123/The Soda Card on Main Street

The Soda Card on Main Street
Date of Scene:	19 July 2023
Location:	Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis:	Soda Girl has set up in Mitakihara once again. Another pair of Radiant Heart Academy students come up to make a purchase.
Cast of Characters:	Zephyr Windstar, Ami Mizuno, Madoka Kaname

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Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    A common sight on the main run of Mitakihara Ward's main thoroughfare the one that leads to the Radiant Heart Academy and is used by many of the student body at least once on their trip either to or from the school, unless they live on campus, is a mobile stall, a push-cart set up to sell things from.

    It's got a logo on the side. A hand in a fist, or Rock gesture, another with its hand flat, Paper, and a soda can between with a stylized pair of scissors on it. This is surrounded by a circular frame with the English words JAN KEN POP underneath, and the hirigana above. There's a menu and price list attached to the awning hanging over the cart, and it's manned by a very unique looking foreigner. She's 5'9" tall, with mismatched purple and green-yellow eyes, one of each. "Blueberry Soda! Cherryade! Lemonade and Cola! Guaranteed refreshing and thirst quenching or your money back!" she hawks occasionally to those passing by.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami is wandering around a bit, dressed in her Radiant Heart Academy uniform. She seems to have some yen burning a hole in her pocket, or something equally precious as she walks along with her hand curled into a loose fist around whatever it is. She pauses when she comes into hearing range of the foreigner, head canting to a side. Blueberry soda... She hasn't had one of those since childhood, but remembers liking it especially well. After a moment's consideration, she begins to head toward Jan Ken Pop. It's a slow meandering step, though. The bluenette is more thoughtful than usual today, it seems.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka Kaname is one of those using this route to head home from school. She has a subdued smile, but with her it's hard to tell if she's happy or if her face just naturally does that. It's a hot summer day today, and just as she's starting to notice that she's a bit thirsty, the Jan Ken Pop sign catches her eye. This probably isn't the first time she's passed by this stall, but she's never actually stopped by before, and now seems like just as good a time as any.

    The pinkette walks towards the stall while digging through her school bag for a purse. She pulls it out and starts counting out bills as she reaches the counter. "Cherryade, please!" she orders, placing down yen bills as an offering in exchange for refreshing coolness.

    Madoka doesn't yet notice Ami, and might not recognize her even if she did. Maybe if she took a moment to remember Ami's reputation as a genius.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr offers a big smile to those that approach, bowing politely and efficiently filling the requests. She sets a regular size can of Cherryade out for Madoka. It's got the store logo on it, and a large stylized cherry with the hirigana for 'C H E R R Y' along the side. She takes the bils, counts it through then returns change with a bow of gratitude. "Thank you very much for your custom! If you're ever over that way, please visit our main storefront. It's in the Akibahara Mall, second floor, third front along the west side." she says. The line seems rehersed and her accent mangling a couple of the words but the meaning doesn't really get lost, thankfully.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami glances at the pink-haired girl with a little smile and wearing the Radiant Academy uniform as well. She nods, smiling, and follows her to the stand there. Cool, sweet soda on a summer's day sounds like a magnificent treat. She waits patiently, then steps up to make her own order.

"Blueberry soda, please!" She offers the correct amount of money over after pulling it from the pocket she'd had her hand in already. She fidgets a bit as a bead of sweat runs down her neck before nodding gratefully to the seller. Her eyes meet Madoka's, and once her can is in front of her, she giggles a little. Holding up her soda and gesturing to the pinkette, Ami says quietly, "We match our respective hair colors." This amuses the other girl.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka somehow manages to understand Zephyr just fine despite the accent. She brightly smiles at Zephyr and politely says, "Thank you! I'll be sure to tell my friends about that!" because that's what you're supposed to do. With one hand she picks up her loose change and drops it in the purse, and after a few seconds of sorting her stuff around she grabs the can of Cherryade and starts sipping, standing off to the side in order to not get in people's way.

    Where was it again? Akibahara Mall, she remembers that much. Was it the second or third floor? Madoka's already forgotten the directions, and is too embarrassed to ask for them again, but if there's one thing she's confident in it's her ability to find her way around a mall.

    Madoka notices Ami and looks at her hair. She tilts her head to the side for a moment, then looks at her own drink and also at Ami's, and suddenly gets it. "Oh yeah! I guess we do. I always kinda like the red flavors." The pinkette hasn't quite recognized Ami yet, but she notices that they have matching uniforms and the bluenette seems friendly enough. "Do you normally walk this way? I don't think we've met before."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami nods politely to the seller at the soda stand, appreciative as she stuffs any change back into her pocket. She hesitates, considering mentioning the errors, but realizes that would be rude and turns back to Madoka with a shy smile. "Blue flavors are lovely for me, so I get it." She nods. "I do not," she says. "I'm a dorm student. It is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ami Mizuno." And she offers a polite bow while holding the--thankfully unopened--soda.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Oh, so polite! Madoka would feel weird if she didn't bow back, so she mimics Ami's actions with a smile, very carefully holding the can. Thankfully, some of it is already gone so the danger of spilling is a lot less. "Madoka Kaname! The pleasure is all mine." She thinks for a moment, then taps her chin with her free hand. "I feel like I know your name from somewhere." She remembers seeing it on a list. Madoka goes through several things in her mind: the nurse's office, attendance sheets, and the like. Then it occurs to her. "Oh! You have the same name as that one girl who always gets high marks. Everyone always makes a big fuss about it around test time. Is that you?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami seems to shrink a bit, but nods. "That's me, yes." She gives a shy little smile, reflexive rather than joyous. She looks Madoka over, not sure what the next move is. The poor bluenette seems... almost worried that Madoka's going to make fun of her? Something? But she manages to stand her ground, opening the soda carefully and taking a small sip before nodding toward Zephyr. "This is delightful! Thank you."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka winces as she starts to feel like maybe she brought up something sensitive. "A-ah, sorry. We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to!" She bows somewhat apologetically, hoping she didn't offend her. "I spoke without thinking, I'm sorry!"

    Being shy and showing vulnerability around Madoka is probably an easy way to win sympathy. She's certainly not the kind of girl who'd want someone else to feel bad about themselves.

    Seeing Ami say something to Zephyr, Madoka welcomes the change in subject, brightly smiling at Zephyr. "Yeah, it's great! Thanks!"

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    The stall runner chuckles softly, bowing to Ami politely. "The blueberry is one of our most popular lines. And to think, the boss nearly didn't take the new seller on to bring the flavour in!" she comments, leaning on the cart top and sipping from a water bottle. "I keep seeing that uniform, and the others really keep my in business here. Glad I decided to set up here the other day!" she adds, offering a big goofy grin at the younger girls.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami looks to Madoka and she considers the pinkette for a moment. "It isn't you," she says after a moment. "My last school was... not kind to me." She shrugs, but the weight of all that still lingers on her slender shoulders. "I appreciate your kindness, Kaname-san." A nod of the head and a brief but sunny smile is granted, before Ami looks back to Zephyr.

"Oh, well! I'm glad that your boss did," she says, in a slightly more polite tone than she'd used with Madoka. Maybe she was warming up to the pink-haired girl ever so slightly? Admittedly, it's always hard to tell so early! Ami nods to Zephyr, though. "I'm glad you've found a successful spot," she says, polite but not offering information.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka admittedly doesn't know much about supply chains and how all of that works. She's never had a summer job before. It's the kind of thing she feels like she should know, though.

    Ami's comment wins a bit of sympathy from Madoka. The pinkette tries to put herself in Ami's position, and tries to consider what kind of person would be unkind to her. Jealousy, maybe?

    She shakes her head, "I can't imagine being mean to someone like you. You seem so nice." Being shy and wounded are not things that she takes particular offense to.

    Then turning to Zephyr, she says, "We're from Radiant Heart Academy." She tugs on her uniform. "My family lives in this direction, so I walk by here pretty often."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami blinks at Madoka, a blush coloring her cheeks. "You are very kind," is all she manages in a stammering voice. Is she really not used to kindness form her peers?

"I live in the dorms," she says, a little quietly. "I don't come by this way much at all."

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr continues to smile warmly, turning her mismatched gaze over to Madoka when addressed. "Yeah, I keep hearing that name too, the big place, right?" she asks, adjusting her position, and then looking back to Ami. "Aww, well I hope you stop by again, it's always nice to see a returning face for a store like us~." she chirps.. then notices the blush.

    The tall foreigner's face softens a bit. "Mizuno-san... I'm sure that life will get better for you from now on. I can feel it."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka's being called kind twice in a row? It kinda embarrasses her a little. She isn't the kind of person who'd ever be rightfully called mean, but there's an extent to which she thinks her behavior is the bare minimum. There's no reason, in her mind, to be anything less than friendly and polite.

    Ami starts to remind her of Homura, and she thinks back to how the black-haired beauty kept showing some pretty high mastery of the school material. Madoka starts wondering if there's just something about how smart people are treated in school that makes them shy. It's not a problem she's ever had to face. Maybe there's an advantage to not standing out.

    "You know, you seem like a nice person. We should hang out more! I live pretty close to campus so it wouldn't be a problem to meet up somewhere."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami blushes more, but nods at Zephyr with a polite smile and a nod. "Thank you," she says to this stranger.

Ami is conflicted. She tries not to show how wounded she can be, but between Madoka being so kind to her, and now the shopkeeper, she's a little flustered. She tries hard not to be rude, but she's just so out of her depth right now. Ami Mizuno has not been liked by her classmates... maybe ever. She gives a single-shouldered shrug, and sips her drink in silence for a minute to recombobulate.

Madoka's words make her look back up. Her eyes hold hope and wariness at once. "I would like that, Kaname-san," she says with a little nod. "Maybe after school some day soon?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    There's no guile or hidden motivation behind Madoka's friendly smile. If there's any trepidation, it's only because she doesn't want to come on too strongly. She nods emphatically at Ami, saying, "Sure! I've been in Mitakihara all my life, so I know a lot of fun places around here. It'll be something to look forward to!"

    She takes a sip of her drink. It's still summer, and it's still hot outside, but as long as there's drink left in her can she can probably hold out.