Emi/Hanako - Shanghai Stunts

Emi continues running on her route, which to her is a planned route but to anyone else, could be any random direction on the road.

The typically energetic girl, exhausted enough for the day, decides that she can afford a break, and slows to a jog.  Run's done for the day, time to stop at a relaxing place and take a bite to eat.

The menu's pretty average, but still a little too complex for Emi to look it over too thoroughly.  She orders a few crab patties with a side of fruit salad and leaves it at that.

As Emi waits for her order, she sees a streak of dark hair out of the corner of her eye.  A figure approaches, still cloaked mostly in the hair and hidden further by her hunched shoulders.

Emi lets out an enthusiastic 'hey!', sure that she recognizes this person.  The dark haired girl looks to the side, contemplating her escape routes.

"You're..." Emi starts, struggling to remember the name, "You're, Honko, right?"

Hanako blushes a bit, deciding to take the seat next to Emi, settling herself slowly.  "It's... Hanako."

"Oh!  Yeah!  Hanako!"  Emi offers Hanako her hand to shake, but gets no response.

As Emi still eagerly waits for her order, she speaks up again, "So, Hanako, whatcha eatin'?"

Hanako holds her fists to her chin, but decides to take a seat across from Emi.  "I uh... teriyaki rice would be fine..."

Before long, mostly due to the common lack of customers in the establishment, both girls get their orders before any more words can be exchanged between them.

Emi munches down on her crab, Hanako prods the edges of her rice, taking a nibble every now and then.

Suddenly, Emi speaks up, between bites.  "So, Hanako, whatcha up to?"

Hanako glances slightly away from Emi, taking time with her answer.  "H-homework... schoolwork.  Busy with school."

Before Emi knows it, she's become obsessed with the strawberry mochi in front of her, gathering up a forkful and hovering it to Hanako's direction.  "Ooh, you gotta try this!"  Emi spouts.

Hanako shifts a bit in her seat, wanting to resist, but eventually submits, making a slight moan sound as she opens her mouth.

Emi carefully brings a bit to Hanako's mouth.  Hanako responds by spreading her lips wide open.

Hanako accepts the bit of food, taking it in, chewing it slowly.  "Hmm... y-you were right, Emi, this is pretty good!  N-no, not pretty good, really good!"

Emi makes a nod.  "Yup.  A bit of rice and a bit of sugar, pretty fillin', eh!"

As Hanako finishes the bite, Emi looks over her carefully, trying to read Hanako's response to the food.  Quickly, she spots some stray food on her cheek.

"You got... you got something on your face," Emi mutters, before realizing what she's saying.  Hanako only pauses, then blushes and looks away.  Emi does her best to casually dab at Hanako's chin with a napkin.

The two girls remain quiet for a while after that, attending to their food with a normal amount of manner.

As Emi muches away, she notices a new voice, to her side, trying its best not to be heard but failing miserably.

The voice belongs to a group of people, mostly decked out in suits and similarly classy clothing.  One thing was certain: they didn't fit in here, folks from out of town, no doubt.

Emi continues on her meal quietly, as does Hanako, but eventually, the voice of the people's own casual chatter increases, and Emi can't help overhearing statements.  'What a dingy town, this is surely the boonies', 'Hey, look at that chick!  She's got a hot body.  No... no legs though?  Ugh!"

"Hell, I agree, wow, what a freak, look at those ugly metal bars."  Emi is keeping her face straight, munching down bites with a slow precision.  "Wow, I bet she's pretty flexible.  But a girl with no legs, could you really touch that?"  The voices continue, unabated.  Emi has heard them, her face in a slight scowl, her body trying not to spring on the outsiders.

"I bet it's gross," A girl's voice remarks, "Must get really nasty with that leg stuff!  How does she even walk on that?  Bet she can't stand it!"

Hanako has her eyes closed, her fists already clenched together.  Her back is turned to the small crowd criticizing her new friend.  She is the next to speak.  She's trembling visibly.  "S-stop... stop talking like that.  That's not nice."

A face from the other table sits up, raising its voice, 'Hey, who asked you, girl?  You a friend of this freak?"

Hanako hesitates, her shaking increasing for a moment, then responds at a loud volume, while keeping her back turned, scars not visible, "Yeah!  She's a friend of mine!  I like her company!  You g-got a problem with it?  I th-think you do!"  Hanako's expression looks angry now.

Hanako sits up, to the surprise of Emi, without turning herself to the onlookers.  "Is th-this the way you treat people unfamiliar to you!?  I think y-you're being rude!  You sh-should be ashamed, this is n-no way to act!"  Hanako shifts her clenched fists together, looking down, still avoiding the gaze of anything.

The man at the head of the small crowd waves his arm in response.  "Ahh, whatever, you seem pretty bothered, girl, we don't even care, have fun with your 'freak'."  Emi's cheeks are puffed, to the point of bursting, and Hanako doesn't look much different, her scowl clear to Emi, and nobody else, hidden from the onlookers by her cloak of hair.

After a few moments, Emi calms down, and raises a hand, looking to the disheveled girl across from her.  "Wow, Hanako, you didn't have to stand up for me, but that, that... I gotta admit, that was pretty awesome."

Hanako blushes in response, lowering her hands  "That... that was n-no problem... the foreigners... they can be mean s-sometimes, I know."

Emi shakes her head swiftly.  "It's not a problem, really!"  She adjusts her hair, then fixes her eyes on Hanako's own shifty pair.  "But I do appreciate that, you really bared your teeth there, that was really awesome, thanks, Hanako."

Hanako makes an embarrassed response to the evaluation, hiding her face behind her hands.  "I-I couldn't stand for insults like that.  I... I had to.."

Emi raises a hand.  "I get it.  It's okay, Hanako, I mean, I shrug that stuff off most of the time, but you really attacked them!  That was super cool!  Don't feel bad!  Feel great!"  Emi clenches her fists together, making a wink, "Thanks for backin' me up.  You're a real friend"

"I... J-just spoke my m-mind... that's not, def-defending at all I-I mean-"  Hanako constantly flaps her lips, trying helplessly to make her own reasoning of the situation.

Emi grabs Hanako's shoulders, causing Hanako's own expression to freeze in shock  "Anyway, I was gonna run back to school, I should probably take off real soon, wanna join me?"

Hanako shudders at the sudden proposition.  "I uh... I sh-should-"

"Should run right with me!"  Emi finishes for Hanako, giving her a smile, "I need to finish my runs today.  Just a bit of jogging, you up to it?"

Hanako shakes in Emi's grip, considering her options.  After a moment, Hanako's brows furrow as she responds, "A-a bit?   I think I can take a bit!"

"Right then!" Emi yells out, making a pace already, starting on a run, hoping Hanako can keep up.  Hanako's legs move, the connection between them becomes easier, right left, right left.  Emi continues running at a very steady pace, Hanako follows, not skipping a single step.

They don't run long, soon enough, Emi slows to a steady jog.  She and Hanako spend the way back talking about whatever's on their mind, running alongside each other calmly.