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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 14, 2018 0:10:20 GMT -5
"Nuh-uh. I was asked if you had any preferences, and all I told them was 'nothing fancy'. Mmmm... it's so much nicer talking like this without having to be formal. You really liked the gardens then? Those ones between the vegetable garden and side garden were mine. The small ones with the white and blue flower patterns to the beds."
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 14, 2018 0:20:40 GMT -5
"You don't have to be anyone but yourself around me," Yoshi tells her, fondly remembering their talk in the car that led to him holding her while she cried. He nods as she talks of the flowers, adding, "I wondered which ones you had a personal hand in." He furitively looks across the table at her hands, finding himself wanting to hold one to quell both their nerves, except that fear of being caught doing something like that would probably be even more anxiety inducing than it would be calming.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 14, 2018 0:29:55 GMT -5
"Oh that I'm sure of. But Mother has certain expectations, you know? For when a guest is over. You could always try talking to her about loosening them for yourself, though I'm not so..." She was cut off when the doors opened once more and a new person walked in.  High heels clicked on the floor as she entered; She was taller even than Momiko, and her silvery white hair was done up in a bun. Her eyes were closed and she wore a lab coat and name tag over a expensive looking but casual dress, the woman's large chest somewhat holding the lab coat open. "I would not count on that, child," the woman said in a firm but smooth voice, like silk over ice. She turned her head to look in Yoshi's direction, "So... you are Tamori Yoshi-san then? I did not expect my offspring to so quickly pick up someone so interested in her, but I suppose she DOES have my genes. I am Asahina Mei, the girl's guardian."Her bow was not but a tilt of her head forward a little. |
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 14, 2018 0:46:32 GMT -5
Yoshi stands when the woman enters, bowing low in greeting and respect.
"I'm Tamori Yoshi," he introduces himself, continuing, "but... you... knew that." He clears his throat nervously.
"Thank you very much for welcoming me into your home, Asahina-sama," he says to her, recovering from his false start. "It is an honor to meet you." He waits again for the Asahina matriarch to sit before resuming his own seat, still unclear on the tradition. His parents had not often had guests over where he might have observed this quirk of etiquette, and even when they did, their embarrassing offspring was usually banished to his room for the duration.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 14, 2018 0:54:40 GMT -5
"A polite one. Good."
Mei slips off her high heels and hands them to the maid who let her in before walking over to the end of the table and sitting on a cushion, her own legs tucked to the side in a slightly less formal and feminine manner.
"We will be having a salad in a sesame dressing, then onion soup, then pasta with a bechamel and carrot sauce. I trust that will be fine?"
She opened her eyes to look at Yoshi and he would notice that her irises were blue like Momiko's, though of a lighter color, very much a light ice blue. Also of note was that her eyes didn't seem to look directly at his.
For her part, Momiko had not said one word since Mei entered, sitting quietly with her hands in her lap facing the older woman.
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 14, 2018 6:27:37 GMT -5
"That all sounds great, Asahina-sama, thank you," Yoshi replies to Mei, bowing from his seat. He sits for a little while in silence but eventually reminds himself that this isn't his own parent, and they were all adults here. There was no implied or explicit "speak only when spoken to" instruction as part of this social contract, as far as he was aware. So, tentatively, he tries to start some conversation.
"I'm... sorry to hear your... honored husband won't be joining us," Yoshi says to Mei. "I... would've liked to have met him as well." He looks from her to Momiko and back.
"I'm guessing... the onions and carrots for dinner come from the estate's own gardens?" he asks them both. "Momiko-san and I were... touring the gardens before dinner. She told me... it was your suggestion to use your own produce in yesterday's picnic, Asahina-sama. It was... very good; my thanks again." He can't help but breathe out in some relief at putting forth what he felt was a successful and not too excessive bit of talking, with a pair of nice topics upon which to continue.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 14, 2018 23:34:47 GMT -5
"I'm... sorry to hear your... honored husband won't be joining us," Yoshi says to Mei. "I... would've liked to have met him as well." He looks from her to Momiko and back. Momiko still said nothing, apparently listening politely. Inwardly, she kept worrying what Yoshi was thinking; About her not talking, about how overbearing Mother could be, and about what this all would lead to. |
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 15, 2018 0:01:55 GMT -5
"Oh, you used to work there?" Yoshi says, fascinated that such a wealthy woman would take two jobs, gardening and nursing, even at such a prestigious school. "Did you go to school there also? I'm finding it... very different... from my previous schooling in Dragon lands. Of course, Momiko-san is finding it even more different than her experience. It's... nice... to have that in common with one another." As he talks, he tries not to look anywhere near Mei's eyes, per Momiko's instructions, though he was sure there was something odd about them.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 15, 2018 0:19:11 GMT -5
Those eyes seemed to narrow a bit and turn vaguely in Momiko's direction, "Is that so?"
Then the head turned back towards him, "Is that what drew you to be her... friend then? This theory of common experience?"
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 15, 2018 0:35:00 GMT -5
"Um... initially, I suppose?" Yoshi replies, feeling a little nervous about the tone Momiko's mother's question seemed to carry. Still, he continued to answer as completely and honestly as possible. "We... met in the Administrative Offices... the day before school started, just by chance... and realized we were both new. She was feeling different from everyone, coming in late after being homeschooled, and I... well... I've always felt different everywhere I went to school. We... liked that similarity about us, I think."
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