1166/A Culinary Lunch

A Culinary Lunch
Date of Scene:	23 February 2024
Location:	Cafeteria Plaza
Synopsis:	Hitomi, Katsumi, Chiyo and Naru all meet at lunch. Food is exchanged, and some potential friends made.
Cast of Characters:	Chiyo Sakai, Katsumi Cora, Hitomi Kobe, Naru Osaka, Ren Morimoto

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Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Lunch time! The cafeteria was a rather well outfitted one for the shcool which meant that even though leaving the school grounds to hit up the local konbini was popular, so was the cafeteria itself. It was hit or miss whether it was a busy or a slow day, and the current menu of the day typically had quite a bit of influence on the decisions students made as well. Though the sheer choices every station offered meant it was always something good.

Chiyo pauses at the curry station considering it before moving on. Once you had Korma Chameleon, Japanese curry just wasn't the same. Instead she hits up the fresh bread station to pick up some rolls to add to her earlier purchase of a regular bento. It was the soft, mochi-like bread that was so good even by itself. With a bit of jam? It was better.

Thoroughly supplied with a more than decent meal she pauses to regard the tables and seats around trying to decide where to go sit.

Katsumi Cora has posed:
Carrying a bento box in one hand and his cane in the other, Katsumi is tack'ing gently along the floor to find his way. Trailing next to him is his Shiba, the guide dog gently bumping his legs at times to keep him on the right path as he is seeking out a table.

He was just about to bump into Chiyo, when Kobo moves, interceding himself between his owner and the girl and gives a bark. Which is what alert's Katsumi as he looks up. "Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there." A little humor at his comment.

Maybe the guide dog has Katsumi trained, not the other way around.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    ONe of the newer transfer students was sitting off to the side, with horrible posture, hair sticking up all over the place from her helmet. Her dark brown hair is a bit of a mess, her eyes are half closed, her body language screamed 'lonely', from her curled over posture to the way she was plucking toppings off bits in her cheap convenience store bento with highly caffinated coffee drink next to her. Every time someone passes in front of her, her eyes narrow, and she seems to withdraw a little more against the back of the chair. She does look up at Kobo's bark, though, eyebrows rising as Katsumi almost crashes into Chiyo!

Naru Osaka has posed:
It is wholly and entirely unsurprising that Naru has gotten herself a cup of coffee. That is akin to acknowledging that the sun rises in east and that water is wet. The petite girl has also collected herself what looks like a snack sized bento, or one intended for the youngest grades at RHA, just a tiny smattering of nibbles. She hitches her satchel up on her shoulder as she takes her small lunch and heads out to find a table.

"Hey Chiyo." Naru greets her with a smile. "I haven't seen you in ages." She glances then to Katsumi who didn't quite bump into Chiyo. "Hello person I don't know yet, and their pup."

There's a glance around before Naru points. "I think there's room over at that table." Which is, of course, Hitomi's table. Becuase what an extreme introvert needs is people invading her table. Clearly.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The little shiba bork would have caught Chiyo's attention even if she hadn't been completely aware of her surroundings to begin with. How do you not look when there's a doggo borking? A warm grin creeps over her as she greets Katsumi, recognizing him from the breif candy making stint in the dorm kitchens on the day before Valentine's. "It's okay, no harm done. Hello again Katsumi-kun."

Naru's voice as well draws her attention earning a renewed smile at the girl almost everyone seemed to know. Well, besides Usagi. "Naru-chan! It's been awhile yes. Should we all grab some seats? This is Katsumi-kun. He's a baker I hear," she points out while looking between the two. "Would you like to join us? You're right, that table has plenty of room. Plus I don't know the girl there. She must be new."

Tipping her head in that direction she starts for it, taking care to speak as she does so Katsumi and Kobo can follow if they like. "What did you all get for lunch? The bread seems really fresh baked today. It's still warm!" This is declared as her tray is set down opposite Hitomi whom gets a grin. "Do you mind if we join you?"

Katsumi Cora has posed:
When Chiyo speaks, Katsumi's head swivels to lock onto her. "Oh! Chiyo-san, hello!" he offers as he recognizes the voice. "How did the chocolates with Usagi-san and the others turn out?"

But then there are other people being introduced, and he lifts his bento as a greeting. "Nice to meet you, Naru-san!" comes the polite greeting. "I am Katsumi Cora and this..." a gesture with the cane towards the Shiba. "Is my guide dog, Kobo. Though he herds me more than anything." A slight smirk.

"My mom makes my lunches a month at a time and ships them to me in dry ice. I think this one is peanut butter and jelly?" At least that's his best guess. It's usually a surprise.

But, the mention of the bread has him considering it. "Sitting it good, yes." And with that, he's joining the small welcome wagon heading to Hitomi's table!

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Oh... um... sure," Hitomi replies, "I can go elsewhere if y'all want this table." she states, her shoulders drawing up as she takes a deep breath. There's a squeak from her blazer pocket.

    She taps her fingers against the table a moment, looking up to Naru, and then to Chiyo, and she looks like she might jump up and abandon her food when Katsumi joins them.

    "Katsumi-kun." she greets her classmate, and then in a fit of awkward energy with nowhere else to go she leaps up and tries to make her escape! It's almost graceful, until she catches against Kobo and she goes sprawling forward (no doubt attracting the attention of the lunch room), and her bento box with its pickled vegetables, tempura and rice flips up into the air -- which is caught handily by herself, putting a hand up.

    "Kobo-kun, hello." she greets the Shiba Inu, and then just... awkwardly sits there a moment on the floor before she pipes up with "Hitomi Kobe -- 9-D." she introduces herself, then gets up and sits back down, red in the face.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Wow, a month in advance? At least you won't run out," Chiyo remarks with admiration at the very thought of that. That would take a lot of prep and must probably cost a lot to ship over. He'd said he was from the United States hadn't he?

Hitomi's apparent unease at the group joining her table earns a softly apologetic smile as she realizes she's probably nervous, or shy. She'd been there herself before. Before she can properly say anything though Hitomi leaps up and near upends herself bumping into Kobo.

Chiyo's tray goes down on the table as she leans forward reaching an arm across to offer out to her even though it results in her having to half-climb ontop of the table to do so. One hand braces her and doesn't seem to take any effort in the gesture. "Are you okay? Here let me help you up. You can have one of my rolls if you spilled any of your lunch," comes her offer with concern.

And, perhaps as a bit of a worried aside she looks at Naru's lunch too. "You should probably eat more too, Naru-chan."

Oh, right. Names. "I'm Chiyo Sakai, 10-C."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Lovely to meet you, Katsumi.." Naru glances down to the pup as well. "And pleasure to meet you, Kobo." Because at this school, one really does always greet the critters too.

"Wow.. that's really nice of your Mom." Naru comments with a note of surprise in her voice. "Do you have a lot of food restrictions or something as to why you can't eat in the cafeteria?"

She's heading towards Hitomi's table as Chiyo is polite enough to ask if they can invade her there. "I just got a little bento for lunch, Chiyo. Nothing much." She doesn't even mention the coffee. It's just a given.

"Pleasure to meet you, Hitomi. I'm Naru Osaka.. 9C" The leaping up, the sprawling, the catching of the bento again.. Naru just accepts that in stride as she slides into a seat. "Are you okay?"

Naru gives a little shrug to Chiyo. "I've never eaten much at any given time. We're working on the theory that I just somehow osmose nutrients from living with Usagi or something."

Katsumi Cora has posed:
"No, she's a chef, so she obviously thinks that she can do better than the school cafeteria." A sigh from Katsumi and a shake of his head. "She loves me and means well, but it's... overbearing at times how she shows it?" he starts to explain, a nod to Chiyo. "I have a single, so my fridge is always full. So if you ever need a snack!"

As soon as he hears Hitomi's voice, Katsumi's eyes widen. Oh no. It's the girl that things were all awkward with. "Hitomi-kun?" he asks as he's startled, but then he hears the shuffling of the chairs and her words and he's trying to stop her. "Please, you don't have to leave..." he starts to say and then suddenly there's a warning bork as Hitomi trips and collides into Katsumi and the dog, excited suddenly by something, wraps around Hitomi, tieing her temporarily against Katsumi as they'r caught together at the legs!

Katsumi goes stock still, and frowns sa little. "Kobo! What has gotten into you!" The Shiba just sits on his butt, the tail sweeping the floor happily as can be.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Hitomi just blinks, and her mouth works, but no sound comes out. She turns a bright shade of red as she's tangled up with Katsumi, and Kobo is looking *so proud* of himself before a tiny face sticks itself out of Hitomi's pocket and GLOWERS, chittering angrily before diving back into the blazer pocket.

    "The dakr-haired girl gives a squeak, and then:

    "... I still do not have jerky sticks in my pocket!" in protest, and she tries to untangle herself, and sit back in a seat, somehow having managed to keep her cheap bento in place as she flops down. "Nice to meet you, Naru-san, Chiyo-san. Ah... Katsumi and I are in the same class. Kobo likes me. I think." she states, and rubs the back of her head.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai winces as the collission with doggo just becomes SO much worse and she's left half on the tabletop with one knee bent up to brace, and her arm there, and her skirt...

Oh dear.

She seems to realize the positioning she's in about this point as she pauses with her hand outstretched to try and save Hitomi from the fate of falling and entangling with Katsumi. At this point it was beyond offering a hand to grab and had become 'they need to be untied.' And the cool air was brushing against the back of her legs where usually there was no cool air because she was climbing ontop of the dang tabletop nearly on all fours oh god.

Slowly, slooowly Chiyo eases back down until she can clap her hands back over her skirt to PLOP back into her seat looking more than a bit red-faced herself. Maybe no one noticed.

"... Let's just.. enjoy lunch," she squeaks out quietly before clearing her throat. What were they talking about? Oh right! Lunches that Katsumi's mom had packed!

"W-well to be fair I hear the school lunches in the United States are no where near as good as ours?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Everyone okay over there?" Naru asks in all the tangling and untangling and some sort of critter in pockets and a smug looking Shiba. Because of course the dog looks a little smug, and happy.

"Oh! You're from the States?" Naru asks of Katsumi as Chiyo comments about US school lunches. "I have heard that too, Chiyo." She doesn't seem in much of a rush to eat her lunch, drinking her coffee first instead.

"I mean.. if you want a change, I'm sure you can trade them, Katsumi. I am the exception amongst hungry teens, there's more than a few who seem to put back their body weight in food in a day." Naru points out to him. "We also seem to run towards either overbearing parents, or absent parents amongst those of us who live here. There's a lucky few whose parents have found that happy midground, but not many."

Katsumi Cora has posed:
It takes a few moments, and fortunately for Chiyo, Katsumi can't see anything. Once the leash is worked around to free the pair, the young man's cheeks are red, even if he didn't really do anything. "What was that chittering noise?" he asks, however as he takes his seat.

"Yes. From Pittsburgh. My father is originally from Japan, but went there to play professional baseball and now we are back here because his career is near it's end. My mother is American." he explains as he sets down.

Placing his bento on the table, he reaches into a pouch on his belt to get a few treats out for Kobo. "I don't mind the meals. Just... I think she's trying to make up for not being here. She has a successful TV show, so she's back there. Still."

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Pitts-burg. Peeeets-bur-guu." Hitomi states, trying to unwrap herslef even more, extracting herself away from Katsumi and reclaiming her seat, she just... sets her bento down and picks at it again, picking up one of the tempura items.

    "I didn't hear a chittering noise." Hitomi replies. Her pocket chitters again.

    "And here I thought I was out of sorts coming from Osaka." she gives a small smile, and shrugs.

    "My parents were attentive, but I have six older brothers. THere were a loooot of people to give attention to in my family." she states.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The name of the strange foreign city is mumbled by Chiyo as well, trying to wrap her tongue around it properly. "Pitsuburgu?" Probably not quite right. Languages weren't really her strong suit past the basics of talking to the occasional foreign visitor to the shop. She knew how to say how much something was, and what was good, and even some of the flavors! But that still wasn't much outside of that very specific setting.

Reaching for her chopsticks she holds them aloft to start picking up some rice and shaved beef slices she'd opted for today with the urge for some protein. "Right? There's this Viewtube channel that showcases lunches around the world and the United States ones always look a bit sad. Other than the pizza at least."

Chittering? Rice in her mouth chewing thoughtfully her gaze has drifted over to Hitomi thoughtfully. "If you snuck a pet in maybe that's why Kobo likes you so much. I know one girl has a pet ferret she brings out on occasion. ... I forget her name though."

A questioning look is shot toward Naru. Likely SHE would know? Or maybe at least she might. "Parents... uh. I just live with my Ojiisan. We have breakfast together but then I'm on my own because he'll be working all day. It must be nice to have siblings."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Six siblings!?" Naru blinks in shock at Hitomi. "That's .. wow!" She shakes her head a little, pausing even in her coffee drinking to consider it. "Usagi has one brother.. I'm an only child. I can't even imagine having six brothers!"

"Pittsburgh." Naru is a fair mimic, and she only manages it a little bit. Her English is not bad, apparently. "How long have you been at RHA, Katsumi?" She asks curiously before shaking her head to Chiyo at the ferret question. "I've heard of someone with a ferret, but I dont think I know them well. Usagi's cat lives in our room. Well when she's not off visiting other dorms, she's a very independant kitty."

Katsumi Cora has posed:
As he is settled in, Katsumi opens his bento. He called it. Peanut butter and grape jelly, grapes, and cheese sticks. "I started just this semester." he admits as he picks up one of the small triangles to take a bite. Once it's downed, he sighs.

"I don't know what it is, Kobo just seems to really like Hitomi." And it's true, the dog is just laying on the ground, looking up at the girl with 'pet me' eyes.

"Pittsburg." he repeats, just in case. "But now he plays for the Hawks in the league here. But he is second string, so most of the time he's on the bench." A sigh. "But, I came with him because I always wanted to visit his home. And I have enjoyed it so far."

"And yes, the school lunches in America are... not good. I was happy to have my lunches there made by my mother. But I want to try the food here too."

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Mmhmm. Six older brothers. We all run ingredients to different stands in the city." Hitomi explains, and she wrinkles her nose. "I used to get lunchboxes with leftovers from all the stands, but now it's just... I'm here alone. My parents want me to handle the business side while my brothers all swagger around because they're boys."

    "And I told you. I didn't her any squeaking."

    Hitomi's blazer pocket squeaks again, and then a little rodent face peers out. Nose wiggling, a dwarf flying squirrel wriggles its way up and then perches on Hitomi's arm.

    "So. Uh... blind, right?" she asks, looking over to Katsumi. "How's that working out for you?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai blinks a single time as she watches the little flying squirrel clamber out of Hitomi's pocket to climb up to her shoulder. And she just continues to stare while Hitomi declares she hadn't heard anything. Anything at all. Sloooowly her eyes roll to the side toward Naru as if quietly asking 'you see this too, right?' Because at this point she *wasn't sure*. Sometimes mascots were tricky like that and SHE could see them but if Hitomi couldn't and there was one climbing around on her? That was ... unusual.

Lightly clearing her throat she murmers, "Sounds like your brothers are jerks. That or your parents think they're too stupid to run the shops themselves." Hard to tell. She didn't know Hitomi's family.

Taking a few bites of her food she starts to just actually eat while she can.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"If you want to try the food here, then do it." Naru nudges her bento over towards Katsumi. "Take what you want to try, I don't mind." She has her coffee, she's good!

Naru turns at the fresh squeak and the little flying squirrel that emerges to stand on Hitomi. Who is pretty adamant that it doesn't exist. "Hey there little one." Naru clearly has no qualms about exposing herself as crazy, if need be. She raises her voice a little, clearly back to talking to the group rather than the little critter. "Well, it sounds less like you're here alone and more like you get to be your own person!" Naru grins to Hitomi. "They can swagger all they want without you, and you just get to be you."

Katsumi Cora has posed:
"How's being blind working out for me? Well, you're three feet from me..." Katsumi lifts his glasses so that Hitomi can see the pale blue eyes that stare emptily ahead. "...and I can't see what you look like at all. So I guess... we'll see how it works out?"

Apparently he has gotten used to being teased about being blind and has come well armed with quips about the situation. Glasses lowered, he takes another bite of his sandwich, even as he tears off a little piece of it to set aside for that thing that is not chittering and that Hitomi clearly doesn't notice.

"So Chiyo-san, you said you had a candy business?" he asks curiously. "I'll have to try to visit sometime."

When Naru offers her bento, he shakes his head. "Instead of me pawing all over your lunch, would you please pick out one thing you want to share?" he asks her. "I'm very tactile and I doubt you want me touching your food!" he chuckles. "I learned that when I bake, I have to remind people that I frequently wash my hands and any touch burns off in the oven."

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Hitomi crunches on some bits of tempura batter. She looks at Katsumi, and she stirs her rice before she reaches down to pat Kobo on the head.

    "If anyone in class makes fun of you for being blind, you let me know who did it. I'll make sure they don't do it again. I got *no problem* with that." she states, and she looks over to the little chittering flying squirrel. With its cute little eyes and begging expression, and she plucks out some rice and tempura flakes for it.

    "This is Panko. She came with me from Osaka... she's... kind of my only friend." Hitomi states quietly, and humphs.

    "I've got swagger. More than my older brothers, 'cause I have to make up for being a *girl*."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
    Sweeping by the table a few moments ago was someone with a tray piled high with post-lunch debris. It isn't until he's at the trash and recycling receptacles that it's revealed to be Ren Morimoto, who is rather old hat at sorting his rubbish, so he's done in no time. But then he goes back INTO the line for food, picking up another bento -- seems to be a popular choice today -- and some of that fresh baked bread Chiyo had mentioned, though he picks out some of the dessert bread choices with filling for himself. A juice and some green tea completes his purchase, and now Ren returns to the tables.

    Except the baseball team has already filed out ahead of him, leaving Ren no where to sit unless he wants to be by himself. But he spots a few familiar faces and heads over to where he sees Chiyo, as well as the transfer student he introduced to her class a while back. "Hey there! Mind if I sit for the rest of lunch? I just need to scarf this down before the bell rings," he says, a casual smile on his face.

    His school jacket is tied around his waist and he seems to have lost his vest, but at least he still has his tie. That's a shocker, for Ren.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai lets out a little breath when others agree they too can see the little flying squirrel. "Hm, you should at least try Japanese bread if you haven't yet. It's different from the American sort I hear." So while Naru is sliding her bento over in offering she picks up one of the sweet milk bread rolls she got to plop down on his plate using the other end of her chopsticks for neatness. "There, one roll to add in to the mix," she offers with a chuckle.

"Panko is cute. It's a cute name, too. I've got a cat we call Bonito," she explains. "Who of course loves fish so... Bonito." It worked.

Ren's sudden appearance earns a quick nod, and flash of a grin. "Hey Ren-kun. I'm good with it. You always seem to put away so much food," she points out with a chuckle of amusement.

The topic of conversation had swayed a bit, but she also adds for Katsumi's sake. "Yes, Nounamu Sweets. It's just in the neighborhood right out front of the school. My Ojiisan owns it but I do help work there too. We make traditional and more modern wagashi. Trying to keep up some of the older sweets with what's newer too."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You are welcome to touch anything you want in it." Naru assures Katsumi. "I've eaten what I want to already, so the rest was just going to be leftovers and you can nibble as you might wish."

Naru is probably actually an air plant.

"We do have other blind students at RHA.. Katsumi isn't the only one." Naru points out. "I dont think anyone in their right mind is a jerk about." She pauses a moment and considers. "Well.. certainly not to Hannah at least. She's.. a force of personality." Which is the most polite way to phrase it about the Belkan.

"Hi there little Panko." Naru greets the squirrel with its name now. She looks up as Ren joins the table, and waves to him. "Hiya."

Katsumi Cora has posed:
"I'll keep it in mind, Hitomi-san." But Katsumi's voice softens. "Thank you." And he means that genuinely, as he hears Naru's invitation, and feels his way to the bento box. "Anyone else want any?" he offers, before he starts touching food.

"Oh! Ren-senpai!" Katsumi's reminded, as he withdraws his hands, and feels around. Finally, he finds what he's looking for and pulls out a baseball card. "I remember you said you liked baeball, so I asked my father to sign this."

And he sets down a rookie card for the Pittsburgh Pirates, signed by Kurokawa Takesi and made out, Best wishes, Ren!

"That sounds amazing, Chiyo-san, I will definetly visit sometime!"

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Panko squeaks <3 She sniffs around the table, hearing Bonito's name gives her a pause, and she waddles her way to look down at Kobo, but then settles and begins to take bits of rice and deep fried batter flake, and stuff her cheek pouches with it. She wriggles her way to sniff over Naru's bento as well, and then waddles her way back over to Hitomi.

    ""well... cute things need cute names." Hitomi states quietly, and she looks up to Ren. She gives a modedst little wave and a 'help me' expression.

    "Ren-sempai." she greets the older student, and she motions to one of the free seats quietly.

    "Nouanamu Sweets is good. I've had some of their work. It's better than the shop I used to live near in Osaka."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
    Katsumi and Naru both end up being familiar to him, too, so as it turns out it was precisely the right table for him to pick. "I wish it wasn't only lunchtime, I have tickets for a movie right after school," he says, giving a cheeky smile from down the table as he sits, and then pops open his bento. Chopsticks already in hand, he looks down at the food with wide, giddy eyes, only to pause when Chiyo says something that makes him lift his head.

    "Uh... yeah, I guess so. Maybe I'm going to grow a few more inches." He's already really tall! Hopefully not!

    There's food in his mouth afterward, chewing vigorously, so he can't keep conversing. But he makes a noise when he's called senpai, first by Katsumi and then by Hitomi, and then the noise turns into an upwards trill of excitement at the baseball card. He reaches forward to pluck it up in his free hand, looking at the signature as he tries to chew chew chew so that he can say thank you.

    "Thank you!" he's finally able to say, his whole body giving a wiggle of excitement as he holds his prize aloft. "This is awesome. I'll put this in my binder at home today! Or maybe I should frame it and put it up on a wall? I don't have anything signed by anyone... except my homework when it's not up to standard," he points out, with a self-depreciating laugh.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai smiles at the compliments given about the shop as she bites into her own bread, and quickly polishes it off. She didn't eat a lot compared to others. Certainly more than Naru by far, but less than others. What she did do was eat very, very fast. Between remarks as they talk, or between customers, as the case usually was while at work. It was only once work was done that she could really relax and eat slowly.

It's polished off in no time, and she lets out a small sigh. "I should get going for now. I wanted to head by the manga club room and see if anyone got the newest release of Prince of Highschool. It's supposed to have a side story about the current antagonist's childhood," she explains with a small hint of excitement about the thought.

"It was good getting to meet you, Hitomi-san! Good seeing you again Ren-kun, Katsumi-san. And of course Naru-chan," she adds with a grin. "We should catch up sometime soon."

Picking up her tray she heads for the trash with a quick, "See you!" to the gathered table.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru settles back with her coffee as she listens to the various chatter going on. She laughs easily at Chiyo's comment about Ren's appetite. "Usagi is no better, and she's barely 2 cm taller than I am and I'm pretty sure we're done growing. I have /no idea/ where she puts it."

Naru sips from the hot beverage that has cooled to just the right temperature at this point. "Chiyo's sweets are amazing. Lifesaving, really. I'm a big fan." She grins over to the other girl before her attention goes to Ren "What are you going to see? Is it part of the Cinema club? You're in that, right?"

"Take care, Chiyo. We absolutely should catch up. Text me." She grins and waves. "See if Usagi has it! She might."