying to do before midnight?” Naomi asked, mostly joking around with the question as she let out a small laugh and sped up her gait a bit to catch up and keep up with Seiko’s new found excitement.
“Tease me all you want, I know Naomi is just as excited~” Seiko chimes as she pulls the girl along. It wasn’t like she could help it anyways---- there was something about the holiday spirit that was just incredibly contagious, a sort of energy in the air that was hard to ignore. Or maybe it was just Seiko being Seiko.
Who knew. Either way, there wasn’t much point questioning it.
“Hm, hmmmm.... did you have any place in mind though? We could always go to a coffee shop or something but I dunno if you wanted anything specific.”
Naomi seemed satisfied with the conclusion that was finally coming around. Actually, in the end, Seiko’s idea sounded like a good one. It wasn’t as if Naomi felt like going back home, despite how late it was already. Really on a night like new year’s, it felt much easier to stay up late for the sake of the occasion. It wasn’t really as if Naomi planned on staying outside all night anyway. That was a little too much.
“Sure. That sounds kind of fun, really. And there has to be plenty going on around town, with the year drawing to a close eventually and all.” Naomi reasoned thoughtfully, before glancing at Seiko. “And I doubt we’re gonna be out that long. Fun or not, it’s still cold and late, after all.” The combination made any reasonable person want to head back inside and bundle up.
“It’s a date then~♥” And there she goes. All jokes aside, it did sound like a good time and Seiko certainly wasn’t going to object to spending some time goofing off with her best friend. If anything, spending New Years with Naomi was practically the best.
Curse her hopeless romantic heart.
With a giggle, Seiko leans over to take Naomi’s hand in her own; an impatient tug follows unsurprisingly enough and it’s not long before she’s urging the girl on more insistently.
“C’moooon! We can’t loiter around all day! There’s not much time left for this year.... we need to make the most of it!♥”