十七 ❀ july 4 event - 75% droned

[naicha]

_{[ A Taiwan - no, Xiaomei is standing where Japan, no, Kiku usually is, sweeping the front yard and setting up the cafe early in the morning. She is dressed in one of the more conservative costumes that cover more skin. ... She doesn't know how she got pulled into this whole gimmick, her husband put her up to this, okay. Oh, the things she does for love. ]}

Good morning! Nice weather this year, isn't it? <sub>[ instead of the usual "Hi!" or "Zao an!" ]

[ B Shaved ice. Shaved ice. Was that even a thing? She just wants some right now. On a whim, she takes a trip to the grocery, walking briskly along the aisles for toppings: taro, azuki beans, grass jelly, anything--

She slows down to a stop in aisle 12. ]</sub>



Ah... What was I looking for again?

<sub>[ Well, she has a can of condensed milk in one hand and some strawberries in the other. Can anyone give her ideas?

Alternatively, you may have bumped into her on her search! ]

[ C After tucking her three darling little angels in bed (and it's definitely not strange, how she is eighteen and he is twenty-five and their children are at least twelve, heavens no!) Xiaomei has a cup of coffee while propped up on her bed, reading a book she's certainly never touched. It's hard to focus on the text when what Shiki said this morning still bothers her. ]</sub>



Are they really trying to kill us? ... That's silly. <sub>[ She takes a sip of coffee. It's salty. Strange, she thinks she's never done that before...

Feel free to call her, the phone is on the nightstand. ]



(ooc: Just did this, so I'll be retconning some of her characterization slightly! Not that there's much to change... but shh okay this is a thing I am working on starting now.)</sub>

Comments

B

[headedforhope]

[yeeeeep nearly bumps into Taiwan, her mind elsewhere]

Oh, my, I'm sorry- ah...[mentally fumbles] Taiwan-san?

[naicha]

Ooh... Ah, hello, Mami! Is it your turn to buy the groceries today? _{[ She laughs as if she thinks that's cute. ]}

[headedforhope]

[sadly this sounds like normal Taiwan behavior to her]

Not exactly, I just- eh, well, you know how it is. You think you have everything you need, and then it turns out you're missing something crucial. [a pause, wrestling with some inner turmoil, and she shrugs] I felt like trying to cook something for today.

[which is a really strange desire in and of itself, considering she can't do so for crap and has no stake in this American holiday]

[naicha]

Well, that's the spirit! Today is a special occasion after all. What were you thinking of?

A

[politerudeness.livejournal.com]

[ Japan- or, well, Kiku-'s mind just returned to its droned state, which is why he looks vaguely bothered by something and a little unsure. But he gets easily distracted by that when he walks up to her. The fact that she's sweeping and otherwise acting like the wife of the house instead of him, as he usually does, as well as her conservative dress doesn't bother him at all right now. ]

...Hmm. Ah, good morning, Xiaomei. [ Xiaomei? He did always call her that, didn't he? Why does that feel so wrong, coming from him like that, like there's something else supposed to be attached to that that's missing? Additionally- it feels oddly intimate and inappropriate to call her that, especially in public, and he can't figure out why. ]

[naicha]

Kiku, good morning! _{[ Calling him that isn't strange at all. ]}

--oh! _{[ She drops everything to fix his collar. ]} There. Today is a special day, so you have to look especially good! You always do, though.

[politerudeness.livejournal.com]

...Yes, of course. Ah... thank you. That's right, today is a special day for us all... isn't it? [ stares at a bit. why does something feel really really off.. ]

[naicha]

Yes! But it's funny, I feel like it's someone else's birthday today, too! <sub>[ What's with the look...

Pokes his nose. ]</sub> Now why does your face look like that?

B

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

[And here's Squid Girl, pushing a grocery cart along in the same aisle. Unfortunately, she's sort of shrimpy and not using her tentacles to control it, so her cart is on a collision course for Taiwan's.]

[naicha]

Ow! You should watch where you're going, you know! _{[ but she's smiling. she's not mad! it doesn't seem like she's changed at all. ]}

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Mrs. Honda!

[And she's running around to see if she's okay.]

[naicha]

Ehehe, it's okay! Now what are you doing here, Squid? Are you making a cake, too?

C

[grand-theft-moe.livejournal.com]

[Chizuko's room is a bit different (http://grand-theft-moe.livejournal.com/9604.html) than she might have remembered. The look of horror she gives her is also not the kind of thing you expect from a child you raised.]

[naicha]

Chizuko? What have you been up to... _{[ She takes of of the papers taped on the wall. ]} "Daughter of Twenty Faces"?

[grand-theft-moe.livejournal.com]

I'm remembering.

[Does that jar anything, she wonders?]

[naicha]

Remembering what? This sounds like something out of pulp fiction, I'd say!

A

[pseudoll.livejournal.com]

[The handy thing about being droned is that Yin now actually goes out and does things rather than stay inside all day. Even if she is blind. Welp, she doesn't quite realize that she could see if she just got some water...]

Yes, the weather is perfect for fireworks tonight.

[naicha]

_{[ How to respond to that without being rude... ]}

Will you be spending time with your family tonight, Yin?

[pseudoll.livejournal.com]

Yes, I believe so. Even though I can't actually see what happens, they always describe it for me. I like it.

B

[encored]

[oh pick him he has good ideas!!]

Use jackfruit instead, strawberries are plain. [...even though he knows Mayfield wouldn't have something like that, so he is not very helpful at all, is he. but today he's going out of his way to make references to his life outside of the city; just a little reminder to keep false memories at bay.]

[naicha]

<sub>[ she picks..................








charles ]</sub>

Jackfruit? We don't have those here, do we? I really want some now, though! It's too bad... Are you also making something for the fourth of July? Your father is really good at cooking! I wouldn't be surprised if you were, too.

[encored]

[yes does he win a prize]

A shame, isn't it? [he shakes his head in response to the question, looking displeased as the word 'father' brings up memories of past holidays spent with his family that he knows never happened.]

I'm just here to pick up a few extra groceries. I haven't a clue what anyone else is going to eat, but I'm having the neighbors for dinner. [a subtle test to see exactly how droned dronewan is]

A

[timeresets.livejournal.com]

_{[headed out the door...]}

Taiwan-san?

[naicha]

Now, that's not a very nice joke, young lady. You should call your mama Mama, like any other person!

[timeresets.livejournal.com]

Huh....? B-But you're not... that's... T-Taiwan-san, are you alright?