Persona-SotVD: Something Fishy

[Kioku]

Perfect, thinks Asami as she makes the last slice. "Very nice, Kimura-san," comes a voice from behind her and to the right. "Thanks, Saito-kun, I try." She glances over her shoulder and flashes a smile, having heard her only junior at this job come in a few moments earlier. "I guess this means my shift is up then? It doesn't feel that late. Well, everything is in order, and Murakami-san said he'd let you try something besides rice washing today." The fifteen year old grins at this. "Awesome! Thanks, Kimura-san!" Asami chuckles and starts toward the back with a quick goodbye and no problem. She tilts her head and reflexively glances at the front door when it opens, having no need to keep her senses in check.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki steps through the door, on her usual run of eating at restaurants instead of cooking herself. I heard this sushi place was starting to get more popular. I guess I'll have to order with words more than 'the usual'. I wonder what made them so popular? Is the food really good or did they get a cute new worker? Whatever, I'll find out soon. She scans around the room as she takes a couple steps into the establishment proper, looking at the atmosphere and decoration while paying no mind to the people.

[Kioku]

Asami jumps, startled as she sees her friend entering the sushi bar. What? What's she doing here? Nobody was supposed to find out where... She disappears from view and taps her hour data into the computer, it being time for her to leave work anyway, and slips out the back door. Moments later, she enters through the front and nabs Tsubaki like a whirlwind, sweeping her back outside. "Oh hey, Tsubaki, didn't expect to see you out here!" She laughs nervously. "Ahh... what're you up to?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki snaps out of her mapping mode. "Oh, hey there Asami. I was just coming in to get something to eat. My cooking is poor after all." She laughs nervously at her own inadequate skills.

[Kioku]

"Here?" Asami raises an eyebrow, quickly shaking off her flustered affectation. "You would rather eat here than, say, have me make something for you?" She smiles, winks and goes for Tsubaki's arm. "Come on, I have plenty of ingredients back at the dorm."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki gives Asami a bright smile and her arm. "Well, if you're offering, I'll be glad to take you up on it! I just heard this place was getting popular, but what you make tastes better than what I get at most places anyway."

[Kioku]

"Getting... popular?" Asami gives a shifty glance over her shoulder at the sushi bar as the pair start the couple-kilometer walk toward the dorm. "Really? Please, tell me more. I should know about what I'm competing for your attention with, after all."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki shakes her head, waving her free hand in front of her face. "Hey now, it's not like that! I just know you've got a part time job now and I didn't wanna bother you, that's all!"

[Kioku]

Asami giggles and puts her free hand on Tsubaki's arm. "Please tell me anyway? I'd like to know what you've heard, and we have a while yet to walk."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki sighs and smiles. "Honestly, I've just been hearing that a lot of people have been going here. I figure it's either a good menu or a cute worker. Maybe a bit of both. I figured I'd give it a try in hopes of it being the former."

[Kioku]

"Interesting..." Very interesting... Asami squeezes the arm she's grasped and smiles again. "Aren't you glad I caught you then? This way you're guaranteed to have both instead of having to just hope!"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki's smile turns into a grin. "Very true, but I wasn't hoping for a cute worker. If I want something cute to look at..." She quickly hops up and kisses Asami on the cheek. "I'll just look at you."

[Kioku]

Asami ducks her head briefly with a small giggle, accepting the complement. You were close to getting both by eating out, too. "I was in the area, wasn't I? Who knows, we could have gone in there together and we'd still only have to put our risk on the food."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki nods knowingly. "Yeah, but this way I don't have to gamble. I get to eat good food and be with Asami. Win win all the way.

[Kioku]

"Aww. I'm happy that you think it's worth the extra wait. They would have had the rice already prepared there, you know..." Asami gets a knowing look and lifts Tsubaki's hand to kiss the back of it. "I'm flattered that you value my company so highly, and think so well of my preparation abilities. I must only hope to live up to such expectations." She tugs a little on Tsubaki's arm and crouches slightly, preparing to run. "Want to make that slightly less time before there's food in front of you?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki shifts her stance slightly. "Of course I value so greatly. You a cherished one after all." With a smile she takes off without an answer, knowing Asami can keep up just fine.

[Kioku]

Asami takes off a second after Tsubaki has left her behind, making use of her long strides to catch up and then keep pace. The kilometer and a half remaining back to the dorm is nothing.
Once inside with shoes off, Asami vanishes into the kitchen, washing her hands, moving the rice cooker and taking out the recycled bottle of her home-brewed sushi vinegar before going for the rice itself, to start washing about as much as the cooker can make in a single batch without bothering to measure.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki sits and watches very intently. She doesn't attempt to assist out of fear of messing up the food with her own terrible cooking skills. She wasn't to the point where she was hopeless, even she could boil water and make simple things, but anything more turned out nearly inedible. If I just watch, I might learn something.

[Kioku]

With long-practiced ease, Asami brings out and prepares ingredients for use while the rice cooks, after it's been washed and the cooker started up. She looks disappointed at one point, muttering "no yellowtail this time I guess..." before getting back to work. Eventually her focus starts to drift, but by that point nearly everything is ready anyway. The rice cooker beeps and she comes back to the present, methodically moving the rice to a wooden bowl, then pouring the rice vinegar over a spoon onto it. A couple minutes of scoring, fanning, turning and moving the rice later, she dampens a cloth and puts it over the bowl. Her focus wavers again toward the end, but by then all that is critical is done with - it's as if she's learned how long she can focus on this exact task in particular, and adapted her method to it. "We'll want to let that cool a little more," she says, turning around to face Tsubaki with a serene look and addressing her for the first time since getting indoors.

[Mokou-tan]

No yellowtail? Oh a fish? That's right. Now I remember the taste. That's not too bad. After all, I get to eat Asami's cooking. Tsubaki sits, smiling and watching until she says it needs to cool a bit more. "No worries, I've got plenty of time."

[Kioku]

Asami nods and, lacking a chair out here or much free counter space, leans against Tsubaki while waiting. "I should have asked sooner; what're your favorites?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki thinks for a moment on the question. "I like it all really. Anything you cook, I'll like." She gives a wide smile that suddenly stops and returns to neutral. "That's odd... You smell a bit different." She sniffs the air and then sniffs Asami. "You already smell like sushi."

[Kioku]

Oh, no... "Well I have just been preparing everything for a bit, haven't I?" Asami retorts, trying to play it off is natural given the situation. "Besides, since getting that job I can afford to make it a lot more often than I could with just the school's stipend. It's probably the only thing I have this much practice with, and I'm having it about thrice as much as the beginning of the year."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki tilts her head to the side. "Your job...." Suddenly the puzzle pieces slammed into place rapidly. "That makes sense." Especially if the sushi place I met you at got both good food AND a cute new worker.

[Kioku]

Asami gives Tsubaki a slightly nervous look at the repetition about her job, but relaxes a little when told that it makes sense... though how much sense it made, she wasn't sure. "Mmh... see? Anyway, I don't have an flour chilled, so tempura is out, and if you don't mind I'd rather not use the eel if I'm not turning on the heat already. That still leaves plenty of options, so I'll just make some of everything I got out! Sorry for the wait though, I did mention it. Maybe nine more minutes and I'll be comfortable with the rice temperature."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki giggles at the estimated time. Nine minutes you say? How much teasing can I do in nine minutes? The little warrior stands hugs Asami. "Well, either way, you still smell nice like you did before."

[Kioku]

Asami smiles at the complement and returns the hug. "Thank you! That's not something that comes up often, but it's nice to know what you think." Your nose must be pretty sensitive too, to pick up what else it has. She smirks a little, remembering something that Chika said a while ago. "Especially coming from a flower such as yourself."

[Mokou-tan]

"I'm nearsighted, so when I don't have my contacts in, I use my nose to figure out who's near me. I'm very acquainted with the way people I like a lot smell." Tsubaki giggles at the flower remark. "A Tsubaki doesn't have much of a scent. It's sweet, but barely noticeable and easily overpowered by what's around it."

[Kioku]

Asami smiles shyly at the implication that she's liked a lot, still not entirely used to the idea of acceptance beyond the surface. "I'd agree that you're sweet, but easily overpowered? Not in the least." She tilts her head a little. "I don't know much about flowers, but Chika said I was a lily. I'm not sure what that means or how true it is, though."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki suppresses her urge to burst into laughter. The little hero gets on her tiptoes to get as close to her ear as she can to whisper. "She didn't specify a color. She was saying you're part of the lily-tribe. She's discreetly saying you're into girls."

[Kioku]

Asami raises both eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I wonder how she got that idea... not that it's wrong."

[Mokou-tan]

"Chika reads into things. Every little action you make is noted and cataloged in her brain." Tsubaki takes advantage of her current height to give Asami a quick kiss on the lips, pulling her down slightly to do so.

[Kioku]

Asami blinks at the surprise kiss, but returns it, assuming that bringing up Chika just made Tsubaki feel sisterly. It's what Akemi would do in this situation, after all. But... after what we just talked about with 'lilies', is that... perhaps not so sisterly after all? I may have to ask if it doesn't become clear...

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki drops back off her tiptoes. She kissed back. Hmm... That would work for teasing her, it seems. "I wish I would grow a bit. Our height difference is way quite great."

[Kioku]

"You don't seem to usually mind it," Asami comments. "Umm... I have to ask something. I haven't had that many normal close friendships before. None in fact, there was A-Akemi, and then there was... everyone else. A couple of girls and a couple of guys in middle school that I became good enough friends with that they stood out, but they seemed very... skittish. Put off by perfectly normal good-friend behavior, you know? It made me question whether I've been having skewed perceptions about how close friends act for quite a while..." She shuffles her feet a little, but in contrast looks Tsubaki in the eye. "You won't be scared off if I'm weird, right? And you'll tell me if something is out of the ordinary enough and I don't seem to know it?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki sighs, closing her eyes. "I've told you before, I didn't have any friends before you and Miyuki. Only my little sister. I just go with my instincts, and they said that behavior would be okay between us. If I'm wrong, you'll stop me. I don't find you weird at all. Contrarily, I like the way you are. If this isn't friendly behavior though, that would have to mean I turned out to be red in the end. I suppose that wouldn't be too bad, though."

[Kioku]

'I don't find you weird at all.' Asami's attention fixates on this phrase and she smiles wide, scooping Tsubaki up in a tight hug and twirling her around once before letting her feet back on the floor. "I'm happy! I like the way you are too." It takes until halfway through the spin to take in the rest of her friend's words, and she adopts a puzzled overlay to her joyous demeanor. "Red?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki giggles as she is spun by her friend. "I'm glad you like me this way. Tsubaki come in 3 colors. Red, White and Yellow. The White one means 'Waiting'. The Yellow means 'Longing'. The Red can be..." She blushes as she continues. "... 'In Love.' If I'm not behaving like a friend then I'd have to be Red. Though, if it's you, I don't mind being the red one."

[Kioku]

Asami's throat goes dry as her mind stops for a moment. If it's me, she doesn't mind... But, this *is* close friend behavior, so that doesn't mean she... right? But I do love her too, that's how it should be, it doesn't mean anything romantic. ... Would I mind if it did? She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart and failing. "I... umm... don't think I'd mind either." But I don't have to worry about that, because this is normal! She blushes slightly as her mind keeps on racing through this process. But if it *is* anything like those feelings that have been developing for Miyuki the last two months...

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki hugs her friend tightly. "I can feel your heart. It's beating so fast. And you're blushing. It's adorable."

[Kioku]

"I-it is? I am?" Asami raises a hand to her cheek, Tsubaki's comment making her blush worsen. Oh, kami, what if it is? I might be starting to fall for both of them! I need time to think about this development...

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki lets go and gives her a big smile. "Don't worry about it too much right now. If it's that, it's that and we'll deal with it later. If it's normal, it's normal and nothing changes. No matter what, I'll still be with you."

[Kioku]

Asami bites her lip and nods quickly, moving over to the counter. "Right. Nobody is going to abandon each other or die saving the other or lose their important friends over internal conflict or social convention misunderstandings." Her mouth seems to be moving on its own as she speaks very quickly, but her hands seem focused entirely on moving things around to start making sushi now. She stops her hands for barely two seconds, spins on one heel while crouching with that leg, grabs Tsubaki's arm, pulls her closer, and lets the spin continue until she comes around to face the sink. From there she washes her hands very quickly and proceeds to begin the first roll.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki giggles softly. "But, of course. What kind of hero would I be if I abandoned you?" Though, I will protect you. She giggles again as she is spun by her friend.

[Kioku]

Asami seems a little shaky making the first salmon roll until she picks up the knife, and it all disappears. After briefly running the blade under water from the sink, she neatly slices the roll and moves it to a plate, then wipes off the knife on a towel, rinses, and wipes again. Even after putting it down to start something with shrimp next, she seems much more calm, and having Tsubaki right next to her seems to progressively have a relaxing effect on her as well.

[Mokou-tan]

Noticing the differences in Asami's cooking becoming more pronounced as she stays near, Tsubaki wraps her arms around her friend's waist and nuzzles into her back when she isn't holding a knife.

[Kioku]

Asami seems to become even more relaxed once encircled by her friend's arms, and her hand movements become more graceful and fluid for it. Eventually, eight pieces of nigiri and eight rolls sliced into eight pieces each are prepared, each one different. She stretches a little and takes Tsubaki's hands that are around her, looking over her shoulder with a smile. "Eight of each for luck. You know you didn't have to wait here until I finished all of them... but thank you." She frowns briefly at the ingredient prep counter, having miscalculated - there are still two leftover slices of avocado and enough tuna for another piece of nigiri if the rice weren't all used up. Ah well, I'll use them next time.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki smiles wide. "I wanted to, that's all. So, where do you want to eat this?"

[Kioku]

"Where?" Asami tilts her head, pausing in her plan to put the signs of her miscalculation out of sight. "I suppose I'd expected the table, but really anywhere would be fine..."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki chuckles and gathers up the meal. "That works for me. Just making sure you didn't want to take it elsewhere or something."

[Kioku]

Asami quickly proceeds with operation: hide the evidence, then gets out a dish for soy sauce, among the other things that might be wanted, and brings them to the table, glad to see that Tsubaki's already managed to get all of the plates here. She takes a seat at the table and gestures to the meal. "This is your fault, you're the one who wanted it after all."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki sits across from Asami and grabs a piece with her chopsticks. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to take responsibility." She holds the piece up to her friend's mouth with the obvious intent of feeding her. "Aaaaah."

[Kioku]

Asami blinks in surprise. "That's not what I..." she trails off with a shrug. "Okay then. Itadakimasu." She gingerly eats the offering. "I hope that you don't mind that I only got out one soy sauce dish. I don't mind sharing, and figured that someone who can so easily kiss me wouldn't mind either."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki gives a smile as she grabs a piece for herself, dips it in the soy sauce and eats it to prove she's okay with it. "I fed you with my chopsticks, didn't I? Of course I don't mind."

[Kioku]

"Hmm. Something I should return then, I feel." Asami selects a piece that should go well after the one she just watched Tsubaki eat, and holds it before her friend's lips.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki takes the piece with an audible 'hom' noise and takes time to savor it. "It looks like I will have to be going to that sushi place. That way, I can eat your cooking as often as I want."

[Kioku]

Asami pales *just* enough for the change to be visible, and takes a piece for herself, waiting to speak until after it's down. Rather than risk giving something away in case it's a probe, she relies on her long memory to counter with a slightly weak smirk. "You know I won't always be able to intercept you and bring you back here. I can't always be just 'a few steps away,' after all."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki smiles and eats another piece before replying. "You smelled of the things it takes to make sushi, you managed to intercept me heading into that store when I didn't see you before and, finally, a cute girl who makes good sushi like you would explain the increase in popularity that place had."

[Kioku]

Asami sighs at being discovered, right after she blushes at Tsubaki's last comment. "I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone found out..."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki giggles at her friend. "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret. I'll come alone. That way I don't have to share."

[Kioku]

'Don't have to share'? That could be taken another way... "I suspect the others will figure it out eventually, but I appreciate that you'll help me delay that." She smiles across the table and continues eating, slowly. "It'll be hard to throw them off the trail if anyone else catches on though. Maybe I should do this less..." she gestures at the table.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki keeps eating. "You probably should. I'm still going to stop in alone and eat your cooking though."

[Kioku]

Asami looks saddened by the prospect, but it's not enough to overcome the mood that's already in place. "Maybe I should just tell them..." she mutters. "There can't be that much shame in needing a part time job to keep up with your friends, right? They'll understand. Besides, it's doing something that I enjoy well enough."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki holds another piece out for Asami to eat. "Is there any shame in working hard? If so, I've yet to feel it. If anyone tries to make you feel ashamed because you're working hard, I'll shatter them. I'm a violent brute of a girl, so that's all I can offer." She smiles as she speaks some encouraging words to her friend.

[Kioku]

Asami looks up at her friend and smiles softly, accepting both her words and the morsel. "You're no brute. You're cute, kind, caring and protective. You're a hero, silly, remember?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki giggles while shaking her head. "I still use violence as my default answer. I'm content with that though. It's just who I am." She eats another piece after she speaks.

[Kioku]

Asami seems just a touch more glad. She didn't deny any of her positive qualities. She continues eating with a content air about her.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki eats a couple more pieces. "You know, the same qualities you gave me could also be applied to you."

[Kioku]

"Hmm?" Asami quirks an eyebrow and mentally examines the list. "I... I suppose so..." she admits with a small wiggle and a blush.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki nods and smiles. "See. I'm just a lot more violent. My first solution to a problem is to beat it down."

[Kioku]

Asami smirks where others would blush at the thought of her own first solution for several types of problems. "You're a lot better at that, than I am. There are times when I think that would be an excellent response, but such usually doesn't play to my strengths."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki chuckles quietly. "Well then, I'll just have to use my strengths for you. That would make that a simple option."

[Kioku]

Asami gets a wistful look about her. "I'll trust in you to always be standing there right beside me then." She stands and steps around the table to hug the sitting Tsubaki from behind and place a kiss on her cheek. The look changes very briefly to something a yandere might wear, but flickers back in an instant, and Asami continues as if nothing happened. "Even if I lose you, I'll recover you."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki blushes softly. "I'll stand beside you until I can't any longer. Flowers wilt after all. No matter what, take care of yourself first and then you can worry about me, alright?"

[Kioku]

Asami puts a hand on the far side of the sitting girl's neck and slowly strokes it while turning her friend's head to face her forming smirk. Dark violet eyes with the fire of determination stare into Tsubaki's. "Until you can't any longer? That's quite a long time - did you not hear me? Even if I lose you, I'll recover you. The wilted flower shall bloom once more."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki smiles to her friend. "I still will age. I'm not going to lose to anything but that. After all, there are still things I need to do."

[Kioku]

"Good," Asami purrs, giving Tsubaki a peck on the lips. "No vanishing, leaving or falling before then." She nabs her chopsticks from across the table and takes a seat next to Tsubaki.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki leans on Asami as she continues to eat even proportions of everything. "I've gotta be there to stop things from marring your face after all."

[Kioku]

Asami smiles contentedly and continues eating as well. "I know you'll do all you can. I will too." She punctuates her meaning by softly caressing Tsubaki's cheek in between bites.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki continues to eat quietly with a smile, enjoying the time she's spending with her friend.