Tokyo, Japan, Monday

[soniaroadsqueen]

Portalocity was weird. Ringo hadn't really traveled with them much, so this was something of a revelation for her. Somehow booking a reasonable late-morning departure from Fandom resulted in a just-after-dawn arrival in a small park a couple of miles from the apartment she shared with her sisters. Of course, despite that, all three of them were waiting.

Rika, with her knowing, motherly smile, managing to look like a carefully-styled model even this early. Mikan, tomboyish hair cropped short and sticking out every which way, smirking mischievously and tapping her foot with nervous energy. Ume, seated on a bench playing with her dolls, but glancing up and meeting Ringo's eyes when she arrived.

With a grin, Ringo dropped her bags and rushed forward into a big group hug, melting into the group for a moment. All worry and stress disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Now then," Rika said as they eventually disentangled themselves, "why don't you introduce everyone, and then we can go get some breakfast?"

[ooc: For those along for the ride. NFB for distance.]

Comments

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"Can I be there for that, too?" Kathy asked, smirking at Ringo. "It'll be nice seeing her not talk back for once."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

Mikan barked a laugh, grinning. "She talks back?" she asked. "Never seen her do much of that at home."

Funny how pleased she sounded.

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

That got Kathy's shocked face. Not her 'pretending to be shocked' face, but her actual, for-reals, 'I did not see this coming' shocked face. "Wait, what?Really?"

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

"Well, okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration." Mikan grinned. "But only when she's in a feisty mood, and she's mostly been a quiet sort of girl, you know?" That totally described Ringo, right Kathy?

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

Nope. That shocked face was going nowhere. "Did you just call Ringo quiet?!"

Oh god, had she gotten in the wrong portal and ended up in some alternate reality where Ringo was quiet and didn't talk back.

"Ringo!" she called, needing to make sure. "Name all of the things I'm better than you at!"

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo put on a totally-fake thoughtful look, then called back. "Can't think of anything!"

And now it was Mikan's turn to look surprised. Not shocked, but definitely surprised.

"Huh." She grinned. "Would you look at that."

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"You really gonna make me make you sing the song?" Kathy demanded, relieved to know that she was in the right reality. "You know, the one I came up with after I schooled you at lock picking?"

And then she was giving Mikan a guiltily amused smile. "Umm, I'm a good influence on your sister, really."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about!" An insistence which didn't come across all that convincingly with that blush.

Mikan's grin widened, and then she laughed. "Looks like you are," she agreed.

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"I also dragged her out clothing shopping and convinced her that she was allowed to own clothing that wasn't suitable for AirTrek," Kathy said with a fond smile. "I'm pretty sure I had to turn it into a dare or something, but we went."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

"I didn't think that that skirt she's wearing was in her bag when she left," Mikan said.

"So, yeah. Thanks." Funny how emotionally loaded that word could be.

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"I was happy to," Kathy said softly. "I--Ringo's told me a lot about the stuff that happened before she left. I'm just glad that I can help her get to know who Ringo is. And that plenty of people will like her with or without Regalia."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Only idiots care about the Regalia."

"But," she sighed, "enough people only ever got to see Crazy Apple, the Thorn Queen of Sleeping Forest. So people think they know her, but have no idea."

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"I think Ringo's starting to get a good handle on who she is outside of being Crazy Apple," Kathy said. "Once she's there, people will get a chance to know her for real."

She raised her voice again to make sure she was overheard. "And people will learn that she is kinda weird and crazy competitive, but I suppose not the worst person in the world. Probably."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Did I just hear you say that I'm the most awesome person you know?" Ringo called back, smirking.

Mikan shook her head. "Now I'm not so sure that's a good thing, if she's like this all the time." Her grin hadn't gone anywhere, though.

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"Hopefully Tuning will help with those delusions of yours!" Kathy said. "Because, no! No you didn't!"

"All the time," she added with an exaggerated sigh. "It really is all the time."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

"Maybe it's a phase?" Mikan ventured.

Which caused Rika to burst into laughter. "It wasn't for you."

"Hey!"

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh nooooo!" Kathy groaned. "You're not saying it runs in the family, are you?"

She couldn't remember if they were biologically-related or not. So? They were sisters. That was all that mattered.

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Nah. It's probably just Ringo wanting to be more like me since I'm so awesome."

Re: Monday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm surprised she doesn't want to be more like me," Kathy said with a sad shake of her head. "But I guess my level of amazing is a little daunting."

RE: Re: Monday Morning

[otherroadriders]

"Yeah." Mikan grinned. "You're gonna fit in just fine here."